Airbourne drummer Ryan O’Keeffe was recently interview by Louise Phillips of the U.K.’s TotalRock and talked about the progress of the recording sessions for his band’s sixth album. O’Keeffe said, “We finished (recording) it in April. So we did one more month in April after the tour. Zakk Cervini (Dayseeker, Bring Me The Horizon) is finishing his last couple of mixes now. It’s a big team. It’s a huge team. It’s gonna be a good record, I’ll tell you that.”
Asked if they’ve settled on an album name? O’Keeffe confirmed that “Gutsy” is the name of the album and their first single.
“Gutsy” is Airbourne’s first new song in six years! It was produced by Brian Howes, and engineered by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica) and mixed by Cervini.
When the band released “Gutsy”, the press release described the song as “a blood-and-sweat commitment to the rock ‘n’ roll cause, and a burning desire to honor the true heroes of the genre. More than just a title, “Gutsy” is a declaration. A worldview. A line drawn deep in the sand… ‘It’s how you live, it’s how you die…'”
Singer Joel commented, “When the odds are stacked against you and the battle you’re fighting seems impossible to win; when the vultures are circling and the last chance saloon has firmly bolted its doors; when your plane is hitting the runway on a single engine, and that engine is on fire; and when the things you hold as precious, the things that define you, are being tested at every turn, then the choices available become a lot clearer: fold or fight… call for help or cry for glory… give in or Get ‘Gutsy’!
“We went into this writing and recording session with a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve,” Joel added. “It was a question of legacy. Let’s create something that can stand the test of time, both in terms of our own story and the hard rock world in general. Let’s plant our flag as close to the summit as possible, and if we have to make that final part of the ascent without oxygen, so be it. NO turning back. Get ‘Gutsy’!!!”
AIRBOURNE is:
Joel O’Keeffe – Frontman/Lead Guitar
Ryan O’Keeffe – Drums
Justin Street – Bass
Brett Tyrrell – Rhythm Guitar
Next to AC/DC and Silverchair, Airbourne HAS TO BE Australia’s best rock import. Crushing live band. Stoked that Howes and Fraze worked on the new stuff. You know it’ll absolutely rock!
