Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon about his new solo album of covers, From One Place… To Another Vol. 2, which was released in May 2019, as well as the musical style on the upcoming new Tesla album called Shock that will be produced by Def Leppard's Phil Collen and released in February 2019.

On what Phil Collen will be bringing to the table producing the new Tesla album:

"Phil really helped us. Phil had a bunch of song ideas and a lot of the writing on the new album is co-written by him. He interjected a lot of positive energy into us. Phil is bringing production quality and details that we would have not done and haven't done in the past. Some fans may not like it, some fans are gonna love it. This is something that we wanted to try we never worked like this before. Mutt Lang is a producer that really has techniques that are very detailed in the studio and Phil Collen obviously has experience with all that and he brought that type of approach to making the Tesla record which we never done before. The sound on this new album is really powerful."

On the musical direction of the new Tesla album:

"It definitely has an '80s kind of polished production but there really is no direction. We don't really put ourselves into one sound we got elements of metal, country etc. This new album has the big production but every song sounds different, you are going to hear some slide guitar riffs there and then there is also hear some Queen, Beatles, big Beatles vocals type influences on it. You are going to hear some Def Leppard style influences and there is some of that big back vocals, too. We are going to be on tour in February playing new songs off the new album and if you buy a ticket to the show in February 2019 it gets you a copy of the new album in advance. So February / March 2019 the new Tesla album, Shock. "

Hannon has released a video for his cover of Deep Purple's "Hush", from the second instalment of his solo cover series, From One Place… To Another Vol. 2, out now. Watch the video below.

As with Vol. 1, the album features a number of special guests, this time including Roger Fisher of Heart, Graham Whitford (son of Aerosmith's Brad Whitford), Duane Betts (son of Allman Brother's Dickey), Randy Hansen and Jared James Nichols. Order here.

"This volume  is definitely a step up for me as an artist,” declares Hannon. “I chose to sing some of my favorite songs from very different genres ranging from Aerosmith, Chaka Khan, Black Sabbath to Seal. I am proud of Volume 1 but Volume 2 came out a lot edgier and with some heavier tones.”

While Volume 1 was more roots and acoustic focused, From One Place… To Another Vol. 2 is all electric with full backing band, recorded in various locations with a portable recorder and eventually assembled back in Hannon's home studio.

“As it turns out, singing is becoming a lot of fun for me,” Hannon admits. “I’ve left the smoking guitar duties to some very special guests including the Jimi Hendrix tribute master Randy Hansen, Heart founder Roger Fisher, Jared James Nichols, as well as other guest artists who contributed flavors.”

Randy Hansen and Roger Fisher have always been heroes of Frank’s. “Known for his ‘Magic Man’ guitar sounds, Roger and I recorded a Heart classic ‘Sing Child'; which is almost as funky a song as the man himself."

A chance meeting south of the border led to the recording of a classic Aerosmith cut. "I ran into guitarist Graham Whitford in Mexico while on tour and asked him if he'd be interested in recording guitars on his Dad's song and he graciously obliged. Six months later we put it together via the internet and 'Lord of the Thighs' became a highlight for me."

The biggest surprise of the album is Frank's take on Seal's "Kiss From A Rose". "It's a vocal melody that has haunted me for years," he says. "When I decided to record it, I spent weeks researching Seal and learned how he wrote the song with no instruments, using only his voice as the music background. This really opened my eyes and ears to the power of a vocal melody that drives a song and I recorded it similarly on my portable 8-track in a dressing room on tour."

From One Place… To Another Vol. 2 tracklisting:

"Hush" (featuring Randy Hansen)
"Lord Of The Thighs" (featuring Graham Whitford)
"You Can’t Always Get What You Want" (featuring Duane Betts)
"Tell Me Somethin’ Good"
"Kiss From A Rose"
"Sing Child" (featuring Roger Fisher)
"I Can See Clearly Now"
"Spanish Castle Magic" (featuring Randy Hansen)
"I Can Help"
"Sweet Leaf" (featuring Jared James Nichols)

"Sing Child" lyric video: