Def Leppard News - VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Have Scheduled Writing Sessions For New Studio Album

Monday, 24th February 2020

VIVIAN CAMPBELL Says DEF LEPPARD Have Scheduled Writing Sessions For New Studio Album

By Chele Drappel

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has been interviewed by Iowa radio and mentioned work on the next studio album.

Vivian spoke to Adam Bowersox of 95 KGGO radio in Des Moines, IA to promote the 20/20 Vision tour.

Vivian talked about the 20/20 Vision tour with ZZ Top, The Stadium Tour, Differences in Modern Def Leppard Shows To 80s/90s, the live show, 2020 Touring/Being Busy, The Stadium Tour, Def Leppard Being Busy, touring with ZZ Top, New Def Leppard Music and the third Last In Line album.

Next Def Leppard Album

Vivian said the band have scheduled writing sessions for this year but no new music will be released in 2020.

20/20 Vision Tour

He also spoke about how excited the band were to be able to tour with ZZ Top on the 20/20 Vision tour.

And that they had wanted to tour with them for many years.

Listen to the full 9 minute interview below,

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

95 KGGO Radio/Adam Bowersox - Vivian Campbell Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

The Stadium Tour/20/20 Vision Tour

"Well it's not in a day. It's a year or so. You know we've got the time. You know today I'm sitting around drinking looking at the snow. So not working today as it happens."

"But you know I tend to really enjoy my work. I know the other guys in Leppard really do too. And we kind of pace ourselves a little bit better than we used to back in the 80s and the 80s."

"You know we used to play a lot more shows per week and now we kind of, like I said, we pace it a bit better you know. And we look after ourselves a little better. I think that's also true and also necessary you know."

Differences in Modern Def Leppard Shows To 80s/90s

"I think it's a lot better you know. I think we're better as individual players. We're better as a group of players. I think our show is much better. Much better thought out, our production everything about the band."

"Year after year when we tour we are constantly trying to make it a better show in every way. In terms of our performance. In terms of the visual spectacle."

"Sometimes it's a very subtle change you know. I think that maybe we're the only ones that notice. But like I said we are particularly proud of our vocals. The fact that it's all live you know. All the backing vocals and stuff. Everyone in the band is a really strong singer and we work very very hard on that."

"Over the years a lot of people have accused us of miming which we'll take as a back handed compliment you know 'cause we really do it live."

"So we do take pride in the work and the band has a very very high work ethic. You know that hasn't abated over the years. If anything it's kind of sharpened you know. We want Def Leppard to be one of the best shows that anyone ever sees in their life you know. And we take that mission very seriously."

"We don't take ourselves seriously, but we do take the job seriously you know."

The Live Show

"Yeah the band has worked throughout the decades on refining a sound and having something very identifiable. You know after all these years I think it's really come into focus. So now it's just a question of presenting it live you know. And like I said we're a very very strong live band and we're always trying to make it bigger and better and better."

2020 Touring/Being Busy

"The band has never gone away you know."

The Stadium Tour

"You mentioned Motley Crue. We're touring with the Crue over the summer doing a stadium tour with them and Joan Jett and Poison. You know they reformed for The Stadium Tour. Leppard, you know, we've never packed it in. We've constantly been working."

"We're very much an international act. We play around the globe and you know it's just, it's one of those things where our audience has been growing over the years you know."

"In the 90s it was a little bit tough when Grunge came around you know. And out kind of music wasn't the most popular. But we didn't capitulate, you know, we kept going. We kept making records and we kept touring and we kept going from strength to strength."

"And in recent years we've seen our audience grow to be a different generation than just ours you know. 30 or 40 percent of the audience in recent years are young enough to be our kids you know. And that's very encouraging or us because there's a new energy that comes in with a more youthful audience."

"It's not just the numbers that are growing it's the actual energy in the room you know. That's becoming much much more obvious and we kind of feed off the energy of our audience. So when the audience gives us more energy we give more in return."

"So it's kind of a win win for us you know and we're very encouraged by that."

Def Leppard Being Busy

"Yeah well a lot of thins have happened in recent years. It was only a couple of years ago that we finally got the entire back catalogue online, you know, with all the different streaming services and whatnot."

"We had contractual issues with our record company going back for many many many years because the original record company pre-dated...the original record contract sorry pre-dated the technology. You know Def Leppard's first record contract was signed in 1977. You know nobody knew about the Internet or digital distribution back then or even CDs you know."

"So it all kind of became very murky for many many years and that's why we kind of held off having our entire catalogue online and then I'm happy to say that a few years back we reached a mutual agreement with our record company. And we were able to finally stream everything and that has helped to bring in the younger audience and to create more of a global awareness of all of the music of Def Leppard and not just one or two hit songs."

"So it's been a great few years for us recently and the band really is on an upward trajectory and we're really enjoying that I think it's well deserved you know 'cause I think we've worked really hard over the years."

"You know like I say the 90s were pretty bleak years for Def Leppard you know, but we were still out there plying our trade you know and getting better at what it is we do. So we're happy to see it all pay off."

Have you guys toured with ZZ Top before?.Two Sides Of If

"We have not no. We've played a couple of European festivals over the years with ZZ. I've known Billy casually for about 15 years. I did a blue record back in 2004, 2005 somewhere around then. And Billy was generous enough to actually write a song for the record and perform a couple of tracks with me on that."

"So he's a wonderful guy. I'm a huge fan of ZZ Top. As are all the guys in Leppard and we're very excited to finally to be able to put together a tour with them. It's something that we've wanted to do for many years."

"Yeah it really will be a great great night I'm sure you know. I know what a Leppard show is like. I've seen ZZ a few times and it really will be a wonderful experience I would imagine."

New Def Leppard Music

"It is yeah but we are starting to think about the next record. We're having writing sessions ongoing over the year. I mean it won't be anything out in 2020 but, you know, we are starting to schedule a new album which is kind of long overdue you know."

"Yeah yeah indeed. But we do keep busy I mean aside from Leppard shows we all have kids. We're at that time of life you know. So you kind of do like you said earlier withdraw from your industry for a while and just kind of focus on your family and your home life."

Last In Line Third Album

"And you know aside form that I have a very serious project band called Last In Line and we're working on our third album. And I'm heading off to do more shows with that band this weekend you know."

"And Joe has a side project called Down 'n' Outz and Phil has a band called Delta Deep. So you know we step away from Def Leppard and we do these other projects. And actually it's for the benefit of Def Leppard because we come back to Leppard very refreshed and ready to do our work and it helps sharpen us as individual players you know. So we all keep busy in our own way."

How many kids you got?

"I have two wonderful daughters. They're both in college now you know and they're both on the East Coast. So it's nice to be able to get to see them they take the train up on the weekend with their dirty laundry. Yeah you know I'm well used to that. Kids are expensive but I can't think of a better way to spend my money."