Legendary rock vocalist Graham Bonnet has provided a fresh update on his long-discussed collaboration with guitarist Jeff Loomis, revealing that the pair have already written seven completed songs that are fully finished and waiting for the right moment to move forward.
Speaking in a new interview with J.J. Caithcart of Different Stages Radio, Bonnet — best known for his work with RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ, and the GRAHAM BONNET BAND — explained that the project is currently on hold due to Loomis’s focus on his own band activities.
“It’s on pause, because Jeff is doing his own thing right now with his band [NEVEMORE],” Bonnet revealed (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “He’s getting that together. And he got in touch with us very recently. ‘Cause I said to him, ‘I’m gonna do this,’ because I’ve written seven songs with him already, which I did a year ago, when we were gonna get it together.
Despite the temporary pause, Bonnet made it clear that the experience of working with the former ARCH ENEMY and current NEVERMORE guitarist was deeply inspiring. He praised Loomis’s distinctive style and compositional approach, comparing his instantly recognizable guitar voice to another iconic collaborator from Bonnet’s past.
“I’ll tell you something: [Jeff is] great,” Bonnet continued. “His arrangements are fantastic. And it takes you in another place… It actually is a guy playing guitar, like Michael Schenker. Michael Schenker has a certain way of playing which is very recognizable, and so does Jeff. And I was really pleased to have actually worked with him because it gave me a bit of an adventure and gave me a challenge to write words and melody to these songs that were quite long.”
According to Bonnet, all seven tracks are fully completed and require no further writing, with both musicians still eager to see the project through once schedules allow.
“So, [the songs are] all ready to go,” Graham added. “I wish I could sing ’em to you now, or play them or something, but they’re ready to go. And Jeff, he still wants to do it even after all his time when he’s been getting his own band together and getting back on the road again or whatever. So I really hope we can do it soon, hopefully next year.”
While no release timeline has been officially announced, Bonnet’s comments suggest that fans may finally hear the long-awaited collaboration once Loomis wraps up his current commitments — potentially sometime this year.
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