Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan has opened up about his upcoming solo album ‘Lighthouse’, his mental health struggles, and his take on the use of artificial intelligence in songwriting. The musician and songwriter recently revealed he has no plans to let the technology “affect his creativity” in an In Conversation livestream with author Dan Jones.
McKagan drew inspiration from his personal life and long-running interest in history when creating the album, and instead opts to draw from the support of his family. “I’ve got a really good situation at home… having that kind of ease at home and that support has really done wonders for me,” he said. “That tenderness and that passion and that sense of roundedness and love and harmony, allied with that deep sort of punk rock sensibility [has] created this incredible, unique sound on ‘Lighthouse’.”
The bassist joins the growing number of artists who have recently spoken out against the use of AI in songwriting, including Ed Sheeran, John Lydon, and Brian May. Bad Seeds frontman Nick Cave recently described the concept as “a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human”, and said he wanted AI platforms to “fuck off and leave songwriting alone”.
McKagan also shared insight into his battle with panic attacks, and opened up about how he began using songwriting as a way of coping with the attacks. “I got my first panic attack when I was 16 in my mum’s shower getting ready for school,” he explained. “I found this new tool, my acoustic guitar. Man. Fuck. You are the truth-teller and panic attack saver, you know?”
‘Lighthouse’ is set to be released on October 20 and will feature guest appearances from Iggy Pop, Slash, and Jerry Cantrell. Guns N’ Roses are also set to drop a new single titled ‘The General’ on October 27. The track is set to feature as a B-side on a 7-inch vinyl version of their new single ‘Perhaps’.
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