Speaking with 80's Metal Recycle Bin, Night Ranger's frontman Jack Blades goes deep into how it all started, changed along the way, talks about working with Vince Neil, Tommy Shaw, and Damn Yankees. Check out the interview below.

Blades: "Shaw / Blades' Hallucination is a great record, and Warner did absolutely nothing with it. The new regime came in, they didn't want to do anything (with that kind of music), and in fact they paid Damn Yankees a million dollars not to do another Damn Yankees record. We're like, 'REally? Okay, we'll just take the cheque.' That was how it was because Damn Yankees had sold so many records and we were so recouped, so in our contract it said we get a million bucks to do an album, and they just paid us the million dollars not to do the record. That's how much nobody wanted to do with that era and style of music."

Night Ranger are set to release their 12th studio album, ATBPO on August 6, 2021 via Frontiers Music Srl. ATBPO stands for And The Band Played On, an ode to making music during the covid era. It will be available on CD and Vinyl (several limited edition, color vinyl versions), as well as digitally across all streaming platforms. Today, fans can get their first taste of the album with the release of “Breakout”, the first single and music video from the album. Pre-save/preorder here.

The band began writing the album in early 2020, amid the onset of the global pandemic. After narrowing down the song selection and tightening them up to their well-known rock ‘n’ roll sound, the band hit the studio, although separately, due to the times we are in. Throughout ATBPO, we hear Night Ranger continuing their hot streak that kicked off with 2011's Somewhere In California. Ten years on, and two highly acclaimed albums later, High Road and Don't Let Up, the band's latest studio work shows them still burning with that high octane hard rock energy they are known for. Night Ranger has always had a knack for killer melodies, intricate instrumentation, and captivating lyrics; ATBPO delivers all of that and more.

"The process was strange but the outcome rocks." - Jack Blades

"This record was incredibly hard to do as we could not be in a room together with all the COVID-19 issues that were going on. But sometimes you do your best work when there’s a deadline approaching." - Kelly Keagy

“It’s been a crazy but fun task trying to write and finish this new record in a Covid situation. A few zoom video gatherings got us started. With everybody in the band having their own home studios, we were all able to elaborate and add our own textures to each song. As a Vintage Guitar Collector, I was able to add some great classic sounds to rhythm and solos using my 57 Strat and 52 Goldtop! I hope everyone enjoys the record!" - Brad Gillis

Having sold over 17 million albums worldwide, performed across more than 4000 stages, and enjoyed a radio audience that exceeds 1 billion, Night Ranger has both epitomized and transcended the arena rock sound and style well beyond that era. With multiple songs having a significant impact on popular culture, Night Ranger continues to grow their fanbase. The band is proof that powerful songs alongside incredibly talented musicians is the perfect formula for continued success.

Night Ranger is Jack Blades (bass, vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums, vocals), Brad Gillis (lead & rhythm guitars), Eric Levy (keyboards), and Keri Kelli (lead & rhythm guitars).

ATBPO is available on CD, Digital, and the following LP versions:

ATBPO Red Vinyl - Available Everywhere
ATBPO Crystal Vinyl - Frontiers U.S. & EU Webstore Exclusive, Limited to 400 Copies
ATBPO Blue Vinyl - Newbury Comics Exclusive, Limited to 300 Copies
ATBPO Yellow Vinyl - Night Ranger Webstore Exclusive, Limited to 400 Copies

A bonus track, “Savior” appears on the CD & LP versions of ATBPO only.

Tracklisting:

“Coming For You”
“Bring It All Home To Me”
“Breakout”
“Hard To Make It Easy”
“Can’t Afford A Hero”
“Cold As December”
“Dance”
“The Hardest Road”
“Monkey”
“A Lucky Man”
“Tomorrow”
“Savior” (CD/LP bonus track)

“Breakout”: