Myles Kennedy

As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and a skilled guitar player, Myles Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting Alter Bridge, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group’s global impact as a critically acclaimed, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus. On the microphone for Slash and The Conspirators, his towering range and magnetic stage presence has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he’s the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with Disturbed, Halestorm, and Sevendust as he is with Gov’t Mule and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. It’s why he’s generated over 1 billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and KERRANG! christened him “one of rock’s finest vocalists.” It’s also why he’s carved out his own lane. With two solo efforts under his belt and sold out headline tours in the rearview, a sense of keenly honed intuition guides his third full-length LP, The Art of Letting Go [Napalm Records]. “I’ve been going through a massive Bruce Lee kick, no pun intended,” he smiles. “His quote, ‘Be water, my friend’, always stuck with me. On a grander scale, it represents the record. It’s an exercise in removing prior restrictions and shattering the parameters I set up for myself as a solo artist. This is a rock record. In the past, I thought rock might be a little too close to the other projects. Instead, I just let go and embraced my essence as a singer, guitar player, and writer. This is who I am. This is my DNA. Instead of being apologetic and shying away from it, I’m letting go and being myself.” This move is a natural step for Myles… 2021 saw him deliver his acclaimed sophomore opus, The Ides of March. It impressively notched a total of four #1 debuts across three countries, toppling the Billboard US Top Current Hard Music Chart, the UK Official Rock & Metal Chart and Official Independent Album Chart, and Canada’s Hard Music Albums Chart. Beyond generating 10 million-plus streams, it incited unanimous critical applause. RIFF hailed it as “a fantastic and must-listen record,” while Classic Rock Magazine awarded it “4.5-out-of-5 stars,” going on to attest, “The Ides of March confirms Myles Kennedy as a musical powerhouse.” In addition to praise from American Songwriter, Guitar.com, LoudWire, and more, Guitar World spotlighted the title track and lauded how “Kennedy nods to the titans of classic rock, with Led Zep-style acoustic lines, Rolling Stone-esque cleans and an overall composition reminiscent of A Night at the Opera-era Queen.” In 2023, he returned to Studio Barbarosa in Florida to record what would become The Art of Letting Go with longtime producer and creative confidant Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Joined by bandmates Zia Uddin [drums] and Tim Tournier [bass], he approached the sessions with a clear and cohesive intent. “On previous records, there were more acoustic and roots elements, which required a lot of multi-tracking,” he says. “They were almost impossible to pull off as a three-piece, so we’d dramatically alter the arrangements. This time around, we made a record that could be played as a trio without having to reimagine the arrangements. Elvis and I kept saying, ‘Less is more’. When you’re trying to stay within a certain context, it inspires you to be creative. We also made sure the riffs would stand up. I got to play a lot of guitar!” At the same time, he nodded to no-nonsense blues rock, channeling favorites such as Cry of Love and more. “I love how the vocals are bone dry and right in your face,” he goes on. “Instead of ambience, we have my voice right up front, so it sounds like I’m singing to you in your living room.” Speaking of, he introduces the album with the hypnotic lead single “Say What You Will.” Right out of the gate, the track’s hummable guitar lead snakes around a thick distorted groove. The punchy stomp gives way to a hard-hitting hook as he warns, “You can say what you will to me. Still I dare to be, more than what you are. I will not concede to my destiny.” “Lyrically, it’s a proclamation to cut through the din of criticism,” he reveals. “It dares you to not only ignore, but also be more than what those external or internal voices tell you that you’re going to be.” Elsewhere, drums crash through a storm of swinging riffage on “Nothing More To Gain” as he locks into a swaggering cadence on the verses. During the bridge, he wonders, “When will you learn?” “It falls in line with the Art of Letting Go,” he goes on. “As humans, we’re on the quest for the next dopamine rush. No matter how many things you acquire, they will never make you happy. Instead, happiness has been there all along. Its silence within yourself, tranquility, and this intrinsic freedom. ‘Nothing More To Gain’ is about getting out of your own way and living from a conscious perspective. It serves as a constant reminder.” Then, there’s the driving “Saving Face.” A bluesy six-string lick sets the tone, giving way to a momentous beat. It turns on a dime towards a chantable refrain offset by high register harmonies. “I don’t think I could’ve written it in my twenties,” he says. “I’ve learned the next generation is always barking at your heels and relevance can be fleeting. You have to ask, ‘Are you going to continue to fight for your place in the world?’ The wisdom you gain after being on the planet for a while is every bit as important as youthful exuberance is.” Clean guitar echoes over a percussive march on “Miss You When You’re Gone.” As the energy ramps up, he warns, “This is gonna hurt like hell, so save yourself. This is the time, move on, it cannot last.” “It’s lamenting impermanence and accepting all things must pass,” he continues. “I wanted it to be ambiguous enough to apply to different scenarios. As I get older, living in this unattached state is so important to me. You have to accept the transitory nature of life.” The finale “How The Story Ends” tempers moody orchestration with one last soul-stirring solo and a cathartic chorus. “The lyric was inspired by this foreign film from 2022 called Speak No Evil,” he reveals. ““One of the things I’d like to change about myself is to stop being so passive in certain situations. I’m learning to be more assertive as life goes on. This movie resonated with me for that reason. It reminded me that sometimes the need to make other people happy can result in dire outcomes for yourself. Ultimately, you need to stand up for what you want or you’ll end up in the quarry.” By going with the flow, Myles is living up to his potential as loudly as ever. “When you listen to this, I hope you find an escape, empowerment, healing, or the comfort that we’re all in this together,” he leaves off. “I’ve realized you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone but you. Do the best you can, remember you’ve got a gift, and use it. As time goes on, it becomes more obvious that I want to stay in that mindset, be free, and enjoy every moment.” – Rick Florino, March 2024 BOILER As a prolific songwriter, powerhouse vocalist, and proficient guitar player, Myles Kennedy tunes into the rhythm of his surroundings and goes with the flow. Fronting Alter Bridge, his soaring vocals, open-hearted lyrics, and airtight riffs have fueled the group’s global impact as a gold-certified, arena-filling force of nature over two decades-plus. On the microphone for Slash and The Conspirators, his towering range has consistently stunned audiences since 2010. Becoming a celebrated collaborator, he’s the rare presence just as comfortable on a track with Disturbed, Halestorm, and Sevendust as he is with Gov’t Mule and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. It’s why he’s generated over 1 billion cumulative streams, earned gold and platinum certifications worldwide, uplifted countless fans, and KERRANG! christened him “one of rock’s finest vocalists.” It’s also why he’s carved out his own lane. 2021 saw him deliver his acclaimed sophomore opus, The Ides of March. It impressively notched a total of four #1 debuts across three countries, toppling the Billboard US Top Current Hard Music Chart, the UK Official Rock & Metal Chart and Official Independent Album Chart, and Canada’s Hard Music Albums Chart. Beyond generating 10 million-plus streams, it incited unanimous critical applause from American Songwriter, Guitar.com, LoudWire, Guitar World, and more. RIFF hailed it as “a fantastic and must-listen record,” while Classic Rock Magazine awarded it “4.5-out-of-5 stars,” going on to attest, “The Ides of March confirms Myles Kennedy as a musical powerhouse.” With two solo efforts under his belt and sold out headline tours in the rearview, a sense of keenly honed intuition guides his third full-length LP, The Art of Letting Go [Napalm Records], led by the single “Say What You Will.”

Tim Montana

For as much as Tim Montana may be known as a wild man (and he certainly is), he really asserts himself as a tried- and-true storyteller. His story has twisted and turned with the unforgiving unpredictability of a Montana winter. He went from a rough youth spent off-the-grid in a trailer powered by a faulty generator to captivating a devout global fanbase, dropping successful independent albums, selling out shows, and earning the endorsement of childhood heroes such as Dave Grohl. After a string of wins and acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, he's formally introducing himself on a series of 2023 singles and his next full-length album for BBR Music Group/BMG. Now, he infuses Space Needle-shaking grunge grit with a different kind of frontier poetry, bringing together vivid lyricism, vulnerable melodies, and vicious distortion. Moreover, he formally introduces himself through this scorching signature hard rock sound. Guitar in hand, amps cranked to eleven, and nothing but truth to share, meet Montana now. “I am who I am,” he affirms. “For better or worse, I don’t do versions of myself. I don’t hold anything back. At the end of the day, I tell stories. I’m a family man. I’m a wild man. I’m real.” Tim primarily grew up in the woods outside of Kila, Montana. At six-years-old, mom took home a little nylon string guitar from the family’s pawnshop, and Tim recognized his destiny. Among five older siblings, Tim’s closest brother was legally blind and his mother was an interpreter for the deaf, so he developed extreme empathy early on. “I’ve got a special place in my heart for deaf, blind, and special needs kids,” he adds. As the generator regularly broke down, Tim spent countless hours playing guitar by candlelight under the watch of his Nirvana posters. Beyond uncovering a tape of Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses, his mother often brought CDs home from the pawnshop, leading to his discovery of Tool’s Undertow and various other classics. Following a few stints in Los Angeles and one back in Montana, blind guitarist Johnny Hiland urged him to move to Nashville. At 21-years-old, Tim settled