A recent profile piece on Gavin Rossdale by the fashion-culture magazine Marvin described the Bush frontman as “a modern Renaissance man”. It’s because Rossdale’s got a bunch of other jobs alongside the role he’s most famous for. Somehow, amongst all this extracurricular activity, Rossdale has steered his main creative vehicle Bush to a renaissance. We crawl inside his busy mind.
Gavin Rossdale has a bunch of other jobs alongside the role he’s most famous for. These include a new clothing line and a cooking show, as well as his occasional turns as an actor. Oh, and he is a father to four kids. Renaissance man? In his own words:
“I’m overreaching on all of them apart from music”.
Somehow, amongst all this extracurricular activity, Rossdale has steered his main creative vehicle Bush to a renaissance (he is now the sole remaining founding member). Bush had phenomenal early success in the 90s with early albums 16 Stone and Razorblade Suitcase, but the band’s two latest records The Kingdom (2020) and last year’s The Art of Survival, sound very different to their previous output and represent something of a creative resurgence for the band. The influence is simple:
“My ear always loved metal - the riffs. But the singing never appealed to me (I loved the post-punk stuff). But I chained myself to metal guitars”.
Rossdale’s influences for this new creative direction include Slipknot, System Of A Down and Mastodon. But while such metal bands seem hard core, both The Kingdom and The Art of Survival package metal stylings in accessible rock songs, with thrilling production and radio-friendly verse-chorus transitions. They are also excellent if you need to boost your gym workout.
Gavin has been in Bush since ‘92 and he is savvy enough to know that a band of longevity has to make some changes in creative direction - as a necessity to survival not a means of avoiding boredom. Bush explored new territory before (third album The Science of Things employed a broader palette of sonics - even some Fairlight on the single The Chemicals Between Us).
It seems like Rossdale is a model for all the tricks of the trade, longevity-wise - other creative pursuits to keep him sane, successfully navigating changes of musical direction and the assimilation of new band members with a generous sense of collaboration and adventure. Rossdale doesn’t recognise the band’s longevity story in the music business as high drama - even though they have had their share of industry shenanigans, let-downs and, for nearly eight years, a split, until the band reformed in 2010.
“It's the inevitability - bands might choose to settle for where they’re at. It might be difficult to go from arenas to clubs, but bands have to follow their hearts. And if you don’t, what else are you gonna do anyway”.
He hasn't settled for anything like that for Bush, the band was back at the top of the Billboard mainstream rock charts as we spoke. Of course, the band’s career is unusual in that this is a British band that made it big in America - but never found anything like as much success in their native UK. Funny when you think about the history of UK bands that have tried to break America - and almost broken themselves in doing so.
As the band is about to embark on a major US tour we talk about what happens in preparation, which is a lot more than meets the eye. Getting in the right headspace is vital, and not always easy. To say that Rossdale manages his own contradictions is an understatement. On the one hand, longevity has brought with it a clarity and confidence. On the other hand, all the insecurities of the classic creative mind remain at work.
“I don’t have regrets but I reflect on those moments to sharpen my mind going forward. This is the later part of my career, the youthful ignorance has gone and the horizon is perfectly visible, therefore it hones and sharpens my resolve”.
“I’m never content with what I do. I have a very strange process of self doubt and imposter syndrome until something good breaks through - and then I think, “for fucks sake shut-up”, and then I break through it”.
Long and successful careers in rock bands are not linear processes, nor are they straightforward to handle, psychologically. But Gavin Rossdale has this longevity thing sorted.
Bush begin a major US tour shortly, details here.