Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Massachusetts-based rock band Godsmack, currently led by co-founders Sully Erna on vocals and Robbie Merrill on bass, along with Tony Rombola on guitars, and Shannon Larkin on drums (ex-Ugly Kid Joe and ex-Candlebox).
Over the past three decades, Godsmack has produced an impressive catalog including eight studio albums, an EP titled “The Other Side,” four DVDs, a compilation album named “Good Times, Bad Times… Ten Years of Godsmack,” and a live album titled “Live & Inspired.”
The band achieved three consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200 with “Faceless,” “IV,” and “The Oracle.” Notably, they boast 25 top-ten rock radio hits, with 18 songs landing in the top five and 12 at the coveted number-one spot.
Their seventh album, “When Legends Rise,” debuted on April 27, 2018, followed by their eighth release, “Lighting Up the Sky,” on February 24, 2023. After the release of the last album, Godsmack announced that it would be their final project of new music, although they have no intentions of disbanding.
Currently, Godsmack is on the Vibez Tour across North America, with just two Canadian stops, including a performance at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls on April 25th. Joining Godsmack will be special guest Bastian da Cruz.
In a recent Zoom interview with Music Life Magazine, Erna discussed the Vibez Tour and what fans can expect, the band’s future plans, his documentary release “I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story,” (based on his 2007 memoir, “The Paths We Choose”), and more. During the interview, Erna shared insights into the band’s decision to stop recording new albums after last year’s “Lighting Up the Sky” release.
For more info and tickets to this show and upcoming shows at OLG Stage click here.
Thanks to Sully Erna for taking the time to talk to me. Here is my interview with Erna which took place via Zoom two weeks prior to the start of the Vibez Tour which began mid-February:
MLM: How are things going? In two weeks, the Vibez Tour starts. Are you guys all ready and excited?
Sully Erna: Oh yeah, we’re ready. We’re all tuned up. We’re gonna take a little break now from rehearsals and just have a little vacay and then we’ll start hitting it on the 15th when the whole thing starts.
MLM: I want to talk more about the Vibez Tour but there’s a couple of other things I want to get out of the way. And you’re probably sick about talking about this by now, but your last album, Lighting Up the Sky, came out about a year ago, and you guys mentioned that it will be the last album you guys do. Is Godsmack looking to wind down? Are you guys looking to do other things? What are the future plans for Godsmack?
Sully Erna: Well, everyone has to come to a point in time in their career when they feel like, “Have we arrived? Have we done the things that we wanted to do?” Even though music is something we always wanted to do with our lives, is that everything we want to do with our lives because we missed a lot of special moments in our personal lives, watching our kids grow up. We were always touring, being away from family and friends. And sometimes we crave the simple things that most people take for granted. They get up every morning, they get to make their kids breakfast, and they go work and they come home and they make them dinner, and they hang out and they watch movies and take them to school, whatever. We didn’t have that luxury because we were working all the time and our work takes us away from home.
And now our kids are grown but it’s like, well, we’ve done a lot. We feel good about our career. It’s not like we’re announcing a breakup or anything, but I mean, geez, at what point do we not start honoring the catalog and start forgetting about writing more and more new music? I mean, we have 27 top singles, top 10 singles. We have 13 number ones. That means we can literally play two shows back to back in the same city and never play the same single twice, let alone the deeper cuts. So, we’re just trying to think along the lines of how we are as fans and when we go to see our favorite bands, like if we leave there and Aerosmith didn’t play Dream On, and Walk This Way, and Same Old Song and Dance and Train Kept A Rollin’? I’m mad, right? Yeah. So yeah, we need to play what people have deemed the best songs that they’ve enjoyed over the years. And we also feel that we’re just in a place in time where we want to kind of enter a new chapter in our lives and start honoring that music and just going out and creating a greatest hits show.
MLM: Recently, the documentary I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story came out. Let’s talk a bit about that. When did that come out? I know it’s streaming right now, so that’s very new, isn’t it?
Sully Erna: It’s very new. We haven’t even started a press campaign on it yet, so you’re one of the first people on board to help us promote it! it’s on Apple TV and it’s on Amazon Prime. I think it’s on a couple others as well, Microsoft and Google Play. It’s called I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story and it basically is based on the book that I put out in 2007 called The Paths We Choose, which is about the first 30 years of my life before I got a record deal with Godsmack, and growing up in the streets of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and all the trouble that I got into, all the challenges I faced and the obstacles I had to jump over in order to not get myself killed or end up in jail.
I think it’s really a story of perseverance. It’s a story of one man’s, one boy’s journey through life and all the challenges that they faced not knowing that I had this gift, right? And I had this music in my life, and it’s really what saved me so many times from going out and doing the really dark stuff. It seems to feel like a more inspirational piece for people to know that you can look at us and we’re not born successful rock stars. We’re the same people like you and everyone else that work hard and have to go through life the same way as everyone else does. But we have to learn how to go through those tough moments and stay strong and get to the other side because that’s when you usually find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
MLM: So why did you decide to do the documentary now? It’s been more than 15 years since the memoir came out.
Sully Erna: This was something that another team put together, the director Troy Smith and one of the editors, the lead editor, Noah Berlow. They really liked the story and they wanted to make it into a feature documentary but the trick was, and the reason why it took so long, I mean, this was six years in the making. I was born in 68, right? So I grew up in the seventies and the eighties. We didn’t have cell phones back then and video cameras. There were no visuals to support the stories we were telling. Just little bits of information. My uncle used to come over, he had a big camcorder so he’d film me playing drums when I was seven years old and hanging out with my family. So, we had a little bit of information when I was really young, but as we get into my teens and all those years that I got into the real big trouble stuff. We didn’t have video cameras back then, and thank God. My God, you know, I would’ve been incriminated more than once, I’m sure! (laughs)
So, it was like a matter of recreating some of that stuff and choosing what stories we were going to tell. And then obviously as it gets into the early nineties and going through different bands and hanging out with my friends, that’s when camcorders started to pop up. We used to have the eight millimeter camcorders and DV cams. It was just a bit challenging putting together, but that’s why it took a little while. They wanted to tell the story, but we didn’t want it just to be a talking head documentary.
MLM: Are you’re pleased with the way it turned out then?
Sully Erna: I was surprisingly pleased. I thought I was gonna tear it apart, but my God, I watched it with my mom and two of my best friends and my sister and my mom bawled. I mean, because you know, you gotta remember too, we took it right back to the heart of where all these events happened and I even got to knock on the door of my childhood home. And the lady was kind enough to let us use her home to reenact a lot of these scenes. So, what you see is really my house where I grew up and where these events happened. So, I think for my mom, it was like, “that’s my kitchen”, “that was me”. Yeah. I was in that part of my life and taking her back there I think really affected her.
MLM: Lawrence is in the Boston area?
Sully Erna: Yeah, north of Boston.
MLM: Are there any plans to release I Stand Alone on DVD?
Sully Erna: I don’t know. I’m not sure right now. Right now, we’re just kind of sticking it out there, letting people know it’s out. We’re going to start a big marketing campaign for it to really pump it up and listen, if anything, I just hope it does what it, I believe it was designed to do, which was, if I tell my story, I hope it inspires people to do better in their lives and to keep going with their dreams and things like that, because this is really what that story is about. We see a lot of these kinds of rock docs that end very sad, right? They don’t always have a good ending. I’d like to think this one did, you know, and I’m still not sure where it ends because I’m still living in it. I’m still in that part of my life. And I’m sure the Godsmack documentary will come out at some point. But right now, maybe this is a piece that will inspire people to continue to work hard and know that there’s a payoff.
MLM: Let’s talk about The Vibez Tour. It starts in a couple weeks. It’s all US dates with two Canadian dates, including Niagara Falls on April 25th. According to a Facebook post from Godsmack, the show is said to be An Intimate Evening of Acoustic/Electric Performances and Untold Stories. First off, will there be personal stuff taken from the documentary or is it entirely Godsmack related? Will there be stories told that are behind the scenes of Godsmack, and stories behind the songs?
Sully Erna: I think it’s gonna be more about the music, because what we want to create, and the reason why we called it The Vibez Tour is because we really want to do all the vibey music that we’ve written over the years. Maybe step away from the big strong heavy Godsmack stuff for a second that we always do on the big shows and bring people into a different kind of place. So, from the time they enter the theater, you know, the scent that’s in the air, the candles on stage, go into some really beautiful acoustic performances, some fully electric performances. We’re gonna do some vibey cool covers that we really like. And, you know, tell some stories about the songs and what they meant to us when we wrote them. And maybe a bit of history about the band, a little bit. But really just take people through a musical journey and let them experience how important and what a gift music really is to all of us.
MLM: You guys have a big catalog of songs. Was it hard to choose what songs to include in the setlist? Are there songs that you thought may or may not work acoustically and then surprised you?
Sully Erna: I don’t think so because we’re choosing songs that are kind of designed to be more of a vibe like that, and like I said, it’s not gonna be fully acoustic. If the song’s acoustic, it’ll be acoustic, songs like Serenity and Running Blind and those kinds of songs. Those were designed to be acoustic. There’s even some really cool vibey piano songs that we’ve written, like Under Your Scars, and the new single Truth. There are songs like Growing Old on the new record that just are kind of a more of a Chris Cornell kind of vibe. And so, you mix that in with some really cool covers. Maybe we’re gonna do some old Zeppelin stuff, or Pink Floyd, who knows. But you know, you blend all that in together, right? And it really just kind of creates a moment. And so that’s what I think is gonna happen.
MLM: Since Godsmack will no longer be recording new music, will there be a release of this tour when it’s finished?
Sully Erna: I don’t know. Everything’s up in the air. Right now, we’re just focused on this tour. I’d like to take one thing at a time and just do it the best we can.
MLM: Next year Godsmack celebrates 30 years. Did you ever think the band would last this long?
Sully Erna: We weren’t sure that this band was even gonna be a band in the first place, it really just kind of started as an experiment to scratch the itch when me and Robbie were at a point in our lives where we were about to quit music back in the early nineties. We went through so many bands and so many different things in our lives that we were just like, as you start to get into your mid-twenties, late-twenties, you’re just like, maybe this isn’t for me, you know. Maybe it’s not gonna happen. So, we just said, let’s just do something and make it fun. We got together and wrote some music. We were gonna record it in a studio and just kind of scratch the itch by playing gigs on weekends and stuff. And then this thing started taking off and people started paying attention. And so, who would’ve known, you know, that I spent the first 25 years playing drums in mastering that instrument and then to transition into a singer not knowing what I’m doing. Never, never any training, anything. And all of a sudden, we end up with a gold record! Who would have known?
MLM: I’m sure there are a lot of great memories, a lot of outstanding moments throughout your 30 years as a musician in Godsmack or even before that. Is there anything that really stands out still to this day where you look back and think, “Wow, that’s amazing”, or “I can’t believe this happened”?
Sully Erna: Yeah, just our life and music. I mean, I think when you’re growing up and you want it and it’s just kind of a dream and something feels like it’s untouchable, it’s really just a fantasy at that point. You’re playing in garages and basements and small clubs and you’re, in your mind, you’re envisioning that you’re playing in front of an arena full of people, but you’re really not, you know? And so it’s just a big dream. So for it to become a reality and have this kind of longevity, that is something that still to this day, we pinch ourselves and appreciate every moment that we have.
MLM: Is there anything else you’d like to do in life that you haven’t yet? Music has been a big part of your life. Is there anything you’d like to pursue that you’ve always thought about doing but haven’t yet?
Sully Erna: Well, I’ve been so busy. Yeah. I may, once this is done and our schedule relaxes a little bit more because we’re always gonna be doing shows. I’m sure at some point, but we just may not tour as heavily after this album cycle is over. We’ll see. You can never say never. Who knows? I can’t sit still too long. When I’m working too much, I want some off time and then when I have off time, I get really bored really quick and I need to go do something. I do love acting. I’ve had some fun with that over time, doing some indie films and getting some smaller roles in bigger movies and that kind of thing. I think I’d like to pursue that more if I got the opportunity and someone wanted to bring me in. At this point I’d like to get some better parts and try to get involved in some bigger roles. That’s always been fun for me. But, on my off time I like to play poker. I like to ride my motorcycle. I like to go hang out with my friends, hit the beaches, take some vacations, and visit some places without working. So, you know, the simple things a lot of the times is what I enjoy doing.
MLM: You’re coming to Niagara Falls April 25th. Have you ever been here?
Sully Erna: Oh yeah. I have some friends there too.
MLM: You were in the area not too long ago. Last August you played in Toronto with Staind. Anyways, do you have any plans while you’re here? Do you make time to do things when you go to different cities while on tour?
Sully Erna: I’m not sure. I’d like to see a couple friends while I’m in that area, whatever. But again, you know, our shows are pretty much back to back and pretty tight. So, we don’t have a whole lot of time to hang out when we’re on tour. But we’re looking forward to the show. It’s a good area, good people, good vibes there. We’ve always done well, so it’ll be nice to come back for sure.
MLM: Well, thank you so much for your time. Is there anything you’d like to plug or add at this point?
Sully Erna: No, just the single, Truth is an important song to us. We’re about to launch it and we’re just finishing up a new video for it. It’s probably one of the most vulnerable and emotional songs I’ve ever wrote in my life. As you know, everything I write about is something that happened to me personally on an emotional level, whether it was good or bad. Unfortunately, in this case, this event happened to me as I was writing this record and we had to pause the whole project because this one hit me pretty hard. It’s a song about betrayal and as you know, sometimes the people who can hurt us the most are the people that we love the most. I think people will connect to this lyrically and emotionally. I think everyone has felt some kind of betrayal once in their life, at least, whether it was through a family member or relationship or friendship. But we’re excited for the song because it’s a big hook, it’s a big melody. And I just think, even though it came from a darker place, it’s a big beautiful song. So I hope everybody really takes a listen to that and enjoys it.
MLM: Well, thank you so much for your time.
Sully Erna: You got it.
MLM: Good luck on the tour. Next week is your birthday. Happy Birthday! I’m looking forward to seeing you on April 25th, in Niagara Falls.
Sully Erna: Awesome.
MLM: Thank you so much, Sully.
Sully Erna: Yeah, of course, man. Thanks for having me.
MLM: All right. Take care. Thank you.
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