Steve Stevens Says Fall Out Boy Inspired Billy Idol For ‘The Roadside’

Steve Stevens, also known as Billy Idol’s guitar player, recently reflected on the making process of Billy Idol’s latest EP, ‘The Roadside,’ during an interview with Guitar Player. He revealed that Idol was heavily inspired by Fall Out Boy’s ‘Light ‘Em Up’ during this process.

Billy Idol released ‘The Roadside’ on September 17, 2021, which was his first release of new material since his 2014 album, ‘Kings & Queens of the Underground.’ It featured four tracks in total and was recorded during the pandemic. The EP generally received positive reviews from the critics and was praised for its vibrant sounds and powerful lyrics.

During his new interview, Steve Stevens opened up about the making process of the EP and how they decided on doing that. The guitarist explained that they had a lot of time due to the pandemic, so they could consider making a full or double album, but instead, they held on tightly with their original plan to record a four-song EP. Stevens also credited her wife, who encouraged them to go with a shorter new material. His wife told him that releasing singles is more popular in contemporary music, so they agreed on doing an EP.

Stevens highlighted that they had spent several months on various albums before, but the quality is not just about how much time you spend on it. They teamed up with the producer and musician Butch Walker, who worked with Fall Out Boy before. Stevens revealed that the song Walker did with Fall Out Boys, named ‘Light ‘Em Up,’ released as the lead single of the band’s 2013 album, ‘Save Rock and Roll,’ greatly inspired Billy Idol during the making process of the EP when he showed that to him.

Here is how Steve Stevens reflected on the inspiration behind Billy Idol’s latest EP:

“I heard a track that Butch did with Fall Out Boy called ‘Light ‘Em Up,’ and I thought it was fantastic. I mentioned it to Billy, and lo and behold, there we were.”

You can listen to ‘The Roadside’ through Spotify below.