in Music City. He busted his ass and found a way to be heard. He caught the attention of David Letterman who personally booked Montana on The Late Show with David Letterman. Unlocking a creative chemistry with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, their collaborations included “This Beard Came Here to Party,” which served as the anthem for the 2013 World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the Nashville Predators during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He co-wrote radio hits for Kid Rock such as “Tennessee Mountain Top” and “Greatest Show On Earth” for 2017’s Sweet Southern Sugar—which bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. In 2020, his solo album, American Thread, boasted the fan favorite “Mostly Stoned.” Charlie Sheen espoused his admiration for Tim on social media and wound up directing the music video for the latter. “I was watching Navy Seals on VHS hoping the generator wouldn’t fail, and years later, Charlie heard my music and directed the video that ultimately got me a record deal,” he smiles. Following 2021’s Long Shots, Tim continued to write and record at a prolific pace. He naturally leaned into formative influences, drawing on Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Foo Fighters. In the studio, he let his grunge flag fly, while still telling the kind of stories fans fell in love with in the first place. The heavier sound offered a fresh canvas for his vision. “I’m so influenced by Seattle that I can’t shake it,” he notes. “This is definitely more rocking, but it’s really just Montana.” The first single “Devil You Know” places his story front-and-center. Acoustic guitar underlines vulnerable verses only to turn on a dime into a haunting distortion-boosted hook, “I’m going out of my head, living my life on edge. I’m out here playing with fire. Who’s gonna save me tonight?” A wailing lead evokes the pain at the heart of the lyrics. “I always had a dream my biological father would come down the driveaway, kick my stepdad’s ass, and save me,” he sighs. “When I was 15-years-old, my mom walked in and said, ‘Your dad is dead’. It was probably the lowest moment of my life. He went to prison when I was five. He had abducted me. They arrested him, and I thought I’d see him later, but I never did. ‘Devil You Know’ is finding out my biological father was maybe as bad as the guy I had. Now, I have a really great wife and four kids. I get to be the dad I never had to them.” It's this kind of honesty that continues to endear Tim to audiences and partners. He maintains longstanding collaborative partnerships with everyone from Snap-On Tools and Polaris to Black Rifle Coffee Company and Traeger Grills (he forged a friendship with fellow grill aficionado Grohl via the latter). As a staunch advocate for American veterans affected by PTSD, he has also given back at every turn. He teamed up with Gibson Guitars for the creation of an exclusive guitar in honor of American Sniper Chris Kyle emblazoned with the hero’s logo. It sold at auction to the tune of $117,500 with all proceeds benefiting the Guardians of Heroes Foundation. Not to mention, he appeared alongside Academy® Award winner Richard Dreyfuss, Gabriel Byrne, and Thomas Jane in the film Murder at Yellowstone City and in The Last Son with Sam Worthington and Heather Graham. Once you get to know Montana, you’ll never forget him. “No matter what I’m doing, I hope to inspire,” he says. “I know what it’s like to go to the bathroom in a hole, live without power, have your car repossessed, and be poor. If I can take my story and inspire people, it makes some of my pain go away. Even if life slaps you in the face, it can’t hold you down forever.” — Rick Florino, July 2023 About Tim Montana: For as much as Tim Montana may be known as a wild man (and he certainly is), he really asserts himself as a tried- and-true storyteller. His story has twisted and turned with the unforgiving unpredictability of a Montana winter. He went from a rough youth spent off-the-grid in a trailer powered by a faulty generator to captivating a devout global fanbase, dropping successful independent albums, selling out shows, and earning the endorsement of childhood heroes such as Dave Grohl. At 21-years-old, Tim settled in Music City. He busted his ass and found a way to be heard. He caught the attention of David Letterman who personally booked Montana on The Late Show with David Letterman. Unlocking a creative chemistry with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, their collaborations included “This Beard Came Here to Party,” which served as the anthem for the 2013 World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the Nashville Predators during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He co-wrote radio hits for Kid Rock such as “Tennessee Mountain Top” and “Greatest Show On Earth” for 2017’s Sweet Southern Sugar—which bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. Charlie Sheen espoused his admiration for Tim on social media and wound up directing the music video for “Mostly Stoned.” Following 2021’s Long Shots, Tim he let his grunge flag fly, while still telling the kind of stories fans fell in love with in the first place. Now, he infuses Space Needle-shaking grunge grit with a different kind of frontier poetry, bringing together vivid lyricism, vulnerable melodies, and vicious distortion. He's formally introducing himself on a series of 2023 singles for BBR Music Group/BMG, beginning with “Devil You Know."