In a brand new interview with Paul Cashmere of Noise11.com, LIVING COLOUR guitarist Vernon Reid spoke in regards to the lyrical inspiration for the band’s early songs “This Is The Life” and “Cult Of Character”. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I wrote that music [‘This Is The Life’] at a time when all the pieces was going nice for me — all the pieces was going nice. However I needed to play that music when divorcing from my first spouse. I performed that music since my pal Greg Tate died. And one of many strains is, ‘In one other life, your family members by no means die.’ And so it is a kind of issues that after you reside with it… After which individuals have mentioned, ‘Man, that music meant loads to me.’ And it is wonderful as a result of we have needed to reside it. That is the factor about writing a lyric, is that you need to reside with that lyric. A part of the factor about that’s you are not in an remoted setting by your self.

“Every time I hear [late pop superstar] Whitney Houston now, it is onerous for me to take heed to Whitney Houston as a result of she was actually — I may say Whitney Houston and I may additionally say [late NIRVANA frontman] Kurt Cobain; they had been the voices of their era,” he continued. “However what did it value them? Actually, what did it value them to be that?

“When success occurred to Kurt Cobain, it is bizarre to think about it as a trauma, but it surely was clearly that, ‘trigger individuals had been, like, ‘Man, he was in our group,’ and jealousy is an actual factor. And other people [were, like], ‘Effectively you offered out,’ simply because it was a phenomenon. You possibly can’t management that.

“I feel we had been very lucky with ‘Cult Of Character’ as a result of it is a music about an interesting side of the human situation,” Reid added. “Why can we select this particular person to be the particular person we’re prepared to take heed to? That is the factor. Probably the most harmful particular person in any room is the person who different individuals are prepared to take heed to. And why this particular person and never that particular person? And we live with that now. The populism is all about that.”

In June 2020, LIVING COLOUR launched a video for “This Is The Life” that includes footage of the peaceable protests that swelled throughout the U.S. and around the globe over the dying of George Floyd by the hands of police. The unique model of “This Is The Life” appeared on LIVING COLOUR‘s 1990 album “Time’s Up”.

In a press release accompanying the video’s launch, LIVING COLOUR mentioned: “‘Time’s Up’ was launched 30 years in the past and sadly we’re nonetheless combating the identical struggle. In case you do not like the present agenda, it is your duty to exit an VOTE!”

A couple of days after Floyd‘s dying, Reid took to his Twitter to put in writing: ” Of all of the surprising cell phone recorded additional judicial Police killings, the homicide of George Floyd is essentially the most wicked train in contemptuous disregard for human life I’ve ever seen. Subsequent time you see it- for those who can abdomen it- take note of the hand in pocket posture.”

LIVING COLOUR‘s newest album, “Shade”, was launched in September 2017 through Megaforce Information.

LIVING COLOUR singer Corey Glover‘s aspect initiatives in recent times have included some performing, touring as a member of jam band GALACTIC and forming the jazz-rock supergroup ULTRAPHONIX with legendary DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch. Reid, for his half, has launched solo albums and been concerned in aspect initiatives with Masque and YOHIMBE BROTHERS; collaborated with Mick Jagger, Invoice Frisell, Jack Bruce and Ronald Shannon Jackson, amongst many others; produced albums for Salif Keita and James Blood Ulmer; and composed movie scores.