Nearly 40 years since they first staked their claim on the Sunset Strip, LA Guns are still grinding — not coasting. Instead of leaning on legacy, guitarist Tracii Guns and frontman Phil Lewis are pushing forward with fire. Their latest album, “Leopard Skin” (out April 4, 2025 via Cleopatra Records), is proof. It’s their fifth studio effort since 2017 — a swaggering, genre-blurring blast of classic rock soul, swampy grooves, and glam-soaked attitude that shows a band still hungry to evolve.
The record reunites the powerhouse lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson, and studio drummer Adam Hamilton — and the results are some of their most daring to date. From the raw slide riffage of “The Grinder” to the loose bluesy chaos of “Runaway Train” and the glammy stomp of “Taste It,” “Leopard Skin” is unmistakably L.A. Guns, but with a fresh twist. For Tracii, it also meant stepping outside his comfort zone — dialing back the shred in favor of space, soul, and feel — all while leaning into the creative chemistry that’s defined his decades-long partnership with Phil Lewis.
In this exclusive interview, Tracii takes us inside the creative process behind the album, the evolving dynamics of the band, and how LA Guns continues to carve its own path in 2025 and beyond.
It’s never easy to make a living in the music industry. What does it take to keep a band like LA Guns moving forward in this day and age?
It really takes the support of fans. It takes a lot of people supporting you to justify booking tours, making records, and everything that goes along with it. Without the support from people who love the band, we couldn’t do it on this scale. With that said, I feel that we really have a responsibility to the people who support us and make sure we’re not lazy and that when we make records, they’re the best that we can do at the time. And so far so good. It’s been working for a long time!
The flip side of that coin is the creative side of things. What are the keys to longevity in keeping yourself creative and motivated?
Really, it’s the challenge of coming up with new stuff all the time, trying not to repeat myself, and trying not to have the band repeat itself, which is difficult. Writing songs with Phil [Lewis] for so long, I always feel this danger of, “Well, let’s just write ‘Never Enough’ again.” [laughs] It’s that type of thing, and it would be so easy to do. A lot of fans would probably love that, saying, “Oh yeah, this reminds me of ‘Never Enough.’ However, as an artist, I’d find it very embarrassing to try to make the “Mona Lisa Part II.” [laughs] So, the motivation is the challenge, the challenge is the hobby, and the hobby part of it is the most exciting part, you know?! It’s putting the pieces of these musical puzzles together and then going out live. They’re two completely different things for me. When we’re making a record, it really is having all the tools available and picking and choosing stuff to do. And live, it’s just balls out all the time! It’s like, “Hey, these all go to 10. These pedals go to 10! Turn up the P.A., and let’s go!” So, for this band, they’re two very different mentalities, and it keeps it fresh for us.
It’s crazy that it’s been nearly a decade since you and Phil reunited for “The Missing Peace.” Since then, it’s been full steam ahead.
Yeah, it’s mind-blowing how time flies!
Despite it all, you have managed to maintain a strong creative partnership. Any keys to success there that you can share?
Yeah, we don’t work in the same room anymore! [laughs] Phil and I have always been successful in that I write the bulk of the music, and then he takes over and does vocals, lyrics, and melodies. I have my partners, and he has his partners. Then, when it comes out, it’s this very magical thing. It’s a process where he gets excited first because he gets the music, and I get excited last when I get the vocals. Then it’s like, “Yes! Touchdown, touchdown, touchdown!” and that’s the success of the band. We love what we do! We listen to it, love it, and are proud of it.
The results speak for themselves. What do you bring out of each other creatively, and has that dynamic changed through the years?
