Nearly 30 years since they last worked with Bob Rock, Mötley Crüe have revealed that they’re writing new music and will be working with their longtime producer, who helmed the band’s 1989 chart-topping album, Dr. Feelgood, along with their eponymous 1994 follow-up with singer John Corabi and their most recent soundtrack to their 2019 biopic The Dirt.
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Bassist Nikki Sixx has been documenting the band’s work on new music in a series of social media posts.
“I’m sure you all know how important lyrics are to me,” wrote Sixx, who has also written songs for a number of artists outside of Mötley Crüe, including tracks for Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, and Drowning Pool.
“This new set feels more personal since we haven’t recorded anything new in a while,” wrote Sixx, alongside a photo of himself writing on a notepad. “The studio is a highly creative space, and with us recording, I thought I’d try to get a creative head start on some of these for Vince [Neil]. I got one done and gonna try to wrap up the next one and show it to the guys.”
John 5, who joined the band as their guitarist, following the retirement of co-founding member and guitarist Mick Mars in October of 2022, shared his excitement over the new material. “What you have written so far completely blows my mind,” John 5 commented on Sixx’s post. “Really amazing work, buddy.”
In his most recent, lengthy post, Sixx also revealed that the band is working with Rock again.
“Bob Rock is pushing us hard and bringing out the best in us,” added Sixx. “Tommy [Lee] is playing his ass off. Jesus, these drums sound huge—probably lay down my final bass tracks in the next few days. John [5] is so fast I’m sure he will get all the songs done in just a few days, but then again Bob Rock loves those huge walls of guitars, so it could take a moment.”
Sixx continued, “Gonna take a break from recording to fly to Kansas City to rehearse and then play the [NFL] draft show and then back to finish it all off. … When will it come out? Not sure. We haven’t thought that far down the line. Just letting the music guide us.”
A previous post also included a photo of Sixx in a room working on music with Lee and John 5.
“We are writing,” said Sixx. “The creative process of songwriting has always been the heartbeat of our band. We’re gonna go in the big studio next week and record a few off the floor and see where it goes. We don’t have a definitive plan at this point. Just letting the songs guide us.”
Mötley Crüe released their most recent album, Saints of Los Angeles, in 2008 with their original lineup, including co-founding guitarist Mars, who recently filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates.
On April 6, Mars filed a lawsuit against Sixx, Lee, alleging that the three other members of Mötley Crüe ousted him from the band and that they were attempting to force him into arbitration, to relinquish claims that he is still an official member of the band and a stakeholder in their business dealings.
Read more on Mars’ filing HERE.
Read Mötley Crüe’s response to the lawsuit HERE.
Photo: Medios y Media/Getty Images
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