PHIL COLLEN On JUST LIKE 73 And New Songs For Next DEF LEPPARD Album

Thursday, 22nd August 2024

Def Leppard 2024

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen talked about the Just Like '73 single in a recent interview and the next studio album.

The song was premiered one 13th June and then given a worldwide digital release.

The first release of new material since the 'Diamond Star Halos' album in May 2022.

Just Like '73 Single

Phil talked about the origins of 'Just Like '73' when interviewed recently on the Eddie Trunk Nation podcast.

He also explained how Tom Morello's guest appearance came about.

Revealing it what not due to the meeting with Rick during The Stadium Tour but a suggestion of Brian Monaco (the President, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Sony/ATV Music Publishing).

Next Def Leppard Album

Phil also talked about how the band are already making the next Def Leppard studio album with 'Just Like '73' as it's starting point.

Other songs left over from the 'Diamond Star Halos' sessions will be included along with newly written material.

Next Def Leppard Album

Phil suggests the album will not be released until at least 2025 or perhaps early 2026.

Listen to the full interview below (starting after the show intro) and read Phil's quotes.

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).

Phil Collen/Trunk Nation - 2024 Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Just Like '73 Single

Eddie Trunk - "So let's now flash forward to right now, current day, because you guys dropped a new song a couple, a week or not even a week ago, Just Like '73 And when you talk about those signature vocals and a big anthemic song, man, this checks every box. Tell me about this new single."

"Yeah, I mean, absolutely."

"We started it when we were doing Diamond Star Halos, and if anyone doesn't know, that's a line from a Mark Bolan song, T. Rex, and he says, Hubcap Diamond Star Halo."

"And me and Joe have always used that phrase to describe the time that we got really baptized into music."

"Like, see, I remember seeing Bowie on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Top Of The Pops, and I was like, oh, my God, this is my guy."

"And I was like 14 or 15."

"I'd already seen Deep Purple at my first concert, which was amazing."

"So then all of a sudden this glam stuff come out."

"So we would always describe that as Diamond Star Halos."

"I was writing a song with Dave Bassett, who I wrote Kick with, and same deal."

"And I really wanted to put a Slade slant on the backing vocals and just make it very much about '72 or '73."

"And Joe heard the demo, and he's like, why can't you have both?, So we did."

"And then Joe started writing some lyrics because he's obviously really tapped into that."

"And all the verse lyrics and all the imagery from exactly that Diamond Star Halo period ends up on this song."

"And we actually hadn't finished it."

"So the rest of the band hadn't even heard the demo, and we played it to everyone."

"They all loved it."

"They all put their stuff on it."

"We played guitar, Rick put his part on."

"And then we had some vocals, everyone sang on it."

"And before you know it, it came out like this."

"So we're really thrilled."

"It actually sounds better than the stuff on Diamond Star Halos to my ears."

"So I'm really excited about that."

"It seems that everyone really digs it as well."

Next Def Leppard Studio Album

Eddie Trunk - "So is it a one-off single, or is this the seed of another Def Leppard record?."

"Oh, it's absolutely the seed of another Def Leppard record."

"I mean, it was a left over from the album before, but it was also the start of the new album."

"So without a doubt."

"We write all the time."

"I mean, Joe, especially since Diamond Star Halos, we send each other things."

"Sav gets in on there."

"Just between the three of us, there's just a lot of stuff floating around already."

"So we've got a bunch of stuff."

"It's really exciting."

"And it's a great place to be."

"It's never that thing, 'Well, we've got to sit down and write an album'."

"It's like, 'wow, I can't wait to play this to the guys and see what the reaction is'."

"And we keep pushing the boat out even further."

"So, no, really loving it."

Next Album Release Date?

Eddie Trunk - "Do you envision a full-length another Def Leppard album this year? Do you think you'd get something done this year?."

"This year would be pushing it, I think, this year."

"Yeah. Once we kind of get it into the groove, I think, yeah, who knows?."

"Next year, early the year after."

Recording On The Road/New Song Ideas

Eddie Trunk - "So when you write and do this, are you guys sending files around to each other or do you ever write and record on the road while you're touring?."

"We do. We have done stuff like that before and finished stuff."

"We really need a vocal on this or we need a bass or acoustic guitar or a solo."

"And we do that on tour."

"We tend to get into whatever mode we're in."

"So it's like tour mode or whatever."

"So kind of less gets done."

"You'd be amazed how busy it gets, you know, with the touring part."

"You just have a bit of time off and you just want to sit around and do nothing sometimes."

"So yeah, I think the fact that we've actually got a lot of song ideas that are already started is huge for us."

"And I think, you know, as soon as we actually get off tour, it'll start flowing straight away in any gap or something."

"I'm sure we're going to be doing some stuff."

"I'm taking my gear out on tour."

"But yeah, it's so much easier than all flying somewhere, going to a studio, doing all that stuff."

"And I think the biggest problem is when you get an idea and you play it and it has to go through everyone else and sometimes it's not exactly what you meant in the first place."

"So you sit on it, you breathe on it, you record it when you want, and then you send it to whoever you want."

"And then it's like, yeah, what do you think of this?."

"So for us, it's a way better process, I've got to say."

"A lot easier and a lot more kind of creative."

Eddie Trunk - "Yeah, I'm looking at the touring schedule coming up. I mean, there are at least a couple days off between all these gigs, which is good for rest, obviously, for everybody, but it also gives you some downtime in hotels, I would think, if you wanted to get together and knock some stuff out."

"Oh yeah, I can remember on the last tour, I set up my little studio in Toronto for a few days and I had to finish a guitar part before we got to the border."

"So I was actually recording guitars on the tour bus before we hit the border back into the States."

"So yeah, you do stuff like that."

"But yeah, it's great."

"And you can't stop the creativity."

"Whenever it kind of rears its head, you're good to go."

"So no, I like that fact about it, you know."

Just Like '73 Video

Eddie Trunk - "Are you going to do a video for that, Phil?."

"We are."

"We're kind of just finishing that up."

"It's actually really cool."

"Obviously, Tom Morello is on the track with us as well."