In the beginning, we used to be terrified of each other! [laughs] We didn’t grow up with each other. We didn’t meet until I was around 21 years old, and I don’t know how old Phil is, but we met later in life, in our 20s. We had a lot of musical respect for each other, but it takes a long time to get to know somebody, right? At this point, the motivation is to push each other. I know what Phil’s gonna dig, and, most importantly, it isn’t the same thing I wrote last year. It’s gotta be something else. Phil says he’s never felt more obligated to push himself further and further with anybody he’s ever written with. That’s because I hand over pieces of music that are intimidating at first listen. It’s like, “What the hell am I going to do this kind of thing?” [laughs[ But it all gets it done! And again, that’s really the hobbyist in both of us — accepting the challenge, having the skills, and having the tools. That’s the success of any art project or hobby project. We try to remove ourselves from the music business mentality of writing singles and toiling over what our fans will like. It’s not about that. The fans have proven they’re open-minded and ready for anything we throw at them. That leads up to this record, ‘Leopard Skin,’ which is a big departure from what we’ve done on the last four records.
That’s what I’ve always loved about LA Guns. Every record has a personality; you don’t have to repeat yourself. As a music fan, you can’t really ask for more!
Thank you! That’s how I look at it, too, especially with the music I grew up on. Look at an artist like Elvis Presley; every song is different. It’s the same with the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. They weren’t uni-sound, they were Omni-sound. One of the morals of LA Guns is to be omni-sound and diverse within a rock ‘n’ roll format because rock ‘n’ roll is vast! It’s not one thing. We really appreciate our elders and the people who came before us, and that’s the encyclopedia we draw from!
I’ve heard you say through the years that you’re always looking to the future regarding your career and the music you create. Can you tell us about your vision for this new album? What was your headspace as you got into that creative process?
That’s a good keyword – headspace. Every time you go to create something, you’re in a particular headspace. So, when I hear somebody make a mundane record, they must have felt mundane that month! [laughs] I was in a happy headspace on this record. I was very upbeat and having a good time. We were on tour when we got the deadline to make the record, and we were flying high. So, I came off the road and was listening to a lot of, you know, that early 70s kind of great classic rock and R&B. It was stuff from my collection and stuff that I’ve always listened to. If I’m in a dark mood, I tend to lean into the more Ozzy Osbourne side of rock ‘n’ roll, which is great. It’s a great mood, and I’m probably more skilled in that field of metal than anything else, but my love for rock and roll is undeniable!
It’s funny because many people from the outside are going to look at this record and say, “Oh, they simplified things.” Honestly, this is one of the most complicated musical projects I’ve ever put together! We get to the point, it feels good, and it swings like a motherfucker, but it was not easy! The hard part is really trying to make it your own and putting your own stamp on it. I intentionally said, “I’m not going to shred over everything.” That’s really stepping outside my zone because that’s kind of what I’m known for, being the shreddy guy. I really wanted to make a statement for myself, as far as a guitar player, that I could write melodic solos and be careful with the guitar sounds from song to song. I’ve done that before, but not so much in LA Guns. Most of the time, LA Guns just hit you over the head and then follow with a gentle ballad, you know? [laughs] I mean, that’s been kind of the formula, it seems, over most of our career. The opportunity to get inside the classic rock toolbox and only draw from there was definitely a challenge!
You mentioned that not working in the same room is a big help. Tell us a little bit about the songwriting process and building an album today. How has it evolved for you?
In 2011-2012, I did my first kind of solo album kind of things. I had a band, Tracii Guns’ League of Gentlemen, that I engineered and produced. I did all that stuff myself, and since that time, it’s been more of a secluded thing for me where it’s just easier. Not only is it easier, but it’s more productive. I find that I can flesh out ideas much more quickly and get my part of the deal done, especially with Adam Hamilton. He’s the guy that plays drums on all the records for the past four or five years. Together, we have such an understanding of the music that we love. That dialog is really important when we write together because he makes many valid points. His comments are usually like, “Hey, you know, can you leave me some space here? Can you leave air here?” or “Don’t beat the riff 16 times. Beat it eight times, and let me do four bars there.” It’s stuff like that, Just little things that dynamically make a song hit a little harder, especially when we’re dealing with stuff that’s not metal. You still want it to hit hard, right? So, there has to be a launching pad into the more intense part of the music. That’s where Adam and I really come together, and he’s forever teaching me stuff about that!
