A brief chat with UFO

British classic rockers UFO are back with a new album, A Conspiracy of Stars, so we had a chat with new-boy bassist Rob De Luca about the band and everything going on within it.B

Yellow Scene: Tell me about the album and how the band has changed since the last one…

Rob De Luca: There are three big changes from the last record. The first one is, it’s a different producer. We went with Chris Tsangarides – he’s known for his work with Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy, so he’s definitely a rock guy and a good choice. He did a really great job, so that’s a big change from the previous records that were done with the same German producer. The second change is we rehearsed it live – we worked up the songs live in a room. The third thing is that I’m on this record and I wasn’t on the previous records.

YS: UFO doesn’t have any tour dates announced yet?

RDL: We just did Europe and on Tuesday we leave for the UK tour. I think we should do the US in 2015 but they haven’t announced anything yet.

YS: You’ve been in since 2008 – how does it feel to step into a band with such a history?

RDL: I think I bring a lot of solidity and character to the bass playing. That’s definitely my strength. Those are simple but very important aspects of being a rock bass player.

YS: What had you done before?

RDL: I’ve been touring with Sebastian Bach on and off for the last ten years, I’m an original member of a band called Spread Eagle, I played with George Lynch, I was a Blackheart with Joan Jett, I played in Helmet – a lot of stuff. It’s all good stuff – I feel very blessed, I work very hard, and I try to make the most of opportunities.

YS: How do you see the band progressing now that you’re in the ranks?

RDL: The guys are in their mid-60’s and up. There are still three original members in the band which is pretty impressive. That gives it a lot of honesty. It’s still consistent to their legacy. I hope we’re still going for a while. I feel that we’ll make another record and it’ll be great. I hope we have a lot of years left. This record, A Conspiracy of Stars, is getting really great reviews, saying that we’re back to the classic form of UFO. I think we’re on to a good, strong formula right now and I’m excited about it.