RATT singer Stephen Pearcy spoke with Bryan Reesman from Attention Deficit Delirium recently about a number of topics, including the band's new album, Infestation. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Attention Deficit Delirium: You have said that producer Michael Baskette felt you could do another album like Out Of The Cellar, and he pushed you guys to play to those strengths.

Pearcy: "Not only was he the producer, but he was a fan, so he knew we wanted to hear. That was a big plus because all we can do is say, 'Here’s our stuff.' He put his two cents in, and I co-wrote one song with him. He has great ideas. For the vocals, Michael and I used the same schematic but more simplified. We didn’t have nine of me out there, we had three of me, which gives me my sound, and I sang straight through on a lot of stuff. Michael was great. A lot of that session was as real as it gets. We worked hard on it for months and months and months. I’d put this up against Cellar any day."

Attention Deficit Delirium: You now have Carlos Cavazo in the band, and Robbie Crane has been in the band for a while. How did the band’s chemistry work out this time?

Pearcy: "Really good. First of all, Robert has been in the band longer than Juan (Croucier) now - 13 or 14 years, I think - and we’ve known Carlos for so long, it’s like he’s been in the band forever. He brought that element of a real guitar player back, playing the flying Vs, and he was perfect for the course. And the first two songs he brought, 'Best Of Me' and 'Eat Me Up Alive' were the first lead tracks. I knew that I was going to rip into that thing, so he brought some good stuff to the table."

Attention Deficit Delirium: What are your best recollections of Robbin Crosby from the eighties?

Pearcy: "Robbin was a real guy. He lived and breathed what he was doing, Ratt music. He was committed. I used to play rhythm guitar, but once he joined I decided to just sing. Robbin was a real, true rock ‘n’ roller. He was the real deal in every way, and that’s what made 'Round And Round' and what created his demise. Like our old manager said, it’s a dangerous occupation. I think it was back in the day, and that’s what a lot of the newer bands don’t understand and probably never will. It’s not the same out there anymore. Everybody was just full tilt in, that’s the way it was."

Attention Deficit Delirium: Are you still living the same lifestyle today? What lessons did you learn from past?

Pearcy: "Well, a lot of mistakes… [chuckles] Everything’s in moderation. I am not a fake person. I live and breathe what I am, and when I go out there to sing and present myself, I can’t change or fake it. I can moderate. I never know what I’ll get every night. Sometimes I can go out there and think, “Why am I even here?” I’ve learned to appreciate being out there [on stage], but I haven’t changed some things because there’s no reason for me to. I believe in what I’m doing, and if I were to fake it people would know. I also wouldn’t be a puppet for anybody either and think I have to do things that I used to because I’d have to because it’s entertainment or because it’s the way it was. I don’t think any of us believe that anymore. We get out there and try to do the best we can."

Read the entire interview here.