What speaks to you about producing in this day and age?
Well, again, that brings me back to that word “hobby.” I’ve always taken an interest in mechanical things, and that’s really the person I am. I mean, I love building hot rods, mini bikes and go-karts, guitar rigs, and soldering, and all that stuff. So, when it comes to engineering, that’s a whole beast unto itself, and there are a lot of mechanical components working together to produce a sound. It’s something that has always been in my DNA. When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to work with the greatest producers in the world, everybody from Eddie Kramer to Rick Rubin to George Drakoulias to Michael James Jackson and Andy Johns. I mean, these guys are the best of the best, you know?
I learned so much from them. Rick Rubin’s method is like, “Find a great band or artist and leave them alone.” Just put microphones in front of them, right? That’s really smart. You get involved with an artist because you like them and their material. Rick would say, “Simplify that part. It doesn’t need to be that complicated.” Or, if it was getting mundane, he’d say, “complicate that part.” I mean, that’s the scope of where you’re at. Then, with the older guys like Eddie Kramer and Andy Johns, they’re musical. They’re more musical producers where they could come up with a little melody for the music with their mouths. They could sing a guitar part, like, “Hey, what if this happened here?” you’d try it and go, “Wow, I’ll be damned, there it is.” You know what I mean? The other thing is that Eddie and Andy were amazing engineers. They came from the time of four tracks and made amazing, crazy-sounding recordings with that alone. Andy Johns was also known for using compression and stuff like that.
You remember all these little details from working with these guys, put it into practice, using those techniques, and going from record to record! That’s the one thing I’m really proud of on this record. Since we stripped back the really heavy guitars. By doing that, we can let all the instruments breathe more, so there’s more clarity, and they actually hit a lot harder. The production side of things is a lot like being the builder, and it’s really satisfying.
Are there specific aspects of producing you’ve fallen more in love with through the years?
Yeah, I think what I love is that it’s always an experiment. Every track you record is an experiment, you know? And that goes especially with drums. Working with Adam, the drums have certainly done different things on the last six records I’ve done with him, where we’re able to define that sound. When we define a sound for a record, that’s what the rest of the music gets written to. So, for a lot of records that I might want to produce, I would go for a different drum sound on almost every song. Let’s say there’s a goth, 50s-sounding kind of thing. Well, the same snare drum is not going to work on every song, but with LA Guns, there are certain things that we like to keep constant. One of those is Phil’s voice. As long as Phil’s singing and he sounds like Phil, that’s LA Guns! That goes along with the kick drum and snare drum, which we keep consistent on the record. So, I’m writing around those sounds. It’s all subliminal psychology, but it’s the glue that holds the diverse styles together.
For the songs on ‘Leopard Skin,” which came easiest and which were the hardest to nail down?
“Runaway Train,” by far, was the most difficult thing to track and put together an arrangement. It came about when I was watching “Reacher,” which is a show about a vigilante cop-style guy who’s really into the blues. There’s this Blind Blake song that recurs on the show all the time. I remembered Blind Blake and the tuning is really special. So, I went on YouTube, and I relearned the tuning. I just played acoustic with the weird open tuning for a couple of weeks. I came up with the arrangement for “Runaway Train,” but then tracking? It was a nightmare! I say that because it can’t sound slick. It has to be loose, and it has to sound like a guy playing this weird guitar. Then I had to double it and then play a solo! So, everything was done in one take, all three guitar tracks. With that said, it took me 100 tries to get the one take! [laughs] Each one of those things was very difficult, and of course, those are the ones people are going to say, “Oh, that’s an easy acoustic song.” It’s like, “Okay, sure!” [laughs]
The easy stuff was a song like “The Grinder, which is my favorite song on “Leopard Skin.” And maybe that’s because it was the easiest to track. It was interesting because it started out just really heavy guitars, and then I had a slide guitar overdub on the whole thing. I was like, “Wow! That sounds really cool. Let me pull all these heavy guitars out, and I replaced all the heavy guitars with slide guitars.” And then I was like, “Yeah, that’s different. That sounds just as heavy, but it’s got way more of a nasty stripper vibe to it!” It really does sound like a really low-down strip bar! You know the type —three eyeballs, lots of bruises, and lots of drunk guys from the 50s or 60s just kind of lying around. [laughs] So it’s just the vibe of that song that was easy. It was really easy to create that thing, and then Phil came in with those lyrics, man! The way he’s singing is so brutal, so strong, it just blew my mind. I absolutely love that song.
