Gavin on the cover of "Miami Living" magazine

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Gavin Rossdale Cover YRB Magazine

It may be a new lineup, but after a decade Bush is definitely back to reclaim its rock titan status, and at the front of it all still stands Gavin Rossdale – from the beginning to the end.

by Nancy Dunham

Photography by Lionel

Deluy Styling by Darius Baptist

Grooming by Melissa Walsh @BeautyandPhoto using Dermalogica

Location courtesy of De La Barracuda Boxing Club

Band photo by Joseph Llanes Retouching by www.pixretouch.com

f the song “Swallowed” was released under the name Gavin Rossdale instead of Bush, would it have been a hit?

That’s surely something Rossdale, the songwriter and Bush front man, has pondered during the eight years since the band parted ways. In that time, Rossdale kept writing and recording, forming the band Institute in 2004 and then recording a solo project in 2008. Now that he and Bush are back touring behind their first album in 10 years, The Sea of Memories, it’s given him a chance to reflect.

“I listened to my [former] label (Interscope) and [founder] Jimmy Iovine and to their opinion about what I should be doing,” said Rossdale from the Los Angeles home he shares with his wife, musician Gwen Stefani, and their two young sons. “I suddenly realized the weak link was my name. Does Robert Smith [of The Cure] – one of my heroes – [release albums under his own name]? Does Mark E. Smith of The Fall, another one of my heroes do that? No, they record as The Cure and The Fall.”

It’s not like Rossdale was re-starting the band from scratch. He’d not only remained in contact with his former band mates but had a host of new songs to offer. The new music came together when he returned from a solo tour and felt “so inspired, so in love with music” that he literally went into the studio the next day and began to write. When he realized Bush should rightfully record the songs, he began calling his former band mates.

“I figured I had earned that. I was the first one in the band and I was the last one standing,” he said. “I wanted to find out who else would join me. Robin [Goodridge, the drummer] was gung ho about doing it. Nigel [Pulsford, Bush’s original lead guitarist] wanted to make a record and didn’t want to tour.”

Yet when guitarist Chris Traynor and bassist Corey Britz said they were on board, Rossdale saw Bush could work as the newly formed quartet. “I figured, ‘Well, I’ll have three guitarists. That’s cool,’” he said. “So it began with that and the songs. Nothing else really matters as long as we have the music. The music is the key that unlocks everything.”

What Rossdale means by that is new music. He seems to shudder when discussing the idea of a nostalgic tour.

“If I was to do a nostalgic tour, well, that would be horrific,” he said. “I feel I’m getting more articulate in music and writing and singing. It would be too much to take. It’s really important people who get this record can exist solely on this record. It doesn’t need the kind of symbiotic sonics of the other records. Obviously, we’ll continue to honor people’s expectations when they come see our shows, but it’s essential for us to keep alive and keep awake and keep present.

“What’s incredible is that we are starting to play the new songs now, about five or six in a set, and that invigorates the older songs. When I play “Come Down,” it sounds like it was written on the same day as “Sound of Winter,” which was written three months ago.”

That’s something, Rossdale is convinced, would never have happened if he stayed with Interscope. “When I went to Interscope it was like I spent a decade in the wilderness. It has been very hard. They were somewhat helpful to me, they facilitated what I wanted to do, but I was a bit like a red-headed stepchild,” he explained. “It wasn’t with any particular focus or care or love or concern. It was like, ‘He made us more than $100 million. Give him some studio time.’”

Especially galling to Rossdale is that his song, “Love Remains the Same,” had 1.6 million downloads yet he never received any recognition for that achievement.“I’m not a pussy,” he said. “I know my way out.” He took that way after he told the label he wanted to reinvent Bush.

“I had a meeting with the label to explain it. I said, ‘By the way, you like these songs? They are all Bush songs,’” he recalled. “That met with confusion and then support and then, hang on a minute – everyone is dead. Everyone is dead. This is like blindness. Everyone is gone. That’s when I literally decided to leave. It was like, ‘There’s the door. I’m walking out the door.’ Even then, it took five or six months [to finalize the departure].”

It’s not that Rossdale didn’t look back, but he seems to do so more with amazement than sorrow. He talks about trying to work within the major label system, likening it to something akin to moving an elephant. Now, Rossdale has formed his own record label, Zuma Rock Records, named after his youngest son, with a new management team.

