In a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon once again spoke about the possibility of him and his bandmates releasing a full-length album as a follow-up to 2019’s “Shock”. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, with TESLA, I really do like the ability to create a song independently and put it out as we do it. At our point of our career that we’re at now after 40 years and being older guys, it doesn’t make sense to try to fabricate 10 songs, just to put all 10 songs out on one record. It makes more sense for us to work on a song and enjoy the process and let it develop, and then when it’s ready, put it out one song at a time. It seems to work better for writing with TESLA. But the one thing that we are enjoying a lot is digging into our influences and songs that [TESLA vocalist] Jeff Keith can really get into singing. And we’re experimenting with some old soul tunes, some old cover songs, maybe some James Brown or maybe some TEMPTATIONS, some different kind of things like that.”
He continued: “We’re at a point now, TESLA‘s at a point now where we wanna enjoy our career and have fun and create stuff and experiment with some stuff like that that’s a lot of fun. The notion of trying to go in lockdown mode for a year and hammer out 10 songs that will be just fabricated, that doesn’t sound like fun to us, really, I don’t think.”
After Gaudiosi noted that it makes sense for a band like TESLA to release standalone singles and give each new song a spot in the setlist as they come out as opposed to putting out an album of tracks that will mostly go unheard, Hannon concurred. “That’s a great point,” he said. “And most people don’t realize the amount of work and lockdown it would take to create nine or 10 songs. Back when we were in our twenties, that was different, man, that was a different time in our lives. So, the amount of work it takes to create a full 10-song album, and then when you play your show, with a band like TESLA, who’s got 40 years of songs that we’ve gotta play in our show in 90 minutes, we’re not gonna even be allowed to play any of these new songs. So it makes much more sense to have fun and create one great new song. Like our latest one, ‘All About Love’ — we’re so proud of it. It’s really great and the fans are loving it. Before that, we did one called ‘Time To Rock!’, and we were really proud of that one, and it was fun. And we throw that one song in the show and then people still get to hear ‘Little Suzi’ and ‘Signs’ and ‘Modern Day Cowboy’ and ‘Changes’ and all the other ones. So that is basically it. When a band gets to this point of their career, that’s usually really what works best.”
This past February, TESLA bassist Brian Wheat told Ralph Rasmussen of Radio Bypass about the possibility of him and his bandmates releasing a new TESLA full-length album: “I don’t think so. And the reason I say ‘no’ is it takes so much time. And TESLA works a certain way. TESLA works by us all being in the room together. We’re scattered all over the world, for one. We do 60 to 75 shows a year. There’s that. We’ve been doing it for 40 years. There’s that. It’s hard to find the time to get together and say, ‘Okay, we need to dedicate…’ Like ‘Shock’, the last record we did, that took a year of our lives. We were doing it on the road. And we also had Phil Collen [of DEF LEPPARD] kind of spearheading it and keeping it organized. We have a hard time keeping organized within ourselves, because it’s a different thing. So, I don’t wanna spend a year of TESLA‘s life with a band that’s on their 40th year when TESLA could be out playing to people.”
Wheat went on to say that there is a practical reason TESLA‘s touring days may be numbered.
“When Jeff can’t sing to the level he does now, there won’t be TESLA,” Brian explained. “I’m not up for getting an Arnel [Pineda-style soundalike] character or you know somebody else to sing with TESLA. Jeff‘s voice is TESLA. I’m not diminishing Frank, I’m not diminishing myself or former TESLA drummer] Troy [Luccketta] or [former TESLA guitarist] Tommy [Skeoch] or [TESLA guitarist] Dave [Rude], but that voice is the sound of TESLA, even though some people might disagree.
“I mean, listen, [TESLA] could have another bass player tomorrow,” Wheat added. “It wouldn’t fucking matter. You can’t have another singer — not that singer. Not at that point — not 40 years down the line, you don’t bring in somebody else because [Jeff] can’t sing. I think when he can’t sing anymore, we owe it to ourselves and to the fans to call it a day. And then at that point, you can go into the studio, if you wanna make a record, like THE BEATLES did, where you can do things and still make a record that sounds great.
“We pride ourselves in TESLA being able to play very well live,” Brian said. “When people [tell us], ‘You guys sound better than your records,’ we wear like a proud badge. If we can’t do that, there’s no point in doing it. So, that’s part of the reason why TESLA won’t make a brand new record. We’re older, people have families, there’s lots of things. And we made — what? — 14 albums? And so with that you’ll see maybe two or three singles a year. And we can do that. That’s doable for us. Me and Jeff were just together last week — he was here in Florida and we were working on a couple of things that are gonna be for the next TESLA project to come out. And I don’t wanna talk about it ’cause I don’t wanna give it away. So I’m not gonna say what it is or whatever. But there’s some more new TESLA stuff coming out this year. Plus TESLA tour dates. So TESLA is still doing everything TESLA‘s always done, just not making a whole brand new record.”
TESLA kicked off its latest Las Vegas residency on October 17 at the House Of Blues Las Vegas inside Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino. During this exclusive five-day run of shows, TESLA is touching all sides of its unique discography, including the heavier edge of electric songs like “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Hang Tough” and “Edison’s Medicine”, as well as the band’s acoustic-driven songs such as “Signs” and “Love Song” (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).
“Tesla: The Las Vegas Residency” will run for one more show, taking place on October 25, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.
TESLA previously held a residency at the House Of Blues in April 2024.
TESLA‘s latest six-song EP, “All About Love”, was released last November. The EP includes four versions of “All About Love” (acoustic, electric, hybrid, live); a live version of “Walk Away”, a concert favorite from “Reel To Real, Vol. 1”; and another new song, “From The Heart”, an instrumental track by Hannon.
Some fans criticized TESLA for adopting a 1980s-style polished production for its latest album, 2019’s “Shock”. The follow-up to June 2014’s “Simplicity” was helmed by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, whose own group is no stranger to slicked-up, glossy-sounding recordings.
In September 2023, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH‘s “S.O.S. (Too Bad)”. The song is a bonus track on TESLA‘s live album, “Full Throttle Live!”, which arrived in May 2023. The LP included the band’s “Time To Rock!” single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.
In September 2021, original TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would “take a little time from the road” to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA‘s gigs and in the recording studio by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.
TESLA‘s debut album, 1986’s “Mechanical Resonance”, went platinum on the strength of the hits “Modern Day Cowboy” and “Little Suzi”. The 1989 follow-up album, “The Great Radio Controversy”, produced five hits, including “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and “Love Song”, which hit the pop Top Ten.
