Steve Stevens is again tearing it up on the brand new Billy Idol report, Dream Into It. As standard, the songwriting is stellar, manufacturing is dreamy, and the guitar enjoying is off the chain. Stevens shares his writing course of with Billy Idol and welcomes long-time buddy Joan Jett to the workforce.

How have you ever maintained a definite character on guitar and continued to evolve?
I attempt to keep present, however I’m a music man and a collaborator at coronary heart. Even from the time I used to be a bit of child, I didn’t decide up the guitar to be a guitar participant. All my musical heroes appeared to be in bands. It at all times appeared like they have been collaborators. They have been a part of the manufacturing aspect of it or the songwriting aspect of it. I believe that’s what helped me preserve a protracted profession. I actually love the problem of working with completely different folks.

You like the backwards and forwards.
Precisely. I’ve the proper foil with Billy Idol as a result of we all know one another so properly. We now have so many shared life experiences and in addition new issues. I’m in a position to faucet into that. I nearly take a look at my gig with Billy as a director. I’ve by no means been the type of man who couldn’t wait to get to the center of the music for my “Second of Glory” guitar solo. If there’s a solo and it’s acceptable, nice. The top result’s, “Let’s see if we will write a superb music.” I wish to assist channel an amazing thought or an idea.

You two sit collectively and write?
It’s at all times been that means. A few guys in a room with two acoustic guitars. If we will make it work that means, we all know we have now one thing. Very hardly ever will we begin with something too elaborate. On Dream Into It, we had some actually good collaborators and co-writers. Our producer, Tommy English, is a extremely good author. We by no means did demos for this report. We laid the groundwork for every music and stored constructing on it.

Joan Jett is on the report!
It solely took 40 years (laughs)! Billy knew her from means again within the ’70s. I knew her from the early ’80s in New York. Her authentic guitar participant, Ricky Byrd, was a buddy of mine. Forty years later, she’s half of the present tour.

What was your course of for selecting the guitar sounds for Dream Into It?
We did the preliminary recording at Tommy’s studio at his home, then we lower the drums. We bought sufficient of a music collectively so we may herald Josh Freese on drums and Chris Chaney on bass. I had the recordsdata despatched to my residence in Las Vegas, the place I’ve my studio. I went by all of the guitar elements. The place I assumed I may get one thing higher, I recorded at residence. A lot of the heavy guitars have been accomplished at residence. All of the acoustic enjoying was accomplished at Tommy’s place. I’ve one Knaggs Steve Stevens mannequin that’s fitted with the Jimmy Web page wiring. I can get nearly any sound out of it. I can replicate a Tele or a Strat. I can get us within the ballpark with that one guitar.

Do you employ amps or plug-ins?
I combine and match. That’s the easiest way to explain it. The heavy tones are all actual amps. Among the guitar sound design stuff was accomplished on the pc. I exploit numerous the Neural DSP plug-ins. Their amp plug-ins are actually good for clear stuff. I get higher clear guitar tones with in-the-box than miking an amp. However in the case of barely overdriven or tremendous overdriven sounds, an actual amp is the best way to go.

Which amps did you employ?
We’re on the second era of the Friedman Steve Stevens mannequin (SS-100), however I’ve a bunch of Friedmans; in my residence studio, I’ve them set for sure tones. For a few the tracks, I used a Supro.

The Steve Stevens Ascender Premier by Ciari Guitars is a travel-friendly rock-and-roll machine.
I wanted a journey guitar, so Ciari redesigned the neck joint and added my Naked Knuckle Ray Gun pickups. It sounds actually good. The guitar additionally has a ray gun that lights up relying on the pickup place. It’s not a gimmick. I play it on stage in the course of the encore. I wanted a guitar I may journey with and observe with, and this was the proper instrument for me. You set it in a backpack, it suits beneath the seat of a airplane, and now I can report actual guitar tracks in my lodge room.

What’s subsequent?
We’re heading to Europe to play the Wembley Enviornment as a headliner. Dream Into It’s the highest-charting Billy Idol report since Insurgent Yell. It’s loopy. – Oscar Jordan

This text initially appeared in VG’s August 2025 challenge. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.