LA Guns never misses the mark when it comes to album artwork. The cover of “Leopard Skin” really pops. Tell us a little about how this one came about?
It’s good, right?! I think it started with Ken at the label, you know. I threw the idea at him, like, “Hey, we want to call the album Leopard Skin, but let’s not make a leopard skin album cover, but let’s incorporate it in a way and make it sexy because The music is sexy! And I’m well aware that we’re all guys that are past middle age, and it’s cringeworthy to have guys past middle age trying to be sexy! [laughs] But LA Guns is a sexy band! So, from there, we did some mock-ups, tried some AI things, and all kinds of ideas. Finally, Ken came up with something that was similar to what you see on the cover. We sent it to Phil’s wife, Kahla Lewis, who is an incredible artist. She took it from there and painted the image by hand. She paints all our albums by hand, so this is her hand painting of the original idea.
That’s incredible! I’m a huge fan of Kahla’s work. To be honest, I didn’t realize she had done the cover art on this one as well. I say that because, at first glance, you’d think it’s a photo. It’s definitely a looker!
Yeah, it’s solid! You know, we just wanted to do something that was kind of reminiscent of an early Aerosmith, New York Dolls, Rolling Stones kind of feeling. We wanted to recapture that kind of feeling you’d get when you walk into a record store and see something like this. It’s not like there are a bunch of bombs exploding or hell coming from the sky to draw your attention. It’s eye-catching. It’s like, “Oh, what’s that?!” You know, it’s kind of like “Sticky Fingers” by The Stones.
As a guy who is always creating, I imagine you’ve got quite an archive of unfinished work?
Yeah! There’s a lot of stuff in there that is halfway finished. I’ll start something, I’ll lose the vibe, and I’ll kind of put it away, you know? Typically, I rarely go back and look at that stuff. Occasionally, I might be looking through a folder on a computer, and I’ll come across something and be like, “Oh, shit. What’s this?” Actually, that’s where “Speed,” the first single we put out when we got back together, came from. It was something I had written in 2008, so it was already 10 years old before the time we got to it. That folder was titled “Bad 80s riff.” I was like, “How bad could it be?” [laughs] So I went in and gave it a listen., Then I was like, “Fuck, yeah! it’s so 80s!” I’m sure that’s why I made the comment in the folder, but it was perfect for us to get back together and put out a new LA Guns song!
I have a lot of more organic garage rock stuff that’s kind of put away because I’ll write tunes for other artists and let them choose what they want. When I do that, an artist will only end up using one or none. I will have written three or four songs and recorded pretty good demos, so there’s a lot of that stuff hiding out.
Since you’re always looking to the future, I was curious if you’ve been eyeing the rapidly approaching the 40th anniversary of the band. I mean, what LA Guns in their right mind wouldn’t love an LA Guns 40th anniversary coffee table book?
Or a coffee table! [laughs]
No matter what it is, I know many of us fans would eat it up!
To be honest, I haven’t put any thought into it yet. It keeps coming up, though, with our label and our management. They’re very aware of that 40th-anniversary mark. So we’ll see, you know? It might be a big nothing burger, or maybe we’ll do something really cool. It’s hard to say. When you’re so close to something like this, sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint things and go, “Oh, man, this would be so cool because of this reason or that reason.” We’re all aware of it, but we’re just focused on the here and now.
