In a recent appearance on the Get On The Bus podcast, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach candidly addressed one of the most persistent questions of his career: the continued estrangement from his former band. Bach, who famously led the heavy metal group from 1987 to 1996, voiced his ongoing sadness regarding their prolonged separation.
For Bach, the logic behind the split remains elusive, especially given the band’s shared musical history. “Well, yeah, the fact that Skid Row is not together doesn’t make any sense,” Bach stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). He highlighted the perplexing reality that, despite their separation, both parties are performing the same classic material: “We’re five guys that are playing the same set, but we’re not together. Well, they don’t have a singer right now, but…” (A reference to Skid Row‘s recent parting ways with vocalist Erik Grönwall in 2024).
The prolific singer further underscored the enigma by pointing to his own collaborative nature within the industry. “I play with everybody,” he explained, citing his involvement with bands like Kings of Chaos alongside Matt Sorum, and Royal Machines with Billy Morrison. “I’m in a band, Kings of Chaos, with Matt Sorum, and I’m in a band called Royal Machines with Billy Morrison, and I play with all kinds of musicians all the time. So it doesn’t make sense that I can’t play with those guys.” He reiterated that the core issue is not musical incompatibility, but rather deeply rooted “business matters.” “But as I said, it’s a business matter and maybe someday the business can get sorted out. That is a regret, that that band broke up. Yeah, that’s a regret,” Bach mused.
However, despite these lingering sentiments of regret, Bach made it clear that his focus is squarely on his vibrant current solo career. He acknowledged a personal discomfort discussing the topic, noting: “I do, but when I read myself talk about this, I kind of cringe ’cause it’s not up to me.” He pointed out Skid Row‘s numerous vocal changes, stating: “Those guys are currently on their eighth or ninth replacement for me.”
While acknowledging “miscommunication” that he may address, Bach‘s priority lies firmly in the present and future. “I am way too focused on what I’m doing in my career to even really even think about that right now, to be honest with you. I’m just not thinking about the old days right now. I’m thinking about the fact that I’ve got a new song on the radio. ‘What Do I Got To Lose?’ is on FM radio across the country. That video is almost two million views in 2024. And in my day, two million views was double platinum. [Laughs] So, I’m not thinking about 1989; I’m not thinking about 1991.”
Bach concluded with a powerful statement on his current artistic fulfillment: “I am overjoyed to hear my voice on the radio in 2024. That is more important to me than thinking about what happened in ’91. I just don’t think about that, really. Not to say that I wouldn’t get the band back together, but I’m just focused like a laser beam on what I’m doing right now. So that’s gonna have to take a back seat, like for real. This is more interesting to me. My album, the way it sounds and the reaction that people are giving it is more exciting and interesting, and creating new music instead of just playing the same old songs over and over. I love having new songs to play, even though I haven’t learned how to play them yet. [Laughs]”
