AC/DC will release its long-awaited new studio album, PWR/UP, on November 13. The first single from the album, “Shot In The Dark,” will arrive tomorrow, October 7.
Last week, Aussie rockers have released the first official photo of its reunited lineup, featuring singer Brian Johnson alongside drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams and guitarists Angus and Stevie Young.
In a new interview with the Rock 100.5 Atlanta radio station, Johnson discussed about how the new AC/DC album came together: “It’s something probably nobody thought would happen. It was about 2018, and Angus was contacted by the record company, who said, ‘Do you fancy doing an album?’ And Angus said, ‘Well, let’s ask the boys.’ So he asked me and Cliff and Phil. And Stevie was there, obviously. And I think we all said ‘yes’ immediately; we just said, ‘This would be great.’
“And, of course, we went off to Vancouver in about August. As soon as we walked in, there was this electricity, this bond that had been built up over 38 years since I joined,” he added. “And, of course, when the boys plugged in, or powered up, if you’ll excuse the pun, and they started playing, that was it. It was a great time.”
While discussing what fans can expect to hear on new album, Johnson said: “There’s a lot of rumors about [late AC/DC rhythm guitarist] Malcolm‘s [Young] guitar playing being on the album, and well, of course, that’s not true. But what is true is the fact that Angus and Malcolm had done riffs together all their life and really had a big box of them. And Angus said he basically just went through them all and he went, ‘Oh, that’s a good one. This is a good one.’ And he brought them out.
“So it really is true that Malcolm is on there, basically, in spirit and all of that,” Brian continued. “And he’s such a strong character in life. And I think everybody in the band still felt, especially Angus, his brother, that Malcolm is in everything. We’re always conscious of that, that he’s watching over, ‘You’d better do it right. You’d better do it AC/DC style or just not do it at all.’ And the songs came in — Angus came in with ’em and all, and worked with Brendan O’Brien, the producer, and I went into just a regular little control room, and we just went for it. And we’d take it back, and Angus would have a listen and see if there was anything that needed changing… But there wasn’t much [that needed to be changed].”
In the same interview, Cliff Williams talked about possibility of AC/DC live shows in support of PWR/UP: “We talked about playing some shows. When we got together to shoot a video and do some rehearsals, it was with an idea of playing some shows. Unfortunately, we all went home after that rehearsal and conversations, and then this damn virus hit, so it was never taken any further. So, like everybody, everything is on the shelf. But we would love to get out and play live.”
Listen to entire interview below.
