Singer/songwriter Jack Blades of NIGHT RANGER and DAMN YANKEES fame is featured in a new interview with Kris Engelhart at Backstageaxxess.com discussing his new solo album, Rock N' Roll Ride. An excerpt is available below:

KE: The sound is timeless and classic yet also fresh and up to date. How are you able to keep the creative juices flowing and come up with new ideas?

JB: "You know what I think, I'm at the point where I just want to, where I don't have to prove anything anymore. You know what I mean? I feel like that I've been in this business long enough and written enough songs to where like man I'm just gonna do what I love to do, sing the way I love to sing, play the way I love to play and rock the way I love to rock. And that's kind of what's come out of this record. That's how this record ended up and it is what it is. And I'm just gonna keep going because it's interesting. I have this theory that when you stop creating that's when you sort of like, I don't care whether you're an artist or a writer, whatever you do. When you stop creating that's when you like shrivel up and sort of die inside. So I'm just gonna keep creating until somebody says I can't anymore. And then when they say I can't, I'm gonna keep doing it anyway."

KE: You've written so many great songs over the years for yourself, of course for Night Ranger, and a lot of other amazing artists. Is it more difficult to write songs for yourself or for other artists?

JB: "Well, it's sort of a kind of a separate thing you know. When I'm writing songs for other artists, I kind of like get my head space into like I'm in their band. I'll be with ALICE COOPER and I'll think like I'm in his band. It's kind of almost role playing. You know what I mean. It's really kind of a thing where you just go places where you normally wouldn't go with your own music or with your own band's music. When I write songs for myself, I kind of I feel a sense of freedom that I can sort of like do, you know, whatever I want to do really and not have to. There's no like, there's no committee. You know when you write songs and you're in a band it's like you want everybody to like what your putting out so everybody's got to agree on everything. Not that it's difficult in Night Ranger because we've all played together for so long that we're pretty simpatico on what we like. And you know we'll just go, that's not right. Let's do another, no that's not quite right. It doesn't matter. There's no big egos when we get together and write songs. But with a solo record, I'm able to, especially with Rock and Roll Ride, I'm able to take, you know, people on a ride. I mean this album is full of all the influences that have been in my life. That there's you know, you can feel some stuff like, I was born and raised in southern California so there's definitely some sort of like EAGLES/BEACH BOYS southern California kind of sound. I mean the way TOM PETTY has, even though he's from Gainesville, Florida, he's been out west and kind of went with that sound on his later records and stuff. Then it's straight ahead British Rock like just totally in the sixties, early seventies just totally into DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, and you know HUMBLE PIE, THIN LIZZY. You know there's pretty much those influences and then there's when I moved to San Francisco at 25. You know, I was deep into SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and that sort of funky soulfulness and there's that in the whole thing. So it's kind of you know fun to be able to do a solo record and create. The idea of this record is to just go put the record on and just like you said. Just get in the car and drive man, listen to the whole thing for about 45, 50 minutes and just enjoy the ride."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Blades released Rock N' Roll Ride on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America via Frontiers Records. The new album marks Blades’ second solo release for the label. Hot off the heels of NIGHT RANGER’s celebrated 2011 CD, Somewhere In California, and a massive North American tour with Night Ranger as support for JOURNEY and FOREIGNER last year, Blades shows no signs of slowing down with his buoyant new album.

Check out Blades' new video, for the track 'Back In The Game', below:

Of the new album, Blades recently commented, “Rock N' Roll Ride is an extension of what my music has been for the last 30 years. It has been quite a rock n’ roll ride and I decided to lay it all down on a record!”

Rock N' Roll Ride features contributions from Blades’ Night Ranger bandmates Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra and Eric Levy, as well as a special guest appearance by CHEAP TRICK’s Robin Zander. The first single from the album, 'Back In The Game', will soon impact at radio.

Jack Blades is a frontman, lead singer, bassist, songwriter, and producer as well as a founding member of the highly-successful arena rock band, Night Ranger and supergroup DAMN YANKEES (along with TED NUGENT and Tommy Shaw from STYX) and the highly-regarded SHAW/BLADES. Throughout his remarkable career Blades has sold over 25 million albums, performed in front of millions of fans worldwide and collaborated with some of rock's most legendary artists. With a career spanning three decades, Blades has recorded with, penned songs and produced albums for some of the music industry's biggest names including AEROSMITH, ALICE COOPER, ROGER DALTREY, OZZY OSBOURNE, MÖTLEY CRÜE and VINCE NEIL.

His music has been featured in movies such as Armageddon, Boogie Nights, Tommy Boy, television shows such as South Park and American Dad, the hit Broadway musical (and soon-to-be released major motion picture) Rock Of Ages and the wildly successful videogame series Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

With Blades’ songwriting, driving guitars, stage antics and on the strength of Night Ranger's songs 'Don’t Tell Me You Love Me', 'Rock in America', 'Sister Christian', 'When You Close Your Eyes', and 'Sentimental Street', along with the Damn Yankees hits 'High Enough' and 'Coming of Age', Blades' legacy continues to inspire generations while still being written.

Rock 'n’ Roll Ride trackisting:

'Back In The Game'

'Rock N’ Roll Ride'

'Hardest Word To Say'

'Anything For You'

'Love Life'

'West Hollywood'

'Born For This'

'Don’t Give Up'

'Say You Will'

'Rise And Shine'

'Hey Now'

Updates to follow.