Mötley Crüe has signed to Nashville's Big Machine Records for the release of their upcoming single "Dogs of War," the band revealed on April 25.
"Dogs of War" will be the band's first new music in years and their first recording with new member John5, who replaced original guitarist Mick Mars last year. "John brings a lot," frontman Vince Neil told Billboard. “He’s an amazing, creative guitar player. He hears stuff us normal people don’t hear. He brings a lot to the song and a lot to the band, and we’re just so happy to have him.”
"I love Motley and I’ve known Mick, Tommy [Lee] and Nikki [Sixx] for so long, it’s just like playing with your friends,” the guitarist added. “Their music is something I care about. I care about the history and I care about the future of this band, so I want to do things with the utmost respect and make sure everything is done right and execute it to the ability it deserves.”
The track and its apocalyptic CGI music video will both be out on Friday — and there will be more where they came from.
"We want to keep putting out new music, too, so we don’t get stagnant," Neil said. “We recorded ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)’ by the Beastie Boys and we recorded this song, too, and I thought it turned out pretty good.”
“There’ll definitely be new music out next year, for sure, ’cause we recorded a couple of other songs, too. Maybe we’ll release one of those by the end of the year, but I can’t say. But we want to keep putting out new music — not, maybe, an album but a few songs here, a few songs there, and that’s good.”
John5 added that “there’s gonna be more music to come out, that’s for sure. Nikki calls me all the time and says, ‘Hey dude, check this out’ and it sounds like it could be a demo from, like, the Too Fast For Love album or the Shout at the Devil album. He just has that inside him; he’s created this music and it sounds just like that era because that’s who the guy is.”
John5 replaced original guitarist Mick Mars last year.
Neil described the upcoming "Dogs of War" as “like old school meets new school. It’s got that old school vibe about it, but it’s new music. Nikki came up with it and he sent me the music and I thought it was really cool. So I started singing it and we got in the studio and it turned into the song I think the fans are really gonna like it.”
The song was produced by frequent Crüe collaborator Bob Rock. “He’s great,” Neil said. “He’s a lot of fun. He’s smart. He’s creative. He knows what the wants. He knows what to get from each guy to make them be their best. That’s what a good producer does, takes what you have and makes it better – and that’s what (Rock) does to Mötley Crüe. That’s what we love about him. We know he’s not gonna change and we didn’t want any change. We wanted to do it just the way we always recorded with him.”
Neil and Co. have signed to Scott Borchetta's Big Machine label.
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Neil currently lives in Nashville and called Big Machine chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta "a good friend … and a good friend of the band’s. They’re just a smart company that knows how to market songs and how to get them on the radio and do all the stuff you gotta do. They’re perfect for us."
Borchetta said, "Growing up in Southern California, I was in Hollywood when these new sheriffs showed up and took over the city. It was loud. It was powerful. It was game changing. [The band has] reignited the flame with ferocious new Crüe Music."
Tour dates:
May 3-4 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live
May 9 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville
June 22 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
June 23 — Mt. Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
July 11 — Calgary, Canada @ Calgary Stampede
July 13 — Ottawa, Canada @ Ottawa Bluesfest
July 14 — Quebec, Canada @ Festival d’Ete de Quebec
July 19 — Minot, ND @ North Dakota State Fair
August 10 — Springfield, IL @ Illinois State Fair
August 14 — Des Moines, IA @ Iowa State Fair
August 17 — Thackerville, OK @ Winstar Casino
August 29 — St. Paul, MN @ Minnesota State Fair
August 31 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Sept. 26 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Sept. 28 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
Oct. 13 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Fest
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