DEF LEPPARD's RICK SAVAGE On New Songs/Making DIAMOND STAR HALOS Album

Tuesday, 26th July 2022

Def Leppard 2022

Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage has talked about the new Diamond Star Halos album and his bass playing in a new interview.

'Diamond Star Halos' is the band's 12th studio album.

The album was announced on 17th March and then released on Friday 27th May 2022.

Rick Savage has spoken to Bass Player magazine as part of the new album promotion.

The interview is featured in the August edition (Issue 304 August 2022) of the magazine which features an archive photo of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton on the front cover.

Sav talked about bass playing, his role in the band, Take What You Want, making Diamond Star Halos, album bass sound, Open Your Eyes, U Rok Mi, Liquid Dust, This Guitar and bass playing exercises.

Read some quotes below from the magazine.

New Songs

Sav talked about a few of the new songs on 'Diamond Star Halos' including his own track 'Take What You Want'.

Explaining that it started out on acoustic guitar at first.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2022.

Def Leppard Bass Player August 2022 - Interview Quotes

Bass Players

Rick Savage - "The bass player is the glue and has an observation point that encompasses all sides of the band, You’re the bridge between the rhythm and the melody."

Band Role

Rick Savage - "I always feel like I’m the fulcrum in our band—the balancing act who can hear every side of the argument. Normally, the compromise is me. That’s my role. Usually they say, ‘Well, if Sav thinks so, then fuck it, go with what he says!’."

Take What You Want/Making Diamond Star Halos

Rick Savage - "‘Take What You Want’ started on acoustic, and yeah, the descending line is quite Beatlesy. Later on, I decided to take that acoustic riff onto a proper electric and it sounded huge. One of the best things about recording this album was the fact we were sat in our own little studios, doing our own bits."

This Guitar

Rick Savage - "It’s a special track to me because I also recorded the 12-strings on it. I said to Phil that we should add some, and he told me, ‘Great—you do it then!."

U Rok Mi

Rick Savage - "You have to make it dance, so the main reference point for me on that song was ‘Crazy’ by Seal."

Open Your Eyes

Rick Savage - "Even Ronan, when he first heard the tones, was like, ‘What the hell is that?’ I told him it was me experimenting with an old Fender for the track ‘Open Your Eyes’, which has this big distorted bass line."

Read more about the magazine here.