Spokane’s native son talks about latest gig

When Alter Bridge appears Sunday at the Big Easy Concert House, don’t expect to hear any of your favorite Creed songs, because they won’t be getting played. Creed is over. Enter the Alter Bridge era, with Spokane front man and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy singing over lead guitarist Mark Tremonti’s arena-rocking riffs.

But how is the local boy fairing in his new outfit? Kennedy talks about his newfound fame and singing someone else’s lyrics.

7: How do you respond to all the criticism out there saying Alter Bridge is simply Creed with a different singer?

MK: “It’s definitely three-

fourths of the equation. There are elements that are similar musically. But I don’t sound much like (former Creed singer Scott Stapp). I have more of that Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye R&B in my veins.”

7: How are you dealing with all of the attention and fame?

MK: “It’s weird. I see people staring at me, and I’m not sure if it’s because they’ve seen me on TV, or if there is something hanging out of my nose. That’s starting to happen a lot in places like New York and L.A. It’s nice on one hand because it’s new to me.”

7: Did the songwriting start from scratch when you joined, or did Tremonti and drummer Scott Phillips have some ideas brewing from jamming together beforehand?

MK: “(Tremonti) is always writing, so he had a bunch of stuff ready to go. Melodically, he has been responsible for the group’s success. That sense of melody is the same.”

7: Since Tremonti wrote the majority of the lyrics, is it weird for you to sing his words, especially on really personal tracks like “In Loving Memory”?

MK: “I have to try to live the lyrics and get inside (Tremonti’s) head. That’s a cathartic song about the loss of his mother. I lost my father at a young age. You never get over that. I tried to put myself there. It’s like acting in a way.”

7: Does Alter Bridge perform any of Creed’s songs onstage?

MK: “Nope. No Creed.”

7: How is your tinnitus (a constant ringing in the ears common in rock musicians)? For a while there, you talked about giving up rock music for good because of it.

MK: “I think I overreacted or maybe panicked. Music is so in my blood. I sang when I got married. I’m a lot more careful now. It hasn’t gotten worse, but the constant ringing is still there.”

7: Do you miss playing with the guys in Mayfield Four (Kennedy’s original band made of Mead High School graduates)?

MK: “I had great expectations for Mayfield Four. I was sad when it was over, but this is like getting a second chance.”

7: You’ve inspired a lot of Spokane musicians. The kids in (opening act) Mylestone changed the spelling in their band’s name as sort of a tribute to you. Do you have any advice for Spokane musicians who are trying to make it in music?

MK: “It sounds cliché, but be tenacious. Don’t give up. And work hard. You can have an established following in the area, and the Internet and technology have changed things so you can get your music out there without being out there.”