Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy chats schooldays, getting married and the dangers of talking too much…
Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy may be one of the loveliest men in rock, but he’s also been called out by Slash…
“Nearly everyone in my family is a teacher, so I think that was in my DNA from the start. Other than recess, my favourite thing about school was history, and I’d honestly get all of these warm and fuzzy feelings learning about how everything evolved to get us to the point we’re now at.”
“I know I don’t have all the answers, so I treat every musical collaboration with a different artist as an opportunity to learn. Everybody has their method, and you integrate that to your own approach, and I think that’s something that’s beneficial to the creative process. I think everyone wins in that scenario, and for me it definitely keeps the fire going.”
“I feel like I’m constantly putting myself in these positions where I’ll be with someone and say something stupid and then I’m instantly hitting myself over the head for it! I think everybody does that to an extent, and I’m getting better at not dwelling on it. I was telling Slash this story of something that had happened years prior, and he was quietly taking it in and then calmly says, ‘You’ve got a lot of traffic going on up there, don’t you?’ That really hit the nail right on the head!”
“What’s interesting to me is when I hear people say how much work a marriage is, because my wife and I both feel if you find the right person for you that shouldn’t really be the case. It’s never been work for us, and we absolutely love it. My marriage is my foundation – I feel like a lot of who I am is because of that union. It’s beyond sacred.”
“I’m a big reader, and as a songwriter if nothing else I feel that really helps extend my vocabulary. I also voraciously consume documentaries on Netflix these days – and I put the closed captions on, so I feel like I’m kinda reading, but with lots of cool pictures! I think there’s something that can really be said for feeding your brain.”
“I spent so much of my life with my head full of worries and being a real nervous nelly, and as time has gone by I’ve learned to relax and be much more ‘present’. I’m happy that I’ve reached that point, but I wish I could have gotten there sooner, because I feel that a lot of life can pass you by if you don’t slow down and take it all in.”
