A conversation with Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale

Dynamic, dramatic and moody, the music of the British rock band Bush is cinematic in its scope. The heavy guitars and sometime sonic bombast betray the band’s roots in the 1990s grunge era, but the lyrics are more often than not introspective, even poetic in nature.

It’s this paradox that makes Bush, and especially founding songwriter, lead singer and frontman Gavin Rossdale, unique. Bush is touring behind its 10^th album, I Beat Loneliness, and will perform Wednesday (May 13) at the BayCare Sound amphitheater in Clearwater.

With more than 25 million albums sold, over 1 billion streams and a catalogue of well-loved hits (including “Glycerine,” “Swallowed,” “The Chemicals Between Us” and “The Sound of Winter”) Bush has evolved into a post-grunge legacy act with few peers.

Rossdale’s baritone is unmistakably the group’s keystone instrument.

In some circles, however, Rossdale is best known from for his 13-year marriage to No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani. It was during that period (2002-2015) that the London-born musician made Los Angeles his permanent home.

He talks about life lived squarely in the public eye during this interview with the Catalyst.

Mammoth and James and the Cold Gun open Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. show; find tickets at this link.

St. Pete Catalyst: The album is called I Beat Loneliness, but you’re on the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ tour. It’s named after a track from the album. Why?

Gavin Rossdale: It could be the ‘I Beat Loneliness’ tour, but ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’ just felt like Xanadu.

 ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’ is a melodic song. I’ve heard you talk about how melody is very important to you. In a world of heavy music and guitar riffing, why is melody key to what you consider a successful song?

For me, personally, it provides the magnetism. It provides the magnet. If there’s no melody in a song, it kinda runs through me. Like water in a sieve. Nothing to hold onto. I’ve always liked trying to find that sweet spot between super heavy music and ear candy melodies that work their way into your system. I can’t help it.

System of a Down, ‘Aerials’ is my favorite song of theirs. I think melody is the key to people’s hearts, you know?

I like being melodic, but I’m conscious of being too melodic, that I’m, like, too weak. Showing vulnerability! [laughing] So it’s like constant balance of the right thing.

Plus, I grew up on … my parents had like four records. And what they did have, between Roberta Flack and Queen, it was all melody-based. And so it goes in there. And then I spent years going to school, and being in sort of austere church settings. Which is ironic, as an atheist.

I often think that I mined the hymns for the natural cadences.

Can we talk influences? What was it that motivated you to get into this rock ‘n’ roll racket?

For me, it was probably the threat of getting a job. I was like ‘That sucks. That’s no way to lead your life.’ So I had a better idea, I thought. I can remember facetiously saying to my dad, when I was about 12, ‘Isn’t this weird – this is going to be my job.’ And I’d sit there and write some shitty verse, and some shitty melody. He looked at me like he felt sorry for me. He rolled his eyes like ‘What’ll I f—ing do with this kid?’

Were there specific artists that made you twist and shout?

I just was in awe of music. I grew up – very Malcolm Gladwell of me – there was a record store at the top of my street. I would go in and I’d get into Sex Pistols, and they’d be like ‘Try the Doors.’ It was a wide range of stuff, but the bands I really loved were X-Ray Spex and probably Psychedelic Furs.

The first Psychedelic Furs album, that was the first album I ever bought, and there was something great about it. They were a huge influence. I don’t talk about them enough. I listened to them the other day and I realized, oh my God. I’m still trying to be in the Psychedelic Furs at times, you know?

It was wild, you know, music touching me. It wasn’t Motown or my parents’ sounds.

It wasn’t Roberta Flack.

Yeah! Although ‘Killing Me Softly’ was a staggering song. Unbelievable.

There was a period where your personal life was getting more attention than the music. Are you glad that’s behind you?

It drew a lot of attention, and I understand. What are you gonna do? I didn’t want it to define me, and so I worked enough so that, to an extent, it hasn’t. These unfortunate things happen, these terrible life lessons. And when you’re in this position, you kind of grow up having everyone experience what you’re going through with them.

On that subject, why did they release the video of Justin Timberlake? (Editor’s note: In March, police in Sag Harbor, New York released bodycam footage of Timberlake’s 2024 arrest on suspicion of DUI.)

I can’t believe I watched it. I was like oh, you’re a f—king hypocrite for watching it. I just thought, what a shitty thing to do, take someone literally at a very low point, a really low point … what’s the function of this other than to humiliate someone? Why are they putting that out there? It shouldn’t be public domain.

Are you saying that’s the way you felt at the time – ‘leave us alone, we’re not public property.’

Well, it’d be a bit naïve to think you’re not public attention. You may not be the property of the people, but if you sign a deal to be known for what you do, you’ve got to accept that, that’s what it is.

So no, that would be a bit naïve, to be like ‘I can get away with it! I can do anything I want!’ I mean, I understand that.

Never thought I’d say the words ‘Poor Justin Timberlake,’ but here we are.

That thing where you get people at their lowest, it’s just gross. I like the idea of really intently trying not to be a shitty gossip, just a foul human like that. As man, it feels a weak pastime.

What does the future look like for you, as far as creating and pushing hard?

I’m in the middle of doing that. I’m eight songs into a record. Always just trying to learn more, and be more interesting. And it’s strangely inspiring that I just have to consider Mozart and Radiohead, and I say, I’ve got a lot of ceiling – a lot of headroom to go.

So, just keep doing it, keep trying to find stuff that’s interesting. I’m very inspired by U2, I love them, and their new EP. He (Bono) is singing about Renee Good; it reminds me of that MLK song, [singing] ‘Early morning, April 4 …’ I think it’s noble because he’s just a very conscious man, wonderful man, and they’re a great band.

But I look at it from my own perspective: what do I care about? (On I Beat Loneliness) I was just obsessed with mental health and the pressures that are put on people.

People come up to me all the time, and they do not reference anything outside of the lyrics. And what the lyrics have done for them. It’s the most incredible thing. Because I’m English, so I can’t take myself that seriously.

But it’s really good to know that the work has been there for people, in a way. So I enjoy following through on that.