As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, singer, songwriter and producer Daniel Tashian shares his Quarantine Diary. Daniel's new kids' album Mr. Moonlight is out now, and his forthcoming album Blue Umbrella with Burt Bacharach drops on July 31.

[9:32 a.m.] My day starts pretty late, I guess. The problem is, I’ve been staying up late looking at news, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Usually, one of the twins (Tinkerbell or Matilda) will pounce on my completely asleep body (their method of getting breakfast going before 10 is understandably merciless. I don’t blame them) and it works—I’m up. Coffee in the "Mr. Coffee" is on, cereal is made and toast is buttered (raisin toast with Kerry gold butter please!). I read the New York Times morning briefing and check Twitter.

Breakfast is noisy and chaotic. Then, everyone usually goes to their own things—maybe a Zoom ballet class for the twins, or a FaceTime call with a friend or Grandma for my oldest daughter Tigerlily. Technology plays a huge role in our lives right now for better or for worse. At first, my wife Lillie and I sort of fought it, but as the weeks wore on, we decided instead of trying to beat them, we would join them.

I feed the dogs and let them out, then Lillie and I enjoy coffee and conversation—sometimes outside on the back deck. But today, the humidity is so thick in Nashville, so we stay inside. Usually there’s a massive pile of dishes to do from the day before—which is my job. I was too lazy to do them, so I will put on a podcast (Brian Funk’s Music Production Podcast or Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend) and do the dishes.

[10:30 a.m.] I’ll usually head out my back door and walk the 30 feet to the studio out back. It’s in an old garage. It’s big enough to fit all my stuff out there—guitars, amps, pedals, etc. I will pick up where I left off the night before, usually working on some overdubs or making a rough mix. Today, a friend of mine, Cecilia Castleman, and I will be working on a song. We will jump on FaceTime to work on the lyrics and the melody. It’s kind of awesome that it’s possible to collaborate and work so well on the internet. What a time to be alive! But it also has its heartbreak and its frustrations. For instance, on FaceTime, only one person can play and sing at a time so you have to listen to the other person and you can’t jam together. I have heard they are working on developing something where you can jam in real time, but I don’t know what it is.

[12:30 p.m.] Lunchtime. Tuna on a cracker. I make quesadillas for the girls, who will be going to grandma’s house down the street for a play date. The in-laws have been on lockdown with us, as well as my parents and Lillie’s stepmom and dad. It’s a blessing to have family to bounce the kids around to, even more so for the girls, so all the days don’t run together, and they can get a little change of scene. We have to find the twins bunnies before they can leave (stuffed lovies they don’t like to be without).

Daniel's daughters

I’m not getting as much exercise as I should. I take the dogs on their leashes down the street and back. It’s getting hotter. I come back and make a third cup of coffee and get back to the studio. My friend Joel Korte has sent me a guitar pedal to check out. He’s a total genius, and I rely on his Chase Bliss Audio pedals to help me keep moving forward and find new sonic territory. I’m fascinated by the videos people are making on YouTube to explain gear and show what it can do. I’d like to make a video like that one day. It’s harder than it looks to do it well. You need multiple cameras and the audio has to be perfect as well. Part of me wonders if I should bite the bullet and get more into YouTube. My friend Tom Bukovac is a YouTube genius. He talks about playing guitar and gives people a window into the session scene. “Homeskoolin” is his show. He’s played on a ton of records. Something about a channel feels like a very pandemic thing to do. I’d like to give something to the musicians stuck in their houses.

[2:00 p.m.] I’m on a FaceTime call with Cecilia. She’s an innovative guitarist and singer and she has a studio in her house as well. She quickly sends me a vocal track and several guitars via Dropbox. I import them into my session and start looking around through my samples for a beat to hold it all together. At some point, in the next couple days, my production partner and dear friend Ian Fitchuk will come by, and with his mask on, play a drum track and maybe some bass on the song later. He's moving houses currently, so I make sure the little drum kit I got for Christmas as a 10 year old is miked up so we cannot waste time. Ian is hands down my favorite musician on the planet. He just exudes confidence, swagger, charm and elegance in his playing. What a gift.

Ian Fitchuk 

[3:30 p.m.] The girls are back from grandma’s house and there are Amazon groceries on the porch. I put the groceries away and cut up some strawberries, cucumbers and apples for the girls. Tigerlily informs me she will be making a custard with a raspberry coulis. She watches a lot of baking shows and is passionate and very good at baking. "Please don’t watch," she says. So, I leave the kitchen. There will be flour all over the floor when I return, but I don’t really care that much like I used to.

[4:30 p.m.] Burt Bacharach calls and asks me if I have a minute. I always have time for Burt. He’s been working on the bridge of a song we have in progress called "21st Century Man."

"I think I’ve found a solution," he says. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of him playing the piano over the phone, articulating a specific melody with his right hand. "That’s lovely, Burt," I say, and I scribble a couple ideas that could be potential lyric jumping-off points for the section. I never argue with Burt about melody. There are times when he wants to compare two slightly different phrases, and I will sing A and B for him, but ultimately, when we work together, usually, he decides the melody. "21st Century Man" is slightly different because I had a bit of a verse that I brought to him. We work on the phone for about an hour. "Much love—y’all stay safe," I tell him.

[5:30 p.m.] "We are going to watch the sun go down at Ellington Agricultural Center," Lillie informs me. This is a park and nature preserve nearby. I quickly grab my backpack that holds my watercolor paints and brushes and fill up a bottle of water. I drew pictures and painted a ton as a kid, and I’ve fallen back in love with watercolor painting during this pandemic. I try to make a painting every day to keep improving—it’s a real bugger. But it’s good to not let yourself get stuck—you have to keep growing and moving forward. I see that in Burt! We drive the 15 minutes to the creek and the girls play in the water while Lillie and I talk, and I make a painting that doesn’t look like the creek at all. Oh well. It’s a joy to be here, to be alive and I feel very lucky.

[7:30 p.m.] Dinner time. I put some water on to boil and cut up some broccoli and garlic. Vegetarian tends to be the way around here. Tigerlily came out of the womb a staunch vegetarian, so we all tag along. It’s too hard to argue with her, and I don’t want to make two separate meals. Sometimes I will grill some chicken if I’m feeling ravenous. The girls are all riding their bikes in the driveway and talking to neighbors walking their dogs by. We live on a lovely quiet street without a lot of traffic. I make a cocktail for Lillie and I—Campari with ice and ginger ale.

It’s hard to believe there’s anything wrong in the world but tugging at my sleeve is always a feeling of dread and heartache. I can push it away and work when I need to, but it’s always there in moments of reflection. I’ve started to make peace with the fact that humans are a work in progress, but it doesn’t stop all the tears that want to well up when I think of all the pain, the racial division, the misunderstanding and the hatred. I wonder where hate comes from and how it persists. I think about meanness and try to understand it, but I come up short every time.

My cousin Ethan moved to France. "Moving away from America doesn’t keep you from worrying about it," he says. That makes sense to me. Through the trees across the street, I see our neighbor, Nord, planting flowers. He works on his yard like crazy. It’s beautiful, and he’s made a bee colony and garden. That’s how he deals with it—gardening and making the neighborhood more beautiful.

[9:00 p.m.] I realized the films of Hayao Miyazaki are available to stream for the first time. With great enthusiasm, I queue up Ponyo for me and the girls. We cuddle on the couch together and watch. The colors and the story always brings tears to my eyes. Ponyo is a fish that wants to be a girl. They don’t know why tears come to my eyes, and I laugh. "It’s the colors," I say.

[11:00 p.m.] I once heard in Spain, at midnight, you would find families out in the parks, children playing. I know that’s too late for kids to go to bed, but if they go to bed at 8, they will wake us up too early. I’ve gone through phases where I get up at 5, but not right now. We read a short book, kiss the girls goodnight, and I go into my studio "C" which is in my closet. Lillie is enjoying her sherry and an English mystery show. There’s some pedals and a drum machine in studio C, and I like to mess around before I fall asleep.

Before bed, I remember how grateful I am to be here and healthy. I wish for peace on earth and pray to continue to grow and become a better version of myself.

[1:00 a.m.] Lights out. But wait... I haven’t looked at Twitter in a while....

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If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Regarded as one of the most influential and popular songwriters in American music history, the death of Burt Bacharach at age 94 marks the end of an unparalleled career.  The legend's work spanned decades and dominated the charts, simultaneously defining eras and minting a litany of some of music’s brightest singers along the way.

For his efforts, the songwriter was awarded a total of six GRAMMY Awards and 21 nominations, as well as multiple songs in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame including "The Look of Love" and "Walk On By."

"Burt Bacharach was a visionary who composed and arranged some of the most timeless songs in the late 20th century," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, jr.  A six-time GRAMMY Award-winner and recipient of the Recording Academy Trustees and Lifetime Achievement Awards, Burt’s impact across the music industry is undeniable. We’ve lost one of music’s giants, and he will be dearly missed."

