In an exclusive People Magazine interview, Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan open up about his family life and reveals that his wife, Susan Holmes, is the inspiration behind his new solo album, Lighthouse. Following is an excerpt from the story.
McKagan: "Lighthouse, at its core, is a love song to my wife. She's been a beacon of hope. Through COVID we started hearing about 20-year marriages, 25-year marriages ending. We were like, 'What is that even about?' But I guess we hang out together more than maybe the average married couple. During COVID it was like, 'Wow, we're going through another historical moment together.' We've been together 27 years, and we've seen a lot, we've raised kids. She is my lighthouse."
Read the complete story here.
Duff McKagan recently released his third solo album, Lighthouse, available now in a wide range of formats including streaming, download, CD, cassette, and LP. A number of deluxe versions and bundles featuring official Certificates of Authenticity signed by McKagan are also available.
In addition, two webstore exclusive vinyl variants – “Transparent Green & “Black Marble” and “Black Velvet” – of the deluxe packaging are on offer, including three lithographs, a 12-page booklet, a sticker, and a guitar pick, all enclosed in a transparent PVC sleeve allowing interchangeability of the graphics displayed on the album’s cover.
Lighthouse – as well as an exclusive line of brand-new Lighthouse merch – is available now at duffonline.com.
In the new track by track video below, Duff discusses the song "Holy Water":
Lighthouse sees Duff McKagan baring more of his artistic spirit than ever before, fusing acoustic elements with hard-edged rock ‘n’ roll to land at the sweet spot between soul-searching reflection and pure energy.
For more than 40 years, Duff McKagan has been an unstoppable creative force, spanning a multitude of bands, tours, collaborations, and writings. Now, with his long-awaited new solo album, Lighthouse, the veteran musician proves to be, at his heart, a gifted singer-songwriter with a distinctive knack for authenticity and introspection.
In 2019, McKagan opened his own Seattle recording studio, allowing him a long-hoped-for opportunity to “finally explore songs that I may have written the night before or some of those old riffs from years ago. This is a big deal for me.” He spent much of the next two years working with longtime producer/collaborator Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile), chipping away at a series of intensely personal new songs.
Lighthouse now marks the first full-length collection born in McKagan’s studio. Songs like "Hope" (featuring veteran Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and melodic lead guitar from Slash) and the philosophical "I Just Don't Know" (featuring contributions from McKagan’s longtime friend, Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains) see McKagan baring more of his artistic spirit than ever before, fusing acoustic elements with hard-edged rock ‘n’ roll to land at the sweet spot between soul-searching reflection and pure energy. The 11-song collection is further highlighted by an additional take on the title track, "Lighthouse" (Reprise), joined by the one and only Iggy Pop.
Tracklisting:
"Lighthouse"
""Longfeather""
"Holy Water"
"I Saw God On 10th St"
"Fallen"
"Forgiveness"
"Just Another Shakedown"
"Fallen Ones"
"Hope" (Feat. Slash)
"I Just Don’t Know" (Feat. Jerry Cantrell)
"Lighthouse" (Reprise) (Feat. Iggy Pop)
"I Just Don't Know" video:
"Longfeather" video:
"I Saw God On 10th St." visualizer:
"Lighthouse" visualizer:
