Komodo Rock correspondent Krissy Elliott recently caught up with TESLA bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Dave Rude. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Krissy Elliott: Let's talk about what you have been doing recently. All this touring and everything that you’ve been doing and about the new album that apparently will be coming out.

Brian Wheat: "Well the new album is out. It’s been out for a while. It’s called Real to Reel. So the first question is, why have you done a covers record? And the answer, or one of the answers, is sitting next to me which is Dave Rude. The new guitar player in Tesla. Because Tommy Skeoch can no longer keep his demons away, shall we say, I have to be very politically correct how I answer this question, it was decided mutually that it was better for Tommy to stay home. So we met young Dave on MySpace. Or rather Frank did. And he joined the band. So, as he had joined the band we went out and played a bunch of shows in America in 05 or 06. It was time to go and do a new record. We started our own record label, Tesla Electric Company Recordings, so it was thought that instead of going in and making a brand new Tesla all original new record, for the new member and launching the new label for the first time that we have a bit of fun. Do a covers record and for Dave to learn how to blow it to the record industry and that’s why we did that."

Krissy Elliott: And has it been well received? How have people responded?

Brian Wheat: "Critically it has been really well received. It hasn’t done as well as say Into The Now but then again it is a covers record and there's been lots of covers records. But you know we had a lot of fun doing it and the people that have it really enjoy it."

Dave Rude: "We’re going to start writing a new studio album in December, a couple of months after we get home. Brian’s got a real nice recording studio up in Sacramento so we’re all just going to go in there and start writing a bunch of songs. We’ve already been working on ideas and demos on the road and it already sounds pretty cool so we’re all excited. It will be out in 08. Probably in the fall. Maybe in the summer, but more likely in the fall."

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