Michael Sweet recently spoke with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation. During their conversation, Michael discusses Stryper's new single, "When We Were Kings”, and the possibility of writing new music with the band.
SiriusXM's Trunk Nation, hosted by Eddie Trunk, airs daily at 3 PM, ET on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk. Audio clips and transcription below, courtesy of SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation.
On Stryper's new single "When We Were Kings": "Well, you know, we sit around on the bus late at night often and talk about, reminisce about the past. Like, 'Oh guys, remember when we played with, you know, Bon Jovi at the country club? And remember when we were touring in 1988 and White Lion was opening and all the jokes we pulled on each other.' We reminisce about the past in the best of ways and talk about the glory days when we were kings. So I always thought it would be cool to write a song about that. And that's what that song is, lyrically. Musically, it's just kind of a swing we've never really done that almost has a little bit of a, like an ‘Unskinny Bop' feel to it, which is different for us. And I think it's a really cool song, a cool track, you know, would've, could've, should’ve, if we were back in ‘88 it'd probably be a big hit. You probably hear it on the radio a lot."
On Stryper and writing new music: "I think that the secret with Stryper is, you know, we still love what we do, but more importantly, we still love to record new music. And I think, sadly what happens a lot of times with some bands is you kinda lose that love for recording and creating, because album sales aren't what they used to be. And you know, we don't, we're not in the eighties any longer and it's a tough sell a lot of times in terms of physical copies. And I think it deflates people and takes the wind out of people's sails and they feel it's not worth it or valid. But, you know, I got into this just for the love of music. I didn't ever think about money and I still don't. I just, I write music and wanna record music because I love it. I love to do it. And with that I try, we try as a band and any solo or projects I do, I try to, I look at it as the first impression. Every album's the first impression. So I don't wanna release anything that is not up to par. I want it to surpass the previous album. Whether you accomplish that or not, we certainly try. And if you can, you know, go into it with that mentality, you can keep putting out great music and maybe even surpass the glory days. And that's what we're trying to do."
Stryper will release their new album, When We Were Kings, this Friday, September 13 via Frontiers Music srl. Produced by Michael Sweet, the artwork and tracklisting can be found below.
Tracklisting:
"End Of Days"
"Unforgivable"
"When We Were Kings"
"Betrayed By Love"
"Loves Symphony"
"Trinity"
"Rhyme Of Time"
"Raptured"
"Grateful"
"Divided By Design"
"Imperfect World"
"When We Were Kings" video:
"Loves Symphony" lyric video:
"Grateful" visualizer:
"End Of Days" lyric video:
Stryper will be embarking on their 40th Anniversary tour. Says the band: "Our 40th Anniversary tour is right around the corner! Find the city closest to you and come celebrate with us. During this one-of-a- kind, 2-set show, we will be performing fan favorites spanning 4 decades. VIP packages are also available at each venue."
More info at Stryper.com/tour.
Stryper's 40th Anniversary Tour dates:
September
11 - Greeneville, TN - Niswonger PAC
13 - Uncasville, CT - Wolf Den
14 - Shippensburg, PA - Uprise Fest 2024
15 - Akron, OH - Goodyear Theater
17 - Columbus, OH - TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum
19 - Anderson, IN - Paramount Theatre
20 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
21 - Shipshewana, IN - Blue Gate PAC
23 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
24 - Cedar Park, TX - Haute Spot
25 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
26 - Midland, TX - Wagner Noel PAC
28 - Arlington, TX - Arlington Music Hall
29 - Fort Smith, AR - TempleLive
October
19 - Wichita, KS - TempleLive at Wichita Scottish Rite Center
21 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
25 - Stateline, NV - Harrah's Lake Tahoe - South Shore
26 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
29 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
31 - El Paso, TX - The Plaza Theatre
November
3 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
7 - Patchogue, NY - Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
8 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
9 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater
10 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
13 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
14 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
15 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
16 - North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
Stryper are:
Michael Sweet - Lead Vocals/Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Robert Sweet - Drums & Percussion
Oz Fox - Vocals/Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Perry Richardson - Vocals/Bass
