In a conversation that feels more like a stream of ideas being chased than carefully packaged answers, Ugly Kid Joe guitarist and producer Dave Fortman gives a loose, honest glimpse into the band’s next record — and even he admits the details are still shifting as he speaks.
Talking on The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast, Fortman says the follow-up to 2022’s Rad Wings Of Destiny is finished, but how it will actually land is still being worked out.
“I think we’re… I forget. Damn, are we dropping 12 or 10 tracks?” he says. “It’s like 10 or 12 songs. I can’t remember. There’s different plans on how to get it released. I think it’s in two chunks.”
He pauses on his own uncertainty, adding that nothing is fully locked.
“I don’t know if I’m supposed to give that information away… I don’t know if any of this is positively true. I’m not really that much in that department.”
What he does seem certain about is the scope of the material.
“But I know that if you look at it as a whole, there’s like 12 songs… I think we’re trying to release them all.”
Beyond release strategy, Fortman digs deep into how the record was built, describing a much more intentional and hands-on production process than past Ugly Kid Joe efforts.
“We really went through this time and just worked it the right way,” he says. “It’s the first time that I’ve ever really applied my own production abilities all the way.”
He explains how early songwriting sessions were designed to push his bandmates creatively, especially guitarist Klaus Eichstadt.
“I start working on him subconsciously, so he doesn’t know I’m trying to get songs out of him. And it worked. He has, I think, a few of the best songs he’s ever written on this album.”
Fortman also highlights a more focused co-writing approach with vocalist Whitfield Crane.
“We went and did not let songs live that weren’t all the way mind-blowing,” he says. “We did that exact process to almost six or seven of these songs.”
He doesn’t hold back in describing Crane’s contribution.
“This is his fucking moment, dude. I’m telling you… some of the best shit this band’s ever done.”
Even the studio process became something obsessive, with repeated revisions and evolving mixes long after the core recordings were done.
“That took me months to do,” he says. “It turned into an entirely different record after I did that.”
As for how it sounds, Fortman is clear about the direction.
“It’s back to metal,” he says. “We gotta write a record full of chunks, man.”
He contrasts it with Rad Wings Of Destiny, pointing out how stripped-down that record was compared to the new material’s heavier approach.
“There’s more production on this than anything we’ve ever done… It’s certainly the most unique piece of work.”
Fortman adds that even his perspective on the final mix evolved after a period of sobriety and reflection, leading him to revisit and reshape elements months later.
“I started to realize, hmm, maybe I should go back and listen to the UKJ one again.”
Ugly Kid Joe reunited in 2012 after a long hiatus and has since returned to consistent touring, including their first U.S. tour in 27 years in 2023.
Now, with a new record complete and still taking shape at the release level, Fortman’s biggest takeaway isn’t precision — it’s momentum.
So when a band says they’ve made their most unique record yet, do you believe them? Or is that just what they say?