A testament to his longevity, Bacharach's first GRAMMY nomination occurred nearly 60 years ago. In 1964, he received the nod for Song Of The Year/New Song Of The Year for writing "Wives and Lovers," a tongue-in-cheek meditation on marriage for the artist Jack Jones. Most recently, Bacharach was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album at the 64th GRAMMY Awards in 2022. He wrote new songs for the Paris recording of Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater's Some Lovers.

The pillars of Bacharach's amazing career were supported by his three important partnerships: first with the songwriter Hal David, with whom Bacharach began his songwriting career. Upon their falling out, Bacharach began writing with third wife Carole Bayer Sager.

Throughout his career, Bacharach’s legendary collaboration with Dionne Warwick resulted in the singer’s biggest hits. "Burt’s transition is like losing a family member," Warwick said upon news of Bacharach’s death. "These words I’ve been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my dear friend and my musical partner."

From a discography that includes hit pop singles, memorable movie themes and blockbuster Broadway musicals, here are 10 of Bacharach’s most notable songs.

"Wives and Lovers" (1963)

The song that earned Bacharach his first GRAMMY turned into a hit for the singer Jack Jones, and was later recorded by Frank Sinatra and Count Basie, Vic Damone and Nancy Wilson. It was also his and David’s first collaboration. "We wrote ‘Wives and Lovers’ for the movie (of the same name)," David later recalled to the website Songwriter Universe, noting it was later cut from the final product. "It wasn’t in the movie because Burt was still under contract to another studio."

"Walk On By" (1963)

Another seminal hit courtesy Bacharach and David, "Walk On By" was recorded by Warwick in New York City weeks after the Kennedy assassination, then released in the spring of the following year.

Read more: The Making Of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By"

A GRAMMY nominee for Best R&B Recording, it was one of many of the duo and Warwick’s acclaimed collaborations. The song was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1998 and has been covered by Issac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Average White Band, and others.

"What the World Needs Now Is Love" (1965)

Starting off with a melancholy horn riff before blossoming into a hopeful melody, one of Bacharach’s most indelible tunes was written for Warwick before Jackie DeShannon released it as a single. Just as any expertly-crafted pop song sounds deceivingly simple on its surface, "What the World Need Now Is Love" took over two years for Bacharach to complete. It was subsequently nominated for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)/Best Background Arrangement at the 8th GRAMMY Awards.

"What’s New Pussycat" (1965)

This Tom Jones-sung pop confection was written for a 1965 comedy film of the same name, but nearly did not see the light of day. "The producer, Charlie Feldman loved it when he first heard it," Bacharach remembered in 1986. "But [Feldman] had a question of, ‘How are they going to dance to it in discotheques, you know? It's a waltz. How is it going to be a hit?’ [I said], I don't know, I think it could be, but I don't know, I just know that for your picture, it services your picture."

"Alfie" (1966)

"It took me three weeks to write the music for 'Alfie," Bacharach told the Guardian in 2015 of the song he’d later win the GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Arrangement. Penned for the hit movie of the same name, Bacharach noted his scrupulous process was one secret to his success. "I probably wound up using what I started with, or close to it. But I have to turn a song upside down and make sure it’s really as good as I can make it."

"The Look of Love" (1967)

Oozing with sultriness, the sensual "The Look of Love" was made popular by English singer Dusty Springfield and is another Bacharach entry into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, inducted in 1998. Written for the 1967 movie Casino Royale (the first James Bond film), Bacharach was inspired after watching footage of star Ursula Andrews. The soundtrack later garnered him and David three GRAMMY nominations. 

"Promises, Promises" (1968)

With its adventurous melody and tongue-twister lyrics, "Promises, Promises" the Warwick-sung song comes from a Bacharach-David’s hit musical of the same name.  For the duo, it was a unique creative process which brought that show to life: "There were a few tunes in Promises, Promises that I did write where I started with the music first," Bacharach later said. "But the majority of it was lyrics first."

"Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head" (1969)

Inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2014 and recorded by the singer B.J. Thomas while recovering from laryngitis, "Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head" was produced as a part of Bacharach and David’s soundtrack for the movie classic Butch Cassiy and the Sundance Kid. A western was a unique choice for the colleagues, but the combination turned into a blockbuster choice.

