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“Watching Steven Tyler and Joe Perry together, the compromise is the magic. But for me, it doesn’t work”: Why Yungblud will never join a band – despite collaborations with Aerosmith and the Smashing Pumpkins
2025 was indeed the year Yungblud fully announced himself to the rock scene. His album, Idols, served as a musical love letter to his rock heroes – only for him to find himself performing alongside them.
His rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s Changes at the Prince of Darkness' final concert, Back to the Beginning, converted even many of the staunchest of old-school rock fans to the idea that, yes, Yungblud is one of the artists leading the charge for rock’s new vanguard.
And, with that nod of approval from Ozzy came a string of collaborations with the likes of Aerosmith and the Smashing Pumpkins. However, despite these projects, Yungblud claims he's far from being coaxed into joining a band.
“No! Fuck no!” he says matter-of-factly in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I am not made to compromise. In the past, when I’ve listened to opinions and almost met someone in the middle, my art’s been shit.
Aerosmith, YUNGBLUD - My Only Angel (Official Visualizer) - YouTube
“Watching Steven Tyler and Joe Perry together, the compromise is the fucking magic. But for me, it doesn’t work. It just makes me mad. People don’t realize I’m in control of everything. One of the biggest misconceptions about me is that I had everything handed to me by the industry. The industry has told me to fuck myself at every single turn.”
As for the advice he received from the music legends he’s had the chance to work with, he asserts, “It’s funny – it’s all the same advice. Everyone’s like, ‘We were hated. People thought we were posing.’ Aerosmith went through it. After Ozzy left Sabbath, people were like, ‘He’s a pop star.’ He had to really stay true to his fucking self.”
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology and how it is shaping the future of the music industry, and has a special interest in shining a spotlight on traditionally underrepresented artists and global guitar sounds. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Auf der Maur, Yvette Young, Danielle Haim, Fanny, and Karan Katiyar from Bloodywood, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her Anglo-Maltese, art-rock band ĠENN.
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