RockMusicStar.com recently conducted an interview with EXTREME/HURTSMILE frontman Gary Cherone. Excerpts from the interview can be found below:

RockMusicStar.com: What was the motive in putting together Hurtsmile? Was it that there was something different that you wanted to explore musically, that you weren't getting out through Extreme? Or was it just something to pass the time, while Extreme is inactive?

Gary Cherone: “Hurtsmile was something I actually started with my brother Mark, back in 2007. But it was put on the shelf because Extreme got back together. We did the reunion, the tour, and the record. Then Extreme had some down time, because Nuno went off to tour with RIHANNA. So at that point, it made sense to finish doing the record with my brother.”

RockMusicStar.com: Going back to the Hurtsmile CD, one thing I noticed you did on a couple of the songs, was that you were almost channelling some other singer's characteristics in your vocals. On ‘Just War Theory’, it sounded like you were doing a Johnny Rotten (SEX PISTOLS) imitation, and on ‘The Murder Of Daniel Faulkner (4699)’, you sound like BOB DYLAN. Am I right?

Gary Cherone: “I think you got it right on, brother. I'm a big fan of both. ‘Just War Theory’ has a real snarling guitar riff and lyrically, there's some cynicism and scepticism going on there. When I was writing it with my brother, it smelt like Rotten could do this. I'm a big fan, so I guess I was channeling that. As far as ‘Daniel Faulkner’, the last track on the record, without a doubt. I'm a big Dylan fan. I even do a better Dylan imitation than that. I'd have to have a few beers before I could do that one.”

RockMusicStar.com: I'd like to touch on your time in VAN HALEN. What I really enjoyed about you being in VH, was the fact that you could nail both, the Roth and Hagar era songs. Let's face it, a lot of fans don't like the way Hagar sings the Roth stuff, and it will probably be when hell freezes over, when we hear David Lee Roth sing a Sammy Hagar tune. It seemed like a lot of people, like myself, enjoyed the live show at the time, but really didn't like the Van Halen III CD. Where do you think the disconnect was with the fans?

Gary Cherone: “It's easier to look back now and see things I would have done differently. I look back at that record, and I wish I would have went on tour with the band, before we recorded the record. That way, I would have felt like I was in the band, and been comfortable. I think there are a few gems on that record. I'm very proud of some of those songs on that record. I think the production and some of the arrangements fell short. As far as the fan perception, I knew what I was getting into. It was funny, because the record was criticized for trying to sound too much like Van Halen, or the opposite, saying it doesn't sound anything like Van Halen. It was almost if I was damned if I do, damned if I don't.”

Read the full interview here.

As previously reported, the brand new video for Hurtsmile's 'Just War Theory' has premiered on AOL Noisecreep, and can be viewed below: