Great White's Michael Lardie Says Jack Russell Is A Great Pop Singer

For more than 25 years, Great White has distanced themselves from their peers by refusing to put style ahead of substance. They do it again on Rising, their second studio album of the new millennium, and a compelling musical statement that blends blues-hued roots with an innate sense of rhythm and melody.

It’s called rock and roll, and Great White still deliver it with every bit of the grit, texture, swagger and soul that has defined their sound since their rise to prominence in the late-‘80s. With their worldwide album sales approaching the ten million mark, Rising (the band’s second release on Shrapnel Records in North America, and first for Frontiers Records in Europe) marks a return to form for Great White – It may be their eleventh studio album, but it is also their first album in more than a decade that was written and recorded together as a band.

“The big difference between this record and the last one we did, was that on the last album we were scattered all over the place when we were talking about getting the band back together,” says guitarist Mark Kendall of the recording process for Back to the Rhythm, which was released in the summer of 2007. “I lived in Utah, Michael was in Phoenix, Jack was in California, and we ended up emailing music to each other. We didn’t rehearse and we never got together, it was weird, it didn’t have that band feel. The vibe wasn’t there, it was missing something…”

While Back to the Rhythm was technically Great White’s reunion record, it is Rising that truly saw the band reunited in the studio, where, for the first time in more than a decade, they gathered together to write, rehearse and record the next chapter in their storied career.

“In the past we’d spend weeks and weeks of pre-production and rehearsals, and by the time we would record the songs, they’d sound stale to us,” recalls front-man Jack Russell of the band’s earlier efforts. “For this album, we just went in and banged a song out, learned it, laid it down, and if we liked it, we kept it. It was a lot more spontaneous and fresh, and I think you can hear that on the record.”

“Personally, I’ve always wanted to go into the studio with a few songs ready, but not all of them finished,” says Michael Lardie, who in addition to playing guitar, also produced and mixed Rising. “We actually got to do that this time. We went in with a framework, but were creating from the time we went in the studio, to the time I was ready to start mixing. There’s an organic value to the record. We recorded at Audie’s house, and we’d talk about ideas we had and the next morning we’d make the song. It was a continuous flow. It was a lot more work for me, putting in 16 hour days at a breakneck pace just to keep up with everything, but it was so exciting to be so involved and entrenched in a record like that. It reminded me of when Mark and I were involved in the overdubs for Once Bitten… back in ’87.”

While longtime fans of Great White will find the band basking in plenty of familiar water throughout Rising – opening track “Situation” is signature Great White, and the jazzy swagger of “Down on the Level” might remind more than a few die-hards of “Mista Bone” – they’ll also appreciate the new depths the album explores. A Southern sprawl of Gospel blues permeates “My Sanctuary” (the first Great White song to include harmonica since their classic hit “Rock Me”), an R&B keyboard bounce drives “Is it Enough,” “Danger Zone” is a drum-driven series of sonic booms, and Russell’s vocals demonstrate a range throughout that he’s hardly hinted at with past recordings.

“It was definitely our intention to show a few different sides of Great White,” continues Lardie. “It’s funny for me to think that people don’t know the variance in Jack’s vocals. He grew up on the Beatles and, if anything, he should have been a pop singer based on what he cut his teeth on. It wasn’t until later that he discovered the Stones, Aerosmith and Zeppelin, and that’s where he really found his niche. But he’s always had a pop sensibility, he’s definitely got it in him, and I’m glad we were able to bring it out and show that aspect of him as a singer.”

“We don’t sit down and say that we need two pop songs, one blues song, two ballads and three rockers, we just write the songs we write and record the ones that we all feel,” says Russell of the band’s creative process. “As far as the vocals go, there’s nothing preconceived. I just approach the songs with whatever I think they require, and every song takes on a life of its own. I can say that there were songs on the last album that were intended to be throwbacks to the ‘80s, where we came from, but we didn’t set out to do that with this album. As songwriters we wanted to step outside that box and do what came natural.”

The results are an album rich in musical pedigree, and seeped in Russell’s lyrical psyche, the overriding theme being his ongoing battles with addiction and sobriety.  

“Every record I write, I try to be as honest as I can,” he says. “I wear my heart on my sleeve, to the point where I’m asking myself if I really want to tell the world how fucked up and screwed up I am! It’s about addiction, the ruining of a relationship over addiction, the pain and heartache from that, and then trying to rebuild that if it’s possible. That’s a battle I’ve been fighting for years, and I win some and I lose some. It’s frustrating, and the emotion can be overwhelming. Music, to me, is just that emotion. It’s taking whatever you’ve got inside, and taking a snapshot of it at that time.”

“Having known Jack for close to 28 years now, whenever he writes a song and puts lyrics down that he believes in, it’s a very cathartic experience for him,” adds Lardie. “In many ways, working on this album with him was a cleansing experience, a very emotional experience. At the same time, my job as producer is to get the most I can out of him, so it’s pretty intense to see him get in that zone where he’s really connecting with a tune and as you’re watching and hearing him sing, you know he’s going to come out on the other side because he’s making that connection. People don’t realize that singing is a lot more than just the throat, and when Jack can put his body and energy into something, you can feel the energy leaping off of him… To me, that’s the mark of a truly great singer.”

And Rising is the mark of a truly great band.

--Paul Gargano, March ‘09


I had the pleasure to speak with Micheal Lardie.

Congratulations on the CD Rising. It’s great to see Great White back into the rhythm of things.



What was different about recording this CD rather than Back to the Rhythm?



Although there are some different moments on the new CD, Great White has always been known to play rock ‘n roll and hasn’t really strayed too far from that in the last 25 years or so. What keeps that format so strong for you guys?



Great White has had some tremendous hits in the past, has there ever been a concentrated effort to try and get another one?



Did you really think you’d be doing this years after joining the band?



Led Zeppelin has always been a part of Great White. What was it about them that became so important for the band?



Who else are your influences?



Is Great White a studio band or a touring band?



Speaking of touring, I would like to talk briefly about the tragic night in 2003 even though you weren’t there yourself. What do you remember from that when you saw the Great White name in the news?



I’ve read references to a version of the band called “Fake White” What was that about?



Your reunion with the band being branded as the true return of Great White. How did you guys get back together?



What were your feelings when you got back together for the first rehearsal?



Will we see you on a tour in Canada sometime?



How did the band get it's name Great White?



One last fun question: Have you ever had the chance to either swim or get up close to a real Great White shark?

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