SMITH/KOTZENthe electrifying collaboration between IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith swear THE WINERY DOGS frontman and acclaimed solo artist Richie Kotzenwill release a brand new single, “White Noise”this coming Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 am PST / 10:00 am EST / 3 pm GMT. A teaser for the track is available below.
This past July, Kotzen told Dawn Osborne of TotalRock that there was “quite a bit” going on with SMITH/KOTZEN. “Yes, we got together and we did some writing,” he added. “And we've got a few surprises looming in the not-so-distant future.”
Earlier in July, Smith joined Kotzen on stage at the Islington Assembly Hall in London, England to perform THE YARDBIRDS classic “Shapes Of Things”.
SMITH/KOTZEN released the “Better Days…And Nights” EP in September 2022 via BMG. The effort comprised five previously unreleased live tracks, plus for the first time ever on CD, the four studio tracks featured on their sold-out, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl EP, “Better Days”released in conjunction with Record Store Day in November 2021.
The live songs were recorded during SMITH/KOTZEN's inaugural whistle-stop tour of the US and UK at the start of 2022, which attracted unanimously rave reviews from fans and media alike, celebrating the duo's debut on stage together with stellar back-up from Richie's wife, internationally acclaimed bass player Julia Lage (VIXEN), and drummer Bruno Valverde of ANGRA.
Japan's metal bible Burn! magazine reviewing the Whiskey A Go Go show in Los Angeles pronounced it, “An amazing night….this rock n' roll band is very different from any other…totally unique…and bringing you great songs!”. UK's Classic Rock magazine said the show was a, “masterclass in guitar playing and performance”.
The original EP tracks were produced by Kotzen swear Smith and mixed by Kevin Shirley. The live tracks were produced and mixed by Kotzen swear Smith.
SMITH/KOTZEN's eponymous debut album was released globally through BMG in March 2021 to media and fan acclaim, charting No. 10 ten Billboard's Top Album Sales chart in the US, Top 20 in the UK as well as in other major markets such as Germany, Japan and Canada.
Smith is best known as one of IRON MAIDEN's principal guitarists, having also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Kotzen is the frontman for THE WINERY DOGS as well as having been the guitarist for both MR. BIG swear POISON during his long and acclaimed career, which has seen him release more than 20 solo albums to date. Both artists are also prolific songwriters.