"I wrote the entire melody, and the only words that kept running through my mind from top to bottom were 'raindrops keep fallin’ on my head,'" Bacharach wrote in his 2014 autobiography, before adding however: "David tried to come up with another title, as the sun is shining brightly throughout the sequence (in the movie)."

"Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (1981)

Yet another one of Bacharach’s contributions to film history, the song recorded by Christopher Cross resulted in a later-career hit for Bacharach in the early '80s. Co-written with Cross, director Peter Allen and Bayer-Sager, the ballad was nominated for Song Of The Year at the 24th GRAMMY Awards.

"That’s What Friends are For" (1985)

Winning GRAMMY Awards for both Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals and Song Of The Year in 1987, one of Bacharach’s final hits of his career proved to be one of his biggest. Recorded by Warwick along with Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, the heartfelt track was produced to raise money for AIDS research, then at the height of the epidemic and wound up raising $3.4 million for the cause.

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It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown. The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton, who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic, psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic. Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis, Silk Sonic, and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat, respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism. Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and "Norma" is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers, from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea

Moniquea's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat.

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo, is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether.

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Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with Billy Idol about his latest EP,  Cage, and continuing to rock through decades of changing tastes.

Billy Idol is a true rock 'n' roll survivor who has persevered through cultural shifts and personal struggles. While some may think of Idol solely for "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," the singer's musical influences span genres and many of his tunes are less turbo-charged than his '80s hits would belie.  

Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face." 

But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision. He will play a five-show Vegas residency in November, and filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is working on a documentary about Idol’s life. 

His latest release is Cage, the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves. 

Idol continues to reckon with his demons — they both grappled with addiction during the '80s — and the singer is open about those struggles on the record and the page. (Idol's 2014 memoir Dancing With Myself, details a 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly claimed a leg, and how becoming a father steered him to reject hard drugs. "Bitter Taste," from his last EP, The Roadside, reflects on surviving the accident.)

Although Idol and Stevens split in the late '80s — the skilled guitarist fronted Steve Stevens & The Atomic Playboys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Rick Ocasek, Vince Neil, and Harold Faltermeyer (on the GRAMMY-winning "Top Gun Anthem") —  their common history and shared musical bond has been undeniable. The duo reunited in 2001 for an episode of "VH1 Storytellers" and have been back in the saddle for two decades. Their union remains one of the strongest collaborations in rock 'n roll history.

While there is recognizable personnel and a distinguishable sound throughout a lot of his work, Billy Idol has always pushed himself to try different things. Idol discusses his musical journey, his desire to constantly move forward, and the strong connection that he shares with Stevens. 

Steve has said that you like to mix up a variety of styles, yet everyone assumes you're the "Rebel Yell"/"White Wedding" guy. But if they really listen to your catalog, it's vastly different.

Yeah, that's right. With someone like Steve Stevens, and then back in the day Keith Forsey producing... [Before that] Generation X actually did move around inside punk rock. We didn't stay doing just the Ramones two-minute music. We actually did a seven-minute song. [Laughs]. We did always mix things up. 

Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it. With someone like Steve, I knew what he could do. I could see whatever we needed to do, we could nail it. The world was my oyster musically. 

"Cage" is a classic-sounding Billy Idol rocker, then "Running From The Ghost" is almost metal, like what the Devil's Playground album was like back in the mid-2000s. "Miss Nobody" comes out of nowhere with this pop/R&B flavor. What inspired that?

We really hadn't done anything like that since something like "Flesh For Fantasy" [which] had a bit of an R&B thing about it. Back in the early days of Billy Idol, "Hot In The City" and "Mony Mony" had girls [singing] on the backgrounds. 

We always had a bit of R&B really, so it was actually fun to revisit that. We just hadn't done anything really quite like that for a long time. That was one of the reasons to work with someone like Sam Hollander [for the song "Rita Hayworth"] on The Roadside. We knew we could go [with him] into an R&B world, and he's a great songwriter and producer. That's the fun of music really, trying out these things and seeing if you can make them stick. 

I listen to new music by veteran artists and debate that with some people. I'm sure you have those fans that want their nostalgia, and then there are some people who will embrace the newer stuff. Do you find it’s a challenge to reach people with new songs?

Obviously, what we're looking for is, how do we somehow have one foot in the past and one foot into the future? We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol. 

You want to do things that are true to you, and you don't just want to try and do things that you're seeing there in the charts today. I think that we're achieving it with things like "Running From The Ghost" and "Cage" on this new EP. I think we’re managing to do both in a way. 

