Veteran hard rock act Great White is actively developing fresh material with their current frontman, Brett Carlisle. In a recent conversation on the “Mind Behind The Music” podcast, hosted by New York-based composer and guitarist John White, founding guitarist Mark Kendall revealed the progress of their upcoming studio efforts. Carlisle officially took over vocal duties in October 2022, stepping in after Andrew Freeman (ex-Last In Line) exited following a brief five-month stint.
Discussing the volume of new songs currently in the works, Kendall explained:
“We have three ready to go, but we have seven on tape. That’s just me and him. The other guys have — Michael Lardie has a bunch of stuff. So when you put it all together, we probably have 16 or 17 songs, maybe. Not all finished, not all totally finished, but I have three ready to go that we played in soundcheck and stuff. Not everything carved in stone yet, but just the basic ideas.”
The guitarist also shed light on the band’s collaborative writing process during tour rehearsals:
“I’ll show them the riff at soundcheck and they just launch in and just start catching on. And you can kind of tell if it’s gonna work or not just by the groove and stuff. I’m speaking through the music. I don’t even have to say, ‘Hey, check out this idea.’ I just start playing, and they all come in.”
Kendall expressed deep satisfaction with the band’s current dynamic and Carlisle‘s integration over the last four years.
He said: “He’s been in the band almost four years. He’s totally awesome, and it’s just a blessing to keep this thing going. Our fans are so damn loyal. It’s just incredible. Everywhere we go, there’s tons of fans in front of the stage, so we’re really having a good time.”
When the host pointed out the noticeable age gap between the nearly 30-year-old singer and the rest of the veteran lineup, Kendall agreed that the youthful energy has been a massive asset, while noting the singer still fits the group’s classic aesthetic perfectly.
“Oh, yeah. Not to mention, he’s kind of an old soul in a way. It’s kind of a trip. It’s like he fits in — the way he looks and the way he sings, he fits in so good. I mean, even in photo shoots, it doesn’t look that weird or anything. It’s not like he’s standing with Crosby, Stills & Nash or something, or The Rolling Stones or something like that. So it’s kind of a trip in how well he fits for being such a young man. He just barely pushes 30. So, it’s awesome. And he sings the songs perfect… So, in that regard, it’s good for the band, ’cause they go see the show and they’re going, ‘This is what I heard on the radio all my life.’ So, it works in that regard. But we’re making new music in the studio, and he just sounds totally amazing on our new stuff, so we’re real excited to have him in the band… We finally have a singer, after all these years, that’s absolutely great. We’re not just settling. The dude’s bada**, so that makes it really fun,” he explained.
Despite the lineup change, the guitarist assured fans that the group’s signature sound remains intact:
“We just write the best songs we can, and the best ones make the record. That’s the way we’ve always been. Nothing has changed. He’s an ’80s rocker to his core, and all the little cover bands he’s been in playing our type stuff, so he’s all about it, man.”
Kendall highlighted the frontman’s strong stage presence and ability to organically connect with the audience during live shows.
“He has killer energy. He’s not scripted. In other words, in between the songs, he knows how to get the crowd going. He’s very natural with that. And he really digs the fans. Nothing overwhelms the guy. He’s just in the moment, and he’s respectful. He’s happy with his position in the band. Yeah, he has a lot of energy on stage, and he sings perfect every night. He loves all the ’80s stuff, and he’s really talented, man. Like, when I play him new stuff, he launches right in and starts… He hears it, you know? So he’s really good in that way. Live, he’s just all over the place on stage. He just rocks. [He’s] just a good guy to be around,” he concluded.
