INTERVIEW WITH

Eric Turner

OF Warrant

By: Scott Redeker

Will Warrant be touring this summer? If yes, will you be touring with other groups or just Warrant?

We toured this summer with a lot of different acts- everybody from Lynyrd Skynard, BTO, April Wine, Ratt, L.A. Guns, Firehouse, and Slaughter to name a few.

How did you pick Jamie St. James as the singer of Warrant?
Ironicaly the first demo Warrant ever recorded in 1984 Tommy Thayer produced it and he brought his good friend Jaime St. James to sing back up vocals on. We have been friends ever since then and have stayed in contact over the years. We have always thought he is a great singer and great guy.

What has been the fan reaction so far having a new singer?
What surprises Jerry and I the most is the non-reaction. The audience acts as if Jaime has been in the band the whole time. We have done about 50 shows since Jani left and we sign every night after the show and maybe 25 fans have asked about Jani all year.

Do you get a big reaction when you play a Black N Blue song live?
We play Hold on the Eighteen and the fans of Black N Blue really enjoy that. We really enjoy playing it live.

Did getting a new singer have anything to do with Steven Sweet and Joey Allen rejoining Warrant?
Yes, In the past, Jerry and I and Obi have suggested to Jani to get Joey and Steven back in the band and he was always against that idea.

Have you been writing any new songs together?
We have about seven new songs that we have recorded. We are still in the writing process and preproduction process and hope to make a new record next year.

How has the sound changed since you got the original members back? How was it different for the last few tours?
We had a lot of great guys play with us since Joey and Steven left the band but the band never sounded like the original songs. It is refreshing to have Warrant sound like Warrant again.

I read in concert you plan on focusing on the first two records. Why haven't you done that with the past few tours?
Jani never wanted to change the set and hated to rehearse so now we can play the songs we want to play-songs that the fans have been asking us to play for the last ten years. The whole set has been revamped and we play eighteen songs from the first three records.

One complaint I hear from Warrant fans is there is never enough tracks from Dog Eat Dog played live.
Why haven't more songs been played from that cd?
Because we were not aloud to change the set. (Laughs) We play two songs from Dog eat Dog now-Bridges and Quicksand.

Will we see a new Warrant cd soon?
Why haven't you recorded a cd full of new tracks in the last few years?
We hope to have one out next year.
As for why we haven't put out a record in the past few years is because we were too busy touring.
And then Jani decided to do a solo record and solo tour.

Will either the 1991 pay per view or Gazarri's 1987 show be released on DVD?
Will any past or new shows be recorded for DVD?
Hopefully the new lineup will do a DVD someday. Everything else is out on bootleg. See EBAY.

How has touring changed for Warrant since you started?
Is touring still fun for you or is it more of a job?
It is a lot more fun now that I am not hung over everyday. Sometime I get a little tired traveling but it never feels like a job. Plus I get to play a lot of different golf courses around the country now that I golf.

What has been your favorite tour in recent years?
Playing the 2004 tour with the new/old line up.

What has been your favorite tour ever?
Blood, Sweat, and Beer 1991.

I heard a while back that Warrant was going to release an acoustic cd and a cd of older unreleased songs. What ever happened to those cds?
Jani shot it down.

Was there ever a thought of giving up on Warrant?
No.

How is the artwork going? Do you ever paint on the road?
I don't paint anymore unless somebody asks me to paint something special for them. I enjoy web design and recording music in my studio.

Why weren't the songs on Demos For Diehards used in Warrant?
Jani wanted all his own songs on the record and never took the time to finish one of my songs and make it a Warrant song. Although, he was cool enough to sing on some of my songs. I do appreciate that.

Were they all written around the same time?
With in a five year period. Early 90's.

Will we see an Erik Turner solo cd in the future?
Maybe. You never know but there is nothing planned at this time.

Why did the music change so much from Dog Eat Dog to Ultraphobic and then to Belly to Belly?

Trying to chase the latest trend. It wasn't intended that way at the time but listening back, it sure sounds like it.

Did the entire band get together and talk about changing the musical direction of Warrant?
No. We had some new band members and new writers involved and it just changed.
Thanks,
ErikTurner.com
Warrantweb.net