“Being English, my expectations are really very low,” he admitted. “Every day is like a bonus. We’ve been on tour and done promotional stuff. I had this deal with my four managers…that I want to be as focused as possible. Otherwise, it’s like peeing in the wind. If we have a focus and reason, then I won’t question it. Everything has its logic and it has been incredible…but also strange because I had gotten so used to gorging on humble pie.”

Of course, some of that is due to the shifting landscape of the music business that has even left one-time music heavyweights perplexed.

“It’s a struggle,” he said. “You do this life and it’s a struggle. The walls, the building, the roof, everything is changing all the time. It is constantly changing and you have to adapt. You can’t stand there complaining. The building is gone, the framework is going, don’t stand there. Be great. No one needs a musician complaining about stuff. Who has time to complain? We just try to embrace it.”

Part of Rossdale’s method of embracing the new system is to take Bush almost back to the beginning. On the latest tour, the band played a host of small clubs. That, he said, has given his team a chance to find their sea legs. “We are taking it real slow,” he explained. “We’re playing smaller places and began moving up just a bit more. We’ve seen the reaction to the shows and sales. After really underplaying and under expecting, we’ve been pleasantly surprised things are going so right. And if things don’t go right, we say, ‘That’s okay. That’s what we expected.’ It’s very Buddhist.”

Part of staying in that zone might be a result of having a family. Rossdale talks a lot about critics, who famously bashed his music, his band and his life even as Bush was selling 16 million albums in the U.S. and Canada and its tours sold out arenas. Although a younger Rossdale might have lashed out, the mature version seems to have taken a calmer approach to the attention – good and bad. Some of that is achieved just through avoidance.

“I have to be careful about what I read because you get upset or seduced,” he said. “For me, it’s definitely been a lot more upset rather than ecstatic. Why would you put your head in that meat grinder?”

He then goes on to discuss the frustration he felt when negative press went viral. “Meanwhile, you sell 15 million albums and sell out your tours, so statistically we’ve played for a lot more people who love you than don’t love you,” he said. “But the published voices of the critics are louder than those of regular people…that was how that went. I once asked someone I went on tour with – a great man – I felt close enough to tell him this [press criticism] was rough [and asked] what would he recommend? He said, ‘Fuck it. Outlive them.’ I don’t know, maybe stuff just comes around. Now I have a different perspective and it’s like, ‘My car is working. I don’t want to look under the hood.’ I keep doing and keep focusing on great shows and doing the best we can each night to stay satisfied.”

That shows in the eagerness he brought to the new album. The determination didn’t dim even after his managers asked him to write a few new songs to replace ones he had selected. After something akin to panic subsided, Rossdale dug in.

“I had them in three weeks [later], and they said, ‘You’re done.’ They thought it would take three months,” said Rossale. “I said, ‘You don’t know how desperate I am. My ambition is alive and glowing.’”

Of course, with success comes more attention from the paparazzi and Rossdale was again held up as a sex symbol. Although his style has always been lauded, he still seems a bit uncomfortable with the attention paid to his physical appearance.

“I am just vain enough to the point where I would always hope to choose the stylish jacket over the unstylish jacket,” he said. “Someone said, ‘What are your comments about still being a sex symbol?’ That is such a weird thing. It is just a compliment. It is not a terrible idea that someone says that, but I just sort of laugh and sort of think it’s funny. You can’t remotely take it seriously or you are a joke.”

Credit some of that modesty to Rossdale’s English upbringing. He and Stefani also keep a home in London and the attitude there toward fame is very different than it is in Hollywood.

“I think in Hollywood, people are genuinely happier for you. In England…there is a bit of a blanket idea that life is all downhill and smiles. Clearly, it isn’t that way for anyone,” he said. “You have to be careful. You can’t seem to be wincing or complaining or bitter or you don’t have a leg to stand on in England. We are taught to appreciate what we have and shut up. No gloating and no regurgitating your successes…I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but maybe that’s because I’m English.”

Maybe being English also makes him more reflective on how he and Stefani protect their children from the media spotlight and keep their private lives private. It’s not an easy task considering that paparazzi constantly stake out the family’s homes and have been known to comment extensively on the family’s behavior, especially that of the couple’s sons.

