Rachel Bolan Talks Gargoyle of the Garden State, Punk Attitude, and Writing Beyond Skid Row
About this episode
Rachel Bolan discusses his solo album and the evolution of punk music.
Most people remember their first concert. I’ve talked about mine more than a few times — David Lee Roth and Poison on the 1988 Skyscraper tour. But the second one hits differently for a lot of people. For me, it was Aerosmith and Skid Row on the Pump tour in 1990 . I was 12 , standing there completely wide-eyed, when Skid Row tore into “Piece of Me” and something just clicked — that bass line . That moment revealed how much attitude and power could live in the low end , and it played a big role in me picking up a bass . This week, I’m joined by Rachel Bolan of Skid Row to talk about his debut solo record Gargoyle of the Garden State . We get into the DNA of the album — how it leans into his punk influences while still reflecting decades of defining Skid Row’s sound — and what punk really means when you strip it down to attitude over genre . We also talk about creative freedom after years in a band with a defined identity , and what it means to step outside that without losing your voice . The conversation also covers collaboration , as Gargoyles features appearances from Corey Taylor , Nuno Bettencourt , Danko Jones , Steve Conte , Damon Johnson as well as contributions from…
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