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Erik Turner (Warrant) Interview

© Chad Bowar

What's the current lineup of Warrant?

We have myself, Jerry and Jani, the 3 Musketeers, the 3 original guys. We have Billy Morris on guitar. He's been with us for about 3 years now. We have a new drummer, Kevan Phares, and we have a keyboardist that's just going to be doing the summer tour.

You recently played some dates as the guitarist for Suki Jones. How did you hook up with those guys?

I've been friends with Robby (Crane), the bass player, for like 20 years. Jizzy Pearl is the singer for Ratt now, and we've done a couple tours with them. Keri Kelli played in Warrant for about six months and wrote a bunch of songs with Jani. I hadn't seen Steven Adler in a long time, but we would hang out in bars and shoot the crap. It was nice to see him.

They called me up and said they were doing five shows the next week. Here's the setlist, there's no rehearsal, learn the songs. It was a lot of fun, and I might do some more shows with those guys when the Warrant tour ends in September.

You've branched out from music into art and web design, right?

The artist part, we use that word lightly. I like to paint. It's a hobby that pays for itself. I'm always flattered when somebody wants me to do a painting for their house or buy one that I've already painted. I also enjoy doing some freelance web design. I just do it out of my house. It helps pay for my green fees. I'm a golf addict.

Do you have plans for another Warrant studio album?

Not at this time. We always talk about it, so hopefully we'll stop talking about it and actually do it. Maybe after this tour if everybody can get on the same page. After the tours we scatter, and only see each other on the occasional weekend run. Hopefully we'll make it a priority after this tour and go in and do some recording.

You did a solo album in '98. Do you have plans to do another?

If I ever find the right situation. I've actually been writing some music with a couple of different people, and the music we're writing is really different, so we'll see where it goes. Right now I have no plans on doing a solo record.

Will Warrant release a concert or other DVD?

Yes, if we'd get off our lazy butts. I'm moving into a new house, so I'm packing everything, and I've found tons and tons of VHS if we ever want to do something like that. Jerry and I were talking about getting a camera and taking it with us on the road and getting some other footage, on the bus and traveling and on the golf course.