Mr. Big vocalist Eric Martin has announced that the band, which also features guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan, will record one more studio album before calling it quits. According to Martin, it feels “uncomfortable” to continue on without drummer and co-founder Pat Torpey, who passed away at age 64 in February due to complications from Parkinson's disease.
Martin discussed the state of Mr. Big with Rock Radio N1 (via ultimate-guitar.com):
Regarding a possible new album, Martin said: "I'm the one getting everyone together for conference calls and e-mails and what we want to do. I really want to do it and I want to spend more than six days on it like we did with [2017's] Defying Gravity.
"I want to be a little more prepared. I want to do a new record and I also want to have a couple of different drummers on it—ones that Pat really liked; maybe Mike Portnoy, Gregg Bissonette, Ray Luzier from Korn, I really like his playing. Just get some great drummers to do something to honor Pat Torpey.”
Martin continued on to say that "we don't know if we're going to do an album or an EP; it kinda depends on the songs. If we only have six songs then there's your EP, but if we have more we'll cut an album.”
He added that the band has a small window of time to get it done, “because Paul [Gilbert] is on the road pretty much the rest of the year and then we might have an opportunity in February to cut something. But we are going to do a tour in June and July and then come home for a couple of weeks and then try to do it as much as we can for about three or four months.
"But yeah, that's the last hurrah, that's it. It just feels a little uncomfortable to keep going without Pat Torpey."
Defying Gravity was released in July 2017 via Frontiers Music Srl.