**Obviously, "Running From The Ghost" is about addiction, all the stuff that you went through, and in "Cage" you’re talking about  freeing yourself from a lot of personal shackles. Was there any one moment in your life that made you really thought I have to not let this weigh me down anymore?**

I mean, things like the motorcycle accident I had, that was a bit of a wake up call way back. It was 32 years ago. But there were things like that, years ago, that gradually made me think about what I was doing with my life. I didn't want to ruin it, really. I didn't want to throw it away, and it made [me] be less cavalier. 

I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it. There’s no point in carrying on doing it. You couldn't get any higher. You didn't want to throw your life away casually, and I was close to doing that. It took me a bit of time, but then gradually I was able to get control of myself to a certain extent [with] drugs and everything. And I think Steve's done the same thing. We're on a similar path really, which has been great because we're in the same boat in terms of lyrics and stuff. 

So a lot of things like that were wake up calls. Even having grandchildren and just watching my daughter enlarging her family and everything; it just makes you really positive about things and want to show a positive side to how you're feeling, about where you're going. We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it.

[When writing] "Running From The Ghost" it was easy to go, what was the ghost for us? At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. And Steve in particular is super sober [now]. I mean, I still vape pot and stuff. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I can do that now.

I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident. That is a big reason why you open up and express yourself more because you feel comfortable with what's around you.

Did you watch Danny Boyle's recent Sex Pistols mini-series?

I did, yes.

You had a couple of cameos; well, an actor who portrayed you did. How did you react to it? How accurate do you think it was in portraying that particular time period?

I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. It's probably one of the best bio books really. It was incredible and so open. I was looking forward to that a lot.

It was as if [the show] kind of stayed with Steve [Jones’ memoir] about halfway through, and then departed from it. [John] Lydon, for instance, was never someone I ever saw acting out; he's more like that today. I never saw him do something like jump up in the room and run around going crazy. The only time I saw him ever do that was when they signed the recording deal with Virgin in front of Buckingham Palace. Whereas Sid Vicious was always acting out; he was always doing something in a horrible way or shouting at someone. I don't remember John being like that. I remember him being much more introverted.

But then I watched interviews with some of the actors about coming to grips with the parts they were playing. And they were saying, we knew punk rock happened but just didn't know any of the details. So I thought well, there you go. If ["Pistol" is]  informing a lot of people who wouldn't know anything about punk rock, maybe that's what's good about it.

Maybe down the road John Lydon will get the chance to do John's version of the Pistols story. Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow.

We had punk and metal over here in the States, but it feels like England it was legitimately more dangerous. British society was much more rigid.

It never went [as] mega in America. It went big in England. It exploded when the Pistols did that interview with [TV host Bill] Grundy, that lorry truck driver put his boot through his own TV, and all the national papers had "the filth and the fury" [headlines].

We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group. So it went really mega in England, and it affected the whole country – the style, the fashions, everything. I mean, the Ramones were massive in England. Devo had a No. 1 song [in England] with "Satisfaction" in '77. Actually, Devo was as big as or bigger than the Pistols.

You were ahead of the pop-punk thing that happened in the late '90s, and a lot of it became tongue-in-cheek by then. It didn't have the same sense of rebelliousness as the original movement. It was more pop.

It had become a style. There was a famous book in England called Revolt Into Style — and that's what had happened, a revolt that turned into style which then they were able to duplicate in their own way. Even recently, Billie Joe [Armstrong] did his own version of "Gimme Some Truth," the Lennon song we covered way back in 1977.

When we initially were making [punk] music, it hadn't become accepted yet. It was still dangerous and turned into a style that people were used to. We were still breaking barriers.

You have a band called Generation Sex with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I assume you all have an easier time playing Pistols and Gen X songs together now and not worrying about getting spit on like back in the '70s?

Yeah, definitely. When I got to America I told the group I was putting it together, "No one spits at the audience."

We had five years of being spat on [in the UK], and it was revolting. And they spat at you if they liked you. If they didn't like it they smashed your gear up. One night, I remember I saw blood on my T-shirt, and I think Joe Strummer got meningitis when spit went in his mouth.

You had to go through a lot to become successful, it wasn't like you just kind of got up there and did a couple of gigs. I don't think some young rock bands really get that today.

With punk going so mega in England, we definitely got a leg up. We still had a lot of work to get where we got to, and rightly so because you find out that you need to do that. A lot of groups in the old days would be together three to five years before they ever made a record, and that time is really important. In a way, what was great about punk rock for me was it was very much a learning period. I really learned a lot [about] recording music and being in a group and even writing songs.

