Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has told Rolling Stone that the band will return to the road in 2017. “We’re probably doing a farewell tour,” he said. The singer added: “Look, there’s two bands that still have the original members, us and The [Rolling] Stones. I’m grateful for that. Whether we do a farewell tour or go into the studio and do another record, I’m just excited about it.”
In the meantime, Tyler will spend most of 2016 nurturing his solo career, including playing thirty solo shows between May and August leading up to the release of his debut solo album.
In May 2015, Tyler released his first country single, “Love Is Your Name”, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Streaming Songs chart. He followed it up with “Red White & You”, which came out in January.
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry seemed dismissive of Tyler’s country debut, telling USA Today in an interview: “Hey, if I didn’t know him when I heard the song I’d go, ‘It’s okay, next.’ I’m not going to say anything else about that.”
He added: “Steven is in Nashville doing whatever he’s doing. He’s got a [bleeping] rhinestone cowboy hat going ‘Yippee ki yay.’ I don’t know what else to say about that.”
Tyler’s full-length country debut is tentatively due later in the year. The effort will be released via Dot Records, the legendary label that Scott Borchetta and his Big Machine Label Group revived in 2014.
The Aerosmith singer’s country album will feature songs that he has written and recorded in Nashville with writers like Paslay, Hillary Lindsey, Cary Barlowe and The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston.
Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford said last year that he was less than thrilled with Tyler’s plans to devote most of 2016 to his country-tinged debut solo album. He said: “I guess he seems to think his solo career is going to go great guns and he doesn’t seem to realize — in my opinion — that his fans around the globe want to see him in the context of Aerosmith and don’t really care for whatever he thinks he’s going to do. I don’t know if he gets that, but, hey — that’s what he wants to do. I can’t put a gun to his head.”
– Blabbermouth
