Joe Perry remains optimistic about the possibility of new Aerosmith music, even as the band gears up to resume their Peace Out farewell tour.
“Right now I’m writing stuff for the new [Hollywood] Vampires record, but that’s a whole other thing,” Perry told Rock Candy magazine. “As for Aerosmith, I don’t know. We’ll see. There’s definitely a possibility, but at the minute we’re looking at the set for the tour and the songs we can play.”
Aerosmith plans to relaunch their Peace Out tour in September, after having to stop last year due to Steven Tyler injuring his vocal cords. The band only managed to complete three shows before the injury forced them to pause the tour.
With 15 studio albums to their name, most recently 2012’s Music From Another Dimension!, Aerosmith has an extensive catalog to choose from. “There are a lot of numbers that we haven’t done in a long time that I’d like to play,” Perry said. “There are a lot of songs we’re considering, but there are certain tunes that people kind of insist on. As far as new music is concerned, I know that Steven’s got some stuff in his back pocket, but I really think the main thing right now is getting back on the road and playing. We’re also remixing some of the early stuff and finding some interesting outtakes, so it’ll be fun to look at that stuff.”
Reflecting on the impact of Tyler’s vocal injury, the pandemic, and his own age (73), Perry emphasizes the importance of savoring each performance. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that things change,” he told Rock Candy. “We had to stop in September of last year when Steven had some vocal issues, so you take every day as it comes. A lot of it is up to the higher power of the God you believe in. But I’m looking forward to getting back out there, and when we stop … we’ll see. I have a feeling we’re going to be playing some places for the last time because there are only so many days and months left. At my age, the calendar gets shorter. But if it’s in your blood there’s nothing else that you want to do.”
Although Perry appreciated the downtime, he is eager to perform again. “Well, it’s been fun getting a few months off, but it’s also been rough,” Perry said. “COVID was a disaster. Not knowing when it was going to end was strange for everybody. But the issue with Steven shows you that freak things can happen. You just don’t know, so that’s why every night that I go on, I play like it’s the last show.”
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