Angus Young: “I can still feel Malcolm communicating to me when I’m playing guitar”

Aussie rock legends AC/DC are currently gearing up to release new album, Power Up, which features 12 new tracks co-written by the band’s late rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young. Now, in a new interview with the band, Angus Young has reflected on his connection with his departed brother.

“His death was a huge blow to us,” Angus told NME. “But I still think he’s there when I’m playing. It sounds funny, but I can still feel him communicating to me when I’m playing guitar.”

In the interview, Young goes on to detail his final visits to his brother, and how guitar continued to unite the pair right up until Malcolm’s passing on November 18, 2017.

“I’d play him a bit of guitar, and he was happy whenever we were doing that,” Angus recalls. “One of the last records I ever played him was The Rolling Stones when they were doing a lot of old blues tracks [2016’s Blue & Lonesome], and he just thought it was great.”

During the conversation, returning frontman Brian Johnson also reveals he has lofty aspirations for the album – and its impact on guitar sales.

“Instead of looking at dancers on TikTok, I’m hoping this album will make young kids go out and buy a guitar, learn the riffs and discover the rest of our catalogue,” he says.

“It would just be great to get more young rock bands out there, writing their own songs and getting up there on stage.”

Last week, Angus Young revealed why his brother’s playing doesn’t feature on the new album, with his parts instead performed by Mal’s nephew, Stevie Young.

“I know a lot of people have been saying, ‘Did Malcolm actually play – is it his instrument on the new album?’” Angus said. “I chose not to do that because I felt Malcolm himself wouldn’t like me trying to splice his guitar work.”

Power Up is available on November 13, and available to preorder now.