Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone is back with Hurtsmile and teaming up with PledgeMusic.com to release Retrogrenade on June 2nd with a public release to follow. Following is an excerpt from an interview with Cherone about the record and Extreme:

Q: Did you always know you’d make another Hurtsmile album at some point even though you have so many other projects?

Cherone: "Yes, it was only a matter of time. the difficult part is always the scheduling between bands. I wish it could go faster, but we are very excited about the PledgeMusic campaign which is something new for us and can’t wait to turn the fans on to Retrogrenade!"

Q: There’s an incredible blend of genres and influences on Hurtsmile and in your other work. Were some of these the soundtrack to your childhood?

Cherone: "Yes, I remember very early on Top 40 radio, television variety shows, Beatles, Monkeys, Jackson 5, my mother listening to Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, my father’s Sinatra records, etc. But, it wasn’t until I discovered Alice Cooper in seventh grade did the shit hit the fan!"

Q: Is another Extreme record in the making in the near future?

Cherone: "Yes, it’s all about scheduling – like with the first question – and there’s no substitute for being in the same room, so with Extreme rehearsing the Porno tour and going on the road for two months, we’ll be working on songs we’ve written."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Available now at Pledgemusic.com is a free download of the single 'Rock & Roll Cliché'.

Following up their 2011 self-titled debut, the band’s second release Retrogrenade pays homage to almost every genre Cherone has presented in the past and still finds room to give you something new. Inspired by their classic rock roots, “It is the collective effort of the Band flexing their musical muscle” says Gary. Diverse tracks include the Aero/DC inspired ‘Rock & Roll Cliché,’ the hook laden ‘Hello I Must Be Going’, the epic blues of ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, to the sweet acoustic broken-hearted harmonies of ‘Goodbye.’ Hurtsmile rebels against traditional cohesiveness and does not attempt to capture a specific mood. It rather bombards you with a multitude of emotions and challenges you to go along for the ride.

Hurtsmile is:

Gary Cherone - vocals

Mark Cherone - guitar

Joe Pessia - bass

Dana Spellman - drums

The Retrogrenade tracklisting is as follows:

'Rock & Roll Cliché'

'Hello I Must Be Going'

'Big Government'

'I Still Do'

'Sing A Song (My Mia)'

'Anymore (Don't Want My Love)'

'Where Do We Go From Here'

'A Melody For You'

'Wonder What'

'Walk Away'

'Good Bye'

'Pump It Up'

To download 'Rock & Roll Cliché' go to this location. For information on Hurtsmile go to their website and official Facebook page.