“Our whole life is up for grabs. We have an unusual situation, in that, we have a longstanding connection and relationship that is really strong and budding and fruitful,” he said. “That immediately is something strange because there’s no falling out the doors of nightclubs with different dancers.”

The real concern he and Stefani share is that, failing to find interesting news in the couple’s relationship, they tend to turn the spotlight toward the children.

“We are worried on the impact this will have on them when they are 12, 13, 14,” he said. “Kingston got very aggressive toward [the paparazzi] because they are grown men chasing him with cameras. The TMZ guys were all in their office (on a televised chat) and saying he is mean. All these adults, gathered around discussing a 4-year-old… I wanted to ask, ‘If photographers were chasing your kids around, would you want them to be passive little soldiers?’

“We see these guys every day, though, and they’re usually a respectful bunch that trails us around. We don’t have a Sean Penn relationship with them. What am I going to do? Say, ‘Fuck off?’ I don’t want my kids to see me being aggressive or upset. I want them to know you should just be cool with everyone. Besides, I find it taxing to be aggressive. It ruins my day.”

Rossdale would rather concentrate on those that will hear The Sea of Memories and what he hopes they’ll pick up in the music. After all, now that the songs are back under the Bush moniker, there will likely be a new legion of fans discovering the group’s sound.

“To be a singer and professional musician, there is a huge element of neediness. We are clearly needy, we are putting it out there and no matter who you are, you want people to say, ‘This is really good,’” he confessed. “My main thing I would love is if someone new comes around who never heard of our band, because they’re 12 or 15. And you say, ‘What do you think of it?’ and they fall in love with the record and the band. That is amazing to me. That is perfection. Then, if someone comes around and says, ‘I thought this band was dead’ and they hear [the new record] and they’re not disappointed, that’s magic. And if it leads [either person] back to the catalog, that is amazing, too. Basically, you’re asking me, ‘Would you like some cheesecake?’ and I say, ‘Yes, I want all of it!’”

Source: YRB magazine

Photo from twitter

CT3GUITAR Chris Traynor

"Bush came back with one of the best singles of it's career." pic.twitter.com/CMQnUtxs

Breaking Bread With Gavin Rossdale

Bush is back. On the eve of the legendary alt-rockers' first album in 10 years, The Sea of Memories, the one and only Gavin Rossdale let us style and photograph him; and chatted with us about the record, touring, crispy bread and childrens-book-writing aspirations.

Tell me about your new album Sea of Memories. Where'd the title come from?

The title comes from our history both past and present, and how it really defines us. We are all in our own little boats sailing around just crashing into each other.

What are a few of your fondest recent memories?

Coming home from a recent trip and two little boys, five and three, rushing into my arms; the perfect fried breakfast in London's West End; and waiting backstage behind the curtain with the crowd shouting, "BUSH, BUSH, BUSH!" Bush is short and really packs a punch. When I was doing my solo project it just wasn't the same, it's really about doing the right thing at the right time.

What's your earliest memory?

Ahh. The smell of bread in Portugal. I was walking around with my mum and the smell just filled the air. Till this day I'm partial to crispy good bread.

Where can you find crispy good bread in L.A.?

The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills does it, and L.A. Bakery near our old house in Los Feliz has the best cheese danish with that amazing crunch factor. You can really tell a good restaurant from the bread they set on the table.

Since you're sipping hot tea now, who are three people you'd like to have over for a cup?

Francis Bacon, though I'd give him wine not tea. He's one of my favorite painters. PJ Harvey, she's just pure class and Dinos Chapman of the Chapman Brothers. I know him personally and he would just loosen us all up.

You are getting ready to go on a nationwide tour with this album. Do you have a place you're really looking forward to playing?

I always love the major cities. Not to go back to food, but they have the best restaurants. I mean if I'm in New York they have all the amenities and when I'm in Syracuse it's a little more limited. Though I have to say the smaller towns have crowds that are feverish and so appreciative. I just try to always be joyful and find joy in everything everywhere.

Besides the tour, do you have any traveling plans coming up?

The irony of my life is before, I had no money, but all the time in the world. Now that I have some money, the time is gone. We live between London and L.A. so we spend most of our time in those two places. The last place we went was a small town in the South of France called Antibes. I just loved walking in the old streets with the ambiance and all the energy. I'd love to go back there.

Who are a few of your favorite designers?

I like Nice Collective, Comme des Garcons and I enjoy Rick Owens. Right now I'm wearing what use to be an All Saints shirt before I cut it, a pair of Adriano Goldschmied jeans that they sewed my name into because I'm such a fan and a pair of Undercover boots.

Since you have kids and you love to write, would you ever write children's books?

Actually I'd love to; I read so many at night to the boys. You know it's only about five lines and the majority of it is art. I think i could do that.

Photographed and styled by J. Everette Perry

Source: Papermag.com

Gavin Rossdale: “I Married Up!”

Gavin Rossdale is consistently one of the funniest and most open guys in rock. And here's the proof: I recently sat down with the Bush frontman, 45, to talk about reuniting with the '90s band after 10 years (their latest disc, Sea Of Memories, is out now), plus his uber-cool wife Gwen Stefani, 41, and their equally with-it tots Kingston, 5, and Zuma, 3.

US: What's it like being back with Bush?

GR: It's just fantastic. I'm finally back in the ring with both hands untied, and I'm back with the frosting on my cake. The cool of my beer is back.

US: What led to the decision to reunite?

GR: I've been waiting so patiently for this perfect reunion and I tried to do a solo record and it didn't work... I felt like I'd waited long enough, sort of the grace period for the reunion had expired. I just decided to just go for it and I thought that if I really wanted to have as much fun as possible making music I should do it under Bush rather than anything else.

US: How did you guys decide what direction to go in with the sound?

GR: I had to make it so that you could play that record to somebody who'd never heard Bush before, and they could legitimately fall in love with a band. That was the intent. It is also mindful of how we got there and how it was and what people expect from Bush... You should do one foot in the history of Bush and one foot forward, and that way we remain current and vital to ourselves.

US: Was it hard for the band to pick back up and make music?

GR: No, the reason for the hiatus was just the fact that one guy didn't wanna tour, and that puts a kink in your armor. How can you be a rock band and not tour?

US: How have you been able to balance show business with your family life?

GR: I just accept that those are the sacrifices you make and it's inevitable that anyone who has kids makes sacrifices… And my kids get the benefit of me working at home at the studio... Nothing's perfect and everything has its price. But I think that I will want to instill the value in them of applying yourself and the value of sacrifice, and what it takes.

US: How do you juggle brutal tour schedules with Gwen?

GR: We muddle our way through it. It's just about the communication and also just the space. The one thing that's always been so good for us is to understand each other's timetables and commitments and responsibilities. She's in a huge, high-powered, creative set-up with her band and she's making a great record, and I can confirm it's great. But that takes time and effort, and no one wants to leave their kids for work.. Too much in this world is, people assume that things come naturally, when I think it's an essential life lesson to learn that it takes trying, try again, try again, it takes reworking it, it takes a lot of effort, it's not just a life of dilettante.

US: How do you guys also make time for each other?

GR: I'm so lucky. You just try and give people enough space… It's a mystery to me and all the friends I grew up with -- they look at me and laugh. They say, "You're the last person we thought was gonna be in this situation!' But what can I tell you is I married up.

US: How are your kids?

GR: Kingston's been on tour with me, so he's been out this whole month with me, so that's been amazing and very grounding. I never ever thought about being a musician and having my kids on the stage and I never anticipated what a thrill that is

US: Will Kingston and Zuma follow in your footsteps?

GR: I think that they both have a lot of passion for music and playing and drums and loud noises. Kingston gets bored at shows. He's seen enough, but he likes the big ones. I mean any parent would dig the idea of their kids seeing them when they go to work.

US: Do they take after you or Gwen?

GR: You want them to take after you when they do things well. When they do anything bad you wanna blame the other genes, but really they're so phenomenally their own people. That's almost the most incredible part of it, that you can see elements of both of us in both of them... I'm happy to say they're got really good, funny characters and they're polite.

US: How duo you feel about being a sex symbol? What does Gwen think about this?

GR: Obviously it's completely flattering. It's just a statement that you have made, but for me to have any comment over that is just really precarious. It's a compliment, thank you. I don't know what to say, it's very hard to comment and not sound like an idiot.

Source: US Weekly