Bush Frontman Remembers Sept. 11
By: Kristi Singer, Star-News Correspondent - Morning Star - Wilmington, N.C.
March 15th 2002 3:45pm
Bush's Gavin Rossdale is in a golden state of mind. The vocalist/guitarist decided on the band's fourth album title,
Golden State, while driving in California with his fiancee, Gwen
Stefani of No Doubt. The title has a layered meaning, referring to
the Golden State of California and a fulfilling state of mind. "We were driving on the freeway. I was (having) such a good time,
just feeling really good. I felt whole and fulfilled. So that was
when I was like, 'Golden State, that's wicked. I love that.' And
Gwen was like 'Yeah, I really like it too,' " Mr. Rossdale said
during a phone interview from his London home. Mr. Rossdale wrote two of the 12 tracks on Golden State in Los
Angeles and the rest in London. "I found that I didn't kind of get the juice going so much when I
was in L.A." Mr. Rossdale said, even though he said he came to the
U.S. specifically so he could write new material. "I wrote two
songs, so it wasn't totally unproductive." Mr. Rossdale stayed for a few weeks in an L.A. mansion called The
Paramour. "It was very, very beautiful and a bit weird. Kind of Shining-
like, I always thought, because it was this lovely, big, old house
with long corridors and no one in it. It was creepy," Mr. Rossdale
said. "I was convinced it was haunted." Golden State, Mr. Rossdale said, is the first album he's written
from his London home. But his pet peeve while writing at home is the
telephone. "You can't write songs and be answering the phone," Mr. Rossdale
said. "So I just disappear. People think I've gone away, but I
haven't. I'm just not answering the phone. And then a few people
have got the secret ring." The band's fourth album, released last October following its 1999
release, The Science of Things, Golden State includes rock singles
Headful of Ghosts and the first radio hit, The People That We Love,
inspired by Mr. Rossdale's desire to rock reggae-style. "I really wanted to be in a reggae band much more than a rock
band," Mr. Rossdale said. "Still do." Aside from trusting his gut to find songwriting inspiration in
daily life, Mr. Rossdale said his relationship with Ms. Stefani also
plays a part. Eventually, he would like to write music with her. "We've been so busy with our own stuff that we haven't really
gotten around to that. I don't see any reason why not. I won't
charge her. I won't invoice her, and she won't invoice me," Mr.
Rossdale said. Although he lives outside of the U.S., the events of Sept. 11 had
a major impact on Mr. Rossdale and the other members of Bush -
bassist Dave Parsons, guitarist Nigel Pulsford and drummer Robin
Goodridge. In response to attacks, the band changed a song title on
Golden State from Speed Kills to The People That We Love and removed
the word "terrorist" from a line in Headful of Ghosts. Mr. Rossdale has already written a new song that refers to the
attacks. "It's an incredible, intense tragedy that has happened. So it
will affect me forever artistically, because it touched me in the
same way that losing a relative has touched me. It has affected my
life. Death brings out an appreciation of life," Mr. Rossdale said.
 (C) 2002 Morning Star - Wilmington, N.C.. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
| 