Then when I came to America, it was a flow, really. I also really started to know what I wanted Billy Idol to be. It took me a little bit, but I kind of knew what I wanted Billy Idol to be. And even that took a while to let it marinate.

You and Miley Cyrus have developed a good working relationship in the last several years. How do you think her fans have responded to you, and your fans have responded to her?

I think they're into it. It's more the record company that she had didn't really get "Night Crawling"— it was one of the best songs on Plastic Hearts, and I don't think they understood that. They wanted to go with Dua Lipa, they wanted to go with the modern, young acts, and I don't think they realized that that song was resonating with her fans. Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song.

But at the same time, I enjoyed doing it. It came out really good and it's very Billy Idol. In fact, I think it’s more Billy Idol than Miley Cyrus. I think it shows you where Andrew Watt was. He was excited about doing a Billy Idol track. She's fun to work with. She’s a really great person and she works at her singing — I watched her rehearsing for the Super Bowl performance she gave. She rehearsed all Saturday morning, all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning and it was that afternoon. I have to admire her fortitude. She really cares.

I remember when you went on "Viva La Bam" back in 2005 and decided to give Bam Margera’s Lamborghini a new sunroof by taking a power saw to it. Did he own that car? Was that a rental?

I think it was his car.

Did he get over it later on?

He loved it. [Laughs] He’s got a wacky sense of humor. He’s fantastic, actually. I’m really sorry to see what he's been going through just lately. He's going through a lot, and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person, and it's a shame that he's struggling so much with his addictions. I know what it's like. It's not easy.

Musically, what is the synergy like with you guys during the past 10 years, doing Kings and Queens of the Underground and this new stuff? What is your working relationship like now in this more sober, older, mature version of you two as opposed to what it was like back in the '80s?

In lots of ways it’s not so different because we always wrote the songs together, we always talked about what we're going to do together. It was just that we were getting high at the same time.We're just not getting [that way now] but we're doing all the same things.

We're still talking about things, still [planning] things:What are we going to do next? How are we going to find new people to work with? We want to find new producers. Let's be a little bit more timely about putting stuff out.That part of our relationship is the same, you know what I mean? That never got affected. We just happened to be overloading in the '80s.

The relationship’s… matured and it's carrying on being fruitful, and I think that's pretty amazing. Really, most people don't get to this place. Usually, they hate each other by now. [Laughs] We also give each other space. We're not stopping each other doing things outside of what we’re working on together. All of that enables us to carry on working together. I love and admire him. I respect him. He's been fantastic. I mean, just standing there on stage with him is always a treat. And he’s got an immensely great sense of humor. I think that's another reason why we can hang together after all this time because we've got the sense of humor to enable us to go forward.

There's a lot of fan reaction videos online, and I noticed a lot of younger women like "Rebel Yell" because, unlike a lot of other '80s alpha male rock tunes, you're talking about satisfying your lover.

It was about my girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister. It was about how great I thought she was, how much I was in love with her, and how great women are, how powerful they are.

It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way. It was all about how relationships can free you and add a lot to your life. It was a cry of love, nothing to do with the Civil War or anything like that. Perri was a big part of my life, a big part of being Billy Idol. I wanted to write about it. I'm glad that's the effect.

Is there something you hope people get out of the songs you've been doing over the last 10 years? Do you find yourself putting out a message that keeps repeating?

Well, I suppose, if anything, is that you can come to terms with your life, you can keep a hold of it. You can work your dreams into reality in a way and, look, a million years later, still be enjoying it.

The only reason I'm singing about getting out of the cage is because I kicked out of the cage years ago. I joined Generation X when I said to my parents, "I'm leaving university, and I'm joining a punk rock group." And they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. Years ago, I’d write things for myself that put me on this path, so that maybe in 2022 I could sing something like "Cage" and be owning this territory and really having a good time. This is the life I wanted.

The original UK punk movement challenged societal norms. Despite all the craziness going on throughout the world, it seems like a lot of modern rock bands are afraid to do what you guys were doing. Do you think we'll see a shift in that?

Yeah.  Art usually reacts to things, so I would think eventually there will be a massive reaction to the pop music that’s taken over — the middle of the road music, and then this kind of right wing politics. There will be a massive reaction if there's not already one. I don’t know where it will come from exactly. You never know who's gonna do [it].

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