Peak-Bush was more popular in the United States than peak-Oasis. Fact-check it all you like. While Oasis was on a stadium high in their homeland, and blazing away on the UK charts with nine consecutive No. 1 albums, compatriots Bush cracked the US in ways the Gallagher brothers could’ve only dreamed.
Gavin Rossdale’s alternative rock band headlined the infamous 1999 edition of Woodstock, had four US hit singles and climbed the Everest that is the Billboard 200 with 1996’s Razorblade Suitcase, an album that logged two weeks at No. 1. It’s one of seven Bush titles that cracked the top 40 in the US, the world’s biggest recorded music market.
With I Beat Loneliness, their 10th studio album, out July 18th through earMUSIC, Bush can add to that tally.
Produced by Rossdale and Erik Ron (Godsmack, Bad Omen, Panic! At The Disco), the new collection is as sonically burly as you’d expect, but finds Rossdale exploring themes of isolation, mental health, and emotional tolls.
In these strange post-pandemic times, of MAGA, Brexit, and social media road rage, Rossdale had no shortage of material to work with.
“It’s the most personal record that I’ve ever made. It’s really unfortunate, because they’re such a brilliant band and they’re forced to live through the funnel of my fucking lyrics,” he says with a laugh.
Rossdale now calls Los Angeles home but hasn’t lost any of the dry humour, and self-deprecation, that Brits are seemingly born with. “It’s a funny situation where to make a record with the lyrics so personal, sometimes can sound a bit pompous to the point where it’s like the exclusion of the band, when the band are all over it, and the band is strong and amazing. So it’s an incredible journey.” And yet, “it is very strong.”
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Rossdale has learned at the school of hard knocks, a life that has shaped him and so many of us. The rocker’s mother left the family home when he was just 12. “I reflect on that. For a 12-year-old kid to lose their mum, it’s really insane,” he tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “There’s a world full of crazy people who’ve had to deal with immeasurable, stressful family situations. Inadvertently abusive, even, if not overtly abusive. People have come through so much, and ought to be applauded for just putting one front of the other and getting themselves together and having responsibility in their lives. The whole record is about this sort of struggle in modern life. To fit in because so much is expected of us. And apparently our neighbours are having a much better life than we are. Our contemporaries having a better life than we are. It’s all aspirational. No one tells you how you got there.”
Led by the fiery single “The Land of Milk and Honey,” I Beat Loneliness is an anthem to those of us carrying a burden, and pushing on. “It’s unfortunate, but everyone’s gets fucked all the time. And it’s only with these open discussions are people realising, wow, it’s the same struggles for you. I really tried to be as personal as I could, it ended up being more universal than I could imagined.”
After some angry teenage years, and the whirlwind of a young adult life in a successful rock band, parenthood, love, and all that comes with it, Rossdale admits, “I just don’t like to give up.”
Is he pissed that Bush was historically overlooked in the UK? You bet.
“I am the American dream. I’m the living embodiment of the dream of America. America gave me everything. England gave me nothing. I have to live with, for some reason, England just didn’t want to support me. I’m talking about the industry, about the people that sign you, the community of record companies, and media. It’s a weird one, but I think I have a really English sensibility in America, so I have a really healthy perspective on it all.”
Bush and Rossdale will live the American dream when they set out on a major tour, starting Saturday, July 19th at Boston’s TD Garden.
Australia is on the horizon.
“We’re actively talking about February dates. The promoter’s suggesting certain bands, and my manager is showing doubt,” Rossdale confirms. “So, they want to agree on the right band to tour with. It’s really close, but the idea is February. That would make me happy, to do a nice run of shows in Australia. We’ve got some nice momentum. I’d love to keep it rolling so that people know that we want to come. We’ll be there.”