Either way, you guys have left your mark on rock ‘n’ roll. How has rock and roll left its mark on you the most?
Well, I mean, I’m still the type of guy who is listening to records up to 1978! [laughs] Well, maybe a little bit past that.
Hey, there’s no shame in that, and like you said, you’re drawing inspiration from it.
That’s the thing! That music, all the way up to Pantera, has so much unique stuff. That goes for the music, the recordings, and the way songs were sung and written. The stuff past that isn’t bad, but it did start getting more homogenized and more focused on the chorus and the beat. For example, it’s hard for me to get into newer stuff.
My favorite newer band, which they’re probably 25 years old at this point, is a band called JAVA SKULL. They’re a Danish band. It’s two guys, and they’re just wild! They have great rock riffs, and Marco, the singer/guitar player, has this early Jimmy Page sound with a fuzz pedal and writes these really cool riffs. The drummer plays a cocktail kit, and if someone doesn’t know what a cocktail kit is, I’ll explain. It’s a one-piece drum set where there’s a bass drum pedal under this like Bongo-looking drum, and there’s a skin down there that’s the kick, and then the snare is on top. Then you have a cymbal. He does all this crazy stuff on the cocktail kit, and Marco’s playing the guitar and singing sorta like Elvis, but very powerful. To me, that’s really interesting because it’s their song formats that we’re all used to, and it’s like, “What a great song,” but the music’s really timeless sounding and high energy. I haven’t found a lot of that, in a unique way, in a long time.
It was weird because when I met my ex-wife, who is an audio archivist, she had a collection of music starting in the late 20s through the late 50s and early 60s. Most of it, nobody’s ever heard of it. So we spent so much time listening to these great vintage music recordings —all styles! That was a huge education for me. You know, it’s just like hearing all this stuff that could have been on the radio or huge. It could have been a lot of things, but that’s the case with most music; it kind of never gets hit. It just kind of lingers where it’s written. That education led me to realize the depth and urgency of recording songs, starting in hotel rooms with wire recorders and a guy playing an acoustic guitar, all the way through the multi-track heaven of the 70s. People pushed that stuff to the limits. They didn’t simplify, they complicated, and people aren’t complicating anymore, you know? They just have this kind of “Why bother?” mentality. It’s like, “Please bother. Do it, spend the time, and be creative!”
What’s the best lesson we can take from your journey so far?
The best lesson I’ve learned that you could take from this is if you believe in your opinions musically and in your business, don’t fight other people with different opinions. You know what I mean. Let them say their peace, consider it, and don’t do it. If you believe in yourself, believe in yourself and stick to it! Do what you think is best for yourself, especially if you’re the leader of a band! You know that the other guys could all be leaders of their bands, but then you think, “Well, what’s the most important thing to them? And what’s the most important thing to you?” The most important thing to me has always been longevity. You know, it’s never been a short-sighted thing. I’ve never wanted to do something musically to gain attention. Now, yeah, I wanted to create something that’ll allow me to create music later, you know, and to continue to do it. It’s good to believe in what you believe in, to keep an open mind, and to accept advice from people, and not just shut it down. Just keep your mouth shut, listen, and then find the value or no value in whatever somebody else is telling you to do. I spent years, stressful years, battling with people yelling and screaming and telling people to get fucked. And those people that I fought with? They’re nowhere. So, if I had kept my mouth shut, I would have had the same results, right? So, it’s not worth the energy to argue, fight, and keep a closed mind. It’s better to be quiet, keep an open mind, and move forward.
I think we can all learn a lot from that in this day and age. Thanks for your time and all the hard work you’ve put in through the years. It’s been one hell of a ride!
Awesome, man. Thank you and take care. I’ll see you soon, bro!
LA Guns will unleash “Leopard Skin” on April 4th, 2025, via Cleopatra Records. Pre-orders for the album are available now on all digital outlets here, and CD/vinyl pre-orders available here. Most importantly, check the tour dates below to experience LA Guns live on their 2025 “Lucky MF’R Tour.”
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