Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan recently addressed the band’s ongoing search for a new lead singer. He revealed new details about the process.
Bolan discussed how the search has progressed since the band began looking for a replacement for former singer Erik Grönwall, who fronted the band from 2022 to 2024. When asked about the latest developments in the search, Bolan gave the following response.
Question: “What’s the latest on Skid Row’s lead singer search?”
“It’s going, man,” Bolan said. “We’re pretty keen on a couple of people right now. We received about 400 video submissions that we’ve gone through, and there have been 25 outside of the Sweetwater campaign, you know, just word-of-mouth kind of things. We’ve come across four or five people we thought might work.”
Bolan went on to explain that the band isn’t focused on finding a famous name to fill the role. However, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a high-profile addition.
“For the most part, no one knew Erik, but it worked out great,” Bolan continued. “We’re not worried about or looking for someone with celebrity or history. But sure, if Steven Tyler came along and said, ‘Hey, let me sing!’ we’d be like, ‘Okay!'”
The search Bolan describes has been unfolding for nearly two years. The numbers he cited only tell part of the story behind Skid Row’s hunt for a permanent frontman.
Grönwall’s exit from the band in 2024 stemmed from health complications tied to his prior battle with leukemia. The demands of touring life ultimately proved too much for him to continue in the role. Following his departure, Skid Row didn’t rush into a permanent replacement. Instead, the band recruited Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale as a stand-in vocalist for a run of shows. This gave them time to figure out their next move without pressure to make an immediate decision.
That patience eventually led to the band’s partnership with Sweetwater, the online musical instrument and pro-audio retailer. This partnership powered the massive submission campaign Bolan referenced. The initiative opened auditions to aspiring vocalists worldwide. It turned what could have been a quiet internal search into a global casting call. The nearly 400 video submissions Bolan mentioned reflect just how much interest the opportunity generated. The band has since moved into more hands-on evaluation, including in-person audition phases with its top candidates.
As for the celebrity name Bolan jokingly floated, Steven Tyler’s own situation makes such a scenario unlikely in practice. Tyler suffered a vocal cord injury and a fractured larynx just three shows into Aerosmith’s 2023 farewell tour. The injury forced the cancellation of the run and led to the band’s announced retirement from touring. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has since said the group is “definitely not in touring mode,” even as Tyler continues focused vocal rehabilitation.
Skid Row’s search for a permanent frontman continues as the band reviews the submissions and candidates gathered so far. Further updates on the band’s decision may follow.
