Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators are back! Fifteen years after the birth of their collaboration, the group announces their fifth studio album, Flying Blind, due on February 26, 2027 via Gibson Records. For the occasion, the band reveals the title track, accompanied by a clip filmed at the legendary Viper Room in Los Angeles and directed by John Harvatine IV!
Mostly recorded live at the Studio Barbarosa in Florida with longtime producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, Flying Blind contains twelve tracks. Slash, Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz and Frank Sidoris have chosen to return to a notably spontaneous working method: playing together in the same room and capturing as much energy from their performances as possible. The sessions lasted about a week, with sometimes two songs recorded in the same day.
“It’s a rock and roll album that’s really fun and spontaneous,” explains Slash. “It’s very direct, down-to-earth and raw.“
The title track was conceived almost by chance when Slash proposed a riff during a preproduction session. The song quickly built around that idea, becoming naturally the first single: “I didn’t have anything for this song until the others showed up, then we started a rehearsal evening and played this riff. Everything clicked very quickly,” the guitarist recalls. “”Flying Blind immediately seemed to me to have the melodic sensibility and the catchy chorus necessary to make it a single.
From his side, Myles Kennedy took charge of developing the melody and the lyrics, which speak of the shortcuts people may take in the pursuit of happiness or fulfillment: “I really enjoyed composing the melody for this song,” he says. “The lyrics talk about how people sometimes try to take shortcuts and find the easiest path to happiness or enlightenment.”
The new album thus continues a philosophy that has accompanied the group since its beginnings: gathering in a room, playing and seeing where the music leads them. Some compositions come from demos and fragments imagined by Slash, while others were born directly from the sessions with the other members. “He’s an incredible riff composer,” notes Kennedy. “He also comes up with simple chord progressions that lend themselves very well to melodies. It works, and it’s timeless.”
Crafted between the various projects of the musicians, Flying Blind preserves this organic approach while exploring several facets of the band’s rock. “Good Time Girl” blends talkbox and country influences, “Sweet Kill” asserts a more 80s-flavored energy, while “Here In Babylon” injects punk textures into the riffs. “Rev My Heart,” inspired by the moment Myles Kennedy met his future wife, offers a wild, high-energy rock and roll drive.
The album also marks a significant evolution for Slash with “Looking For A Miracle,” the first track he writes on pedal steel and the first opportunity for the guitarist to record a solo with this instrument. “I love pedal steel. It’s one of those instruments that offers incredibly broad possibilities,” he explains. “So it has become a genuine passion for me.”
Another tradition is maintained with “Living The Dream,” an instrumental that allows Slash to unleash his improvisation. The album closes with “Stem The Flow,” a track devoted to disillusionment with institutions and systems once deemed unshakable.
With Flying Blind, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators continue a journey that began in 2010, when Kennedy contributed to Slash‘s solo album. What began as a one-off collaboration has evolved into a fifteen-year partnership, producing five studio albums and numerous world tours.
“Time has flown by so quickly these 15 years have passed in the blink of an eye,” Kennedy acknowledges. “It happened in a flash. But as they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and we have a lot of fun. Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming.”
After 4, released in 2022, Flying Blind will therefore open a new chapter for the group, still driven by the same desire to play together: “When we started, we had nothing. We weren’t trying to conquer the world. It was just for pure pleasure,” concludes Slash. “As long as there’s electricity, we’ll keep plugging in our amps.”
The band has also unveiled the initial dates of its upcoming world tour, which will accompany the release of Flying Blind. More concerts are expected to be announced soon, perhaps including a date in France?
Artwork and track listing for Flying Blind
1. Avarice And Greed
2. Good Time Girl
3. Thrill Seeker
4. One Of Your Kind
5. Flying Blind
6. Looking For A Miracle
7. Sweet Kill
8. Here In Babylon
9. Living The Dream
10. (Don’t) Thread The Needle
11. Rev My Heart
12. Stem The Flow
