Bassist Rachel Bolan has co-authored six records with Skid Row, dating back to 1989’s mega-successful self-titled release. Now 62, with the band in search of their next lead singer, he’s stepping out solo with Gargoyle of the Garden State. But if you’re expecting Bolan solo to sound like Skid Row, you’d be wrong. “This is me,” Bolan tells Bass Player. “This is raw, unfiltered me.”
He grew up idolizing song-first – but still accomplished – players like Paul McCartney and Gene Simmons, which led to him helping write hit songs like 18 and Life, Youth Gone Wild, I Remember You, and Monkey Business. “We didn’t really sit down and think about it,” he says of Skid Row’s early creative process. “We had no formula. We just worked completely off of feel.
“Snake Sabo is like the master of the riff. I’ll never forget when he played me 18 and Life for the first time: it was haunting and so cool. We were like, ‘Is this as good as we think it is?’ That kind of stuff – you know, creating – is a process that I love.”
He continues: “I love getting into a flow where you can’t stop writing songs and your whole day just revolves around it. You forget bills – you forget to feed the cats… Actually, I never forget to feed the cats! But you forget everything else when you’re in that bubble.”
Skid Row are still searching for a singer – no, it won’t be Sebastian Bach – but Bolan says they have “four or five” people they’re keen on. They’re writing as a group while he continues to write solo. “It’s not freeing,” he says of his own work. “But it’s cool.
“Now people are hearing my contribution to the songwriting of Skid Row, but without the contribution of Skid Row. I don’t mean that in a bad way; it’s another chapter of my songwriting history.”
After picking up bass, when did you clock what sort of player you wanted to be?
My biggest influences were Paul McCartney, Dennis Dunaway, Gene Simmons, and Roger Glover – guys that could really dictate the feel of the song. That’s really all I knew. They knew when to shine and when to get the hell out of the way.
What techniques were toughest to harness?
Using my pinky! But watching Gene Simmons play – he’s so overlooked as a bass player, and an all-around musician – and learning to sing and play bass at the same time was something I was blown away by. Guys like Paul McCartney and Gene Simmons have these little idiosyncrasies.
But I think the main thing was using my pinky and not overusing an octave. Those guys seemed so good at just poking the octave in the perfect spot, so I had to learn that.
Paul and Gene are also great songwriters, a role you grabbed by the horns with Skid Row.
Even as a little kid I felt like that was a natural thing to do. All the guys I looked up to were also songwriters, and I thought, ‘Maybe I could piece together some music.’ And once I got into intermediate and high school, any chance I had, I would write lyrics.
When you formed Skid Row, were you bothered much with the typical hair metal tropes going around?
I wasn’t really worried about labels. I was worried about how we were perceived. We loved Aerosmith and the Stones, who were so bluesy. That’s the stuff we were into. And when Snake and I wrote, it was about a great groove and a cool riff.
What gear did you use on classic tracks like 18 and Life, I Remember You, and Monkey Business?
What amp did I have? I don’t even remember! But before I could afford a good amp or had an endorsement, I used a ’78 mocha-colored P-Bass. I used that on a lot of the recordings, and I still have it.
And I had a ’70 P-Bass from when they came out with that colored series. They made the red, turquoise, and yellow, and I had the red. I still have that too. Then I had an old Peavey head, and an 8x10 cabinet that was homemade – with no handles!
At first I was broke as a joke, so I couldn’t afford anything. But eventually I moved toward a small company out of New Jersey called Dyne Acoustics, who used 4x10 cabinets. Then, I got my endorsement with Spector, which I’ve used live and in the studio.
I didn’t feel I should try to sound like Skid Row, because it’s made up of a bunch of influences. I was just trying to be me
What do you remember about writing those early songs? Did you have a sense you were really on to something?
When you write a song, you always hope. You have these dreams and aspirations that your songs will become timeless – but you don’t know. We were 23 when we wrote them; we were just full of ourselves, like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to be a huge band!’
What was the secret sauce?
The thing about Snake was I knew we had the same work ethic. I had a feeling we were on a collision course with something successful and special. I remember coming up with the bassline for Youth Gone Wild; that odd pattern, where I play behind the riff, which came from that weird pattern from Yes’ Roundabout popping into my head.
I’d been playing it straight in rehearsal and at gigs, but when we recorded the demo, I came up with that. So, sometimes I’d work it out before, and sometimes I’d do a quick rewrite on the spot.
Has your inspiration changed much between those early days compared to working on Gargoyle of the Garden State?
I’ll be sitting on my couch watching a Yankees game, and something will pop into my head. I’ll pick up a bass or a guitar, and maybe come up with a riff during the commercial. Then I’ll come down into my studio, and in a couple of days – or even quicker – something comes together.
Skid Row are looking for a singer. Is that why you pivoted to a solo record?
Yeah; we had some downtime. We said we were going to take our time, because we have the luxury of time. We weren’t going to rush into the first person who came in, saying, ‘You can hit the notes – you’re in!’ We’re not in the middle of a record, or a tour, like last time [2022’s The Gang’s All Here], so we had time.
You have an established sound with Skid Row. Did you feel beholden to that with the solo album?
No; I didn’t feel I should try to sound like Skid Row, because it’s made up of a bunch of influences. I was just trying to be me. I think people want to hear something different. Skid Row have been around for the better part of four decades, so you know what fans expect to hear.
Do you have solo shows planned?
I’d love to. [Skid Row drummer] Rob Hammersmith is on board since we have the same schedule. I’d like to get out there.
What’s the latest on Skid Row’s lead singer search?
It’s going, man. We’re pretty keen on a couple of people right now. We received about 400 video submissions that we’ve gone through, and there have been 25 outside of the Sweetwater campaign, you know, just word-of-mouth kind of things. We’ve come across four or five people we thought might work.
For the most part, no one knew Erik Gronwall, but it worked out great
For the most part, no one knew Erik [Gronwall, singer from 2022 to 2024], but it worked out great. We’re not worried about or looking for someone with celebrity or history. But sure, if Steven Tyler came along and said, “Hey, let me sing!” we’d be like, “Okay!”
Of course, you have to contend with fans clamoring for a reunion with Sebastian Bach…
It doesn’t last long. Maybe a few days and it’s gone. It’s just one of those non-issues.
Where do you go from here?
I’m already writing to put out a second solo record at some point. We’ll just keep checking singers out; and Skid Row have been writing as well, so that’s cool.
- Gargoyle of the Garden State is on sale now.
