THE WINERY DOGS, featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, ex-DREAM THEATER), bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS) and guitarist Richie Kotzen (ex-POISON, ex-Mr. Big), will issue their self-titled debut album in North America on July 23rd via Loud & Proud Records.

In a new interview with Examiner.com, Richie Kotzen discusses the upcoming debut album release and world tour, the fresh approach that comes with starting a new band, the role of tension when it comes to great music, and his days in other bands like Poison and Mr. Big, as well as what he thinks of PAUL GILBERT and GENE SIMMONS. An excerpt follows:

Q: Are all the songs on the new album co-writes between the band members?

A: "Technically, no. But we decided to make this an equal band, so anytime a song comes into the band, we share equally in the song. But there's maybe four or five songs that I had written previously that I had brought in that became Winery Dogs songs. I was fine with that arrangement, because I haven't been in very many bands; I've always done my solo thing, but when I was in bands, I had the strength of being in Poison. The one thing I liked about them is that the record that I did with Poison [1993’s Native Tongue], the majority of the music was written by me and BRET MICHAELS. However, we shared everything equally, and that really helped the morale of the band, especially out on the road.

"In Mr. Big they didn't do that, and on the second record I made with Mr. Big [2001’s Actual Size], that started to become an issue. It created tension, and from the beginning of this band, I knew - because I'm a singer and I'm the guitar player - that in the end I would end up carrying a lot of the weight... I'm going to hear melodies as a singer and I'm going to want to write the words and sing; it's only natural and normal. I knew from my experience with two different bands that work in opposite ways that this would truly be better for what we're doing. And then also in the end, there's a song on the record that Mike Portnoy wrote lyrics to and I sang on as well. Everybody contributed to it."

Q: Do you have any surprises in the live show planned when it comes to cover tunes or trips down memory lane?

A: "We're talking about that now. For the last couple of days in rehearsal, we've just been learning our old songs. We did talk about that, and we have some ideas. I don't know yet which ones are going to come into play, but it will be something of that nature. I just don't know yet exactly what."

Q: There seems to be a lot soul searching in the lyrics. How would you describe the themes on this album that help create the Winery Dogs sound?

A: "Some of the songs, the lyrics were written previously. For example, 'Regret', or 'Damaged', or even 'I'm No Angel', those were songs that I had already written. But other songs like 'Not Hopeless', for example, that was just a piece of music that Billy had initiated with the bass riff, and I had to then go and write to that. So when you're doing that, a lot of times the track influences you... you just have a feeling or an idea, and so you're writing to the track, which is a different approach for me; I normally don't write that way. So I would say that half the record was written like that, and then maybe the other half was the other way. You know, the mood and the energy of the track will kind of drive you into the direction of the lyrics. Moreover, the other way that I normally write, I usually hear a melody and then the lyrics come out that way."

Read the full interview at Examiner.com.

The Winery Dogs features the following 13 songs:

'Elevate'

'Desire'

'We Are One'

'I'm No Angel'

'The Other Side'

'You Saved Me'

'Not Hopeless'

'One More Time'

'Damaged'

'Six Feet Deeper'

'Criminal'

'The Dying'

'Regret'

The Winery Dogs have confirmed an in-store performance and signing session at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ on August 6th. Wristbands provided by the store are required in order to attend. Go to this location for details and updates.

The Winery Dogs' complete live itinerary for 2013 is as follows:

July

16 - Osaka, Japan - Matsushita IMP Hall
17 - Tokyo, Japan - Nippon-Seinenkan
18 - Tokyo, Japan - Akasaka Blitz
24 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Teatro Rival
26 - São Paulo, Brazil - Carioca Club
27 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Music Hall
28 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Opinião
30 - Santiago, Chile - Teatro Nescafe Del Arte

August

1 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatro Flores
3 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club and Grill
4 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon
7 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater
8 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's

September

5 - London, England - Islington 02 Academy
6 - Zoetermeer, Holland - Boerderij
7 - Saarbruken, Germany - Garage
9 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
10 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
11 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
13 - Munich, Germany - Theaterfabrik
14 - Cologne, Germany - Gloria
15 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
17 - Prattein, Switzerland - Z7
18 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
19 - Karlsrue, Germany - Substage
21 - Barcelona, Spain - Apolo
22 - Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava
23 - Lisbon, Portugal - Paradise Garage

October

3 - Agoura Hills CA - The Canyon
4 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamp'd
5 - San Diego, CA - Ramona Mainstage
6 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House