Famously recognized as guitarist of the legendary Iron Maiden, Adrian Smith is an individual is most happy when he is creative. A key contributing in the writing of some Iron Maiden’s most iconic songs such as 1983’s “Flight of Icarus,” 1984’s “2 Minutes to Midnight” 1986’s “Wasted Years” 1988’s “The Evil That Men Do,” among others, Smith has also spread his talents among various other projects.
Working with projects such as A.S.a.P. and Psycho Motel (both possessing more Progressive Rock elements), he also teamed with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson for two stellar albums (1997’s Accident of Birth and 1998’s The Chemical Wedding), and he worked with Mikee Goodman of Sikth in Primal Rock Rebellion. Always seeking new avenues, fast forward to more recent years, Smith has continued to be a vital part of Iron Maiden, released a book about his love for fishing in 2020 entitled Monsters of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler, and teamed with the esteemed Richie Kotzen for an exciting new band they call Smith/Kotzen.
Debuting in 2021 with their self-titled album, the new endeavor struck a good amount of interest, and now in 2025, they return with album number two, Black Light/White Noise. A unique pairing where the two share vocals, production, and songwriting, it has become a match made in heaven. Feeling artistic, satisfied, and inspired by his work with Richie Kotzen, Adrian Smith recently took some time to discuss the collaboration, his past experiences, fulfillment, and more.
Cryptic Rock – Last we spoke in 2020, you had just released your book Monsters of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler. Since that time, you have kept busy with Iron Maiden and also worked with Richie Kotzen on some music. How did you two connect, and what has it been like working together?
Adrian Smith – I live in England most of the time, but I got a bit fed up with the weather in England. Probably fifteen years ago, I got a place in California. I live part-time in Los Angeles. There’s a big community of musicians on the West Coast. I met Richie; he ended up living relatively close to me, became friends, and started jamming, etc.
We like the same kind of music. My wife (who manages me as well) heard us playing together, and she said, “Why aren’t you guys trying to write some songs together?” That was back in 2018. We got together, just me and Richie, and he’s got a great studio in his house. By the first day of writing, we had two songs: a song called “Running” and a song called “Scars.” That was the cornerstone of the first album (2021’s Smith/Kotzen). That’s how we started off. Then it just went from there, really.
Cryptic Rock – It is interesting to hear how it all happened. You released the debut self-titled record in 2021, and now you are back four years later with this record, Black Light/White Noise. This new album sounds different than the first record. Would you say that is an accurate assessment?
Adrian Smith – Yes. It’s slightly different. It was mixed by a different guy called Jay Ruston. Kevin Shirley did the first album. That’s the difference right there. Also, in the writing, this second album is more of an up-tempo Rock album. The emphasis is still very much on songs. It’s definitely a more up-tempo album, though.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. Black Light/White Noise has a lot of energy. This is different than your work with Iron Maiden. It is always nice to have other variables to work with. What has it been like having that alternative outlet to create?
Adrian Smith – Oh, yeah. I’m happy when I’m being creative, working, and making music. That’s when I’m happiest. It’s nice to have the opportunity to do it outside of Iron Maiden, which I also love. I grew up listening to the music of the ’70s, particularly bands like Free, Bad Company, Deep Purple, and Humble Pie. I loved all those bands. Working with Richie allows me to tap into that bit because what we do is basically heavy, Blues Rock.
Having said that, we’re taking that and trying to take it to the next level, just using that as an inspiration. Certainly, those are my inspirations; you’d have to ask Richie what his is. Trying to create something new, put a new slant on it. That’s what we’re trying to do.
Cryptic Rock – You have accomplished that. Black Light/White Noise is exciting, and the production responsibilities are split between the two of you. What has it been like to have that equal partnership working out songs and laying out the production?
Adrian Smith – It’s just me and Richie in the studio. There’s no engineer. There’s no producer. There’s no band. It’s just him and me. When it comes time to get drums, Richie will lay down a drum track because he plays quite well, or we’ll get someone in to play.
The same with bass, either Richie or I’ll play bass, or Julia Lage (who’s Richie’s wife and also our touring bass player). She had played on five of the songs. We just sat there and we’re focused. We write and perform as we go along. We build the songs up. Then, when it’s time for a vocal, I usually say, “Well, I’ve got an idea for this,” and I’ll sing a bit, and then Richie will sing a bit. It’s something that we don’t really debate or talk about a lot. We just do it. That’s the beauty of it.
Cryptic Rock – It sounds like a relaxed situation.
Adrian Smith – It is. With Maiden, there are sometimes twenty people in the studio; six band members, roadies everywhere. You’ve got a producer, an assistant producer, and his assistant. It’s a lot of people.
It’s a totally different vibe with Richie and me. I enjoy the way we record it. It allows you to really focus on the song.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely, and it came out well. You spoke about taking on some vocals, and Richie takes on vocals, too. Richie’s a different type of vocalist than you’ve worked with in the past with Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di’Anno. Richie has a very bluesy, compelling voice. What has it been like working opposite his vocal style?
Adrian Smith – Yeah, he’s incredible. He’s got range. People thought of him as a shredder when he was young. He was one of the first of the shredding guitarists. I think he always wanted to write songs and sing. He found his voice. He’s done a lot of solo records. He’s worked on his voice probably more than I have.
He studied technique, and he has a lot more technique than I do. I started singing out of necessity when I was a kid because no one else wanted to. I learned to play the guitar as I went along. Right up until I joined Iron Maiden, when I was twenty-four, I had always been the lead singer in a band that played guitar. When I joined Maiden, I stopped doing it.
I picked it up again in the ’90s when I wasn’t with Maiden. I had a couple of bands. It’s always been in my blood. My ideal situation has always been to be in a band with another singer so we could swap vocals, harmonize, and all that. It’s great not having to carry the whole thing on your own shoulders, and you could share the burden. I think it’s interesting. Not many people are doing it either.
Cryptic Rock – That is true. It is not something you see very often anymore.
Adrian Smith – No. I can’t think of many bands that have had two singers. Let’s face it, two singers usually would be a recipe for disaster because they’d both be fighting for the spotlight. For some reason, it works with Richie and me.
Cryptic Rock – That is great. We all know John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and The Beatles.
Adrian Smith – There you go! Classic example. Yeah.
Cryptic Rock – Exactly. It is excellent that collaboration with Richie has worked so well. Sometimes, when someone starts a project, you are unsure whether it will be a one-off thing. Was this something that you and Richie had said you were going to continue along with and release more music?
Adrian Smith – Yeah. It’s always been in my mind. We’re even thinking about another one now. I’ll sit down in my studio, pick up a guitar, and I think, “That’d be great for Richie and me to do this kind of song.” I definitely see more stuff happening in the future. Why not? If people are digging it and we’re enjoying doing it, it’s a win-win.
Cryptic Rock – Why not! Are you going to do any live shows for this album and its music?
Adrian Smith – We’re looking at the beginning of 2026 because I’m quite busy this year with Maiden. Richie’s going to do his own tour. We’re thinking about the early part of 2026 to go out and do some touring.
We toured a little bit on the first album. We did about twelve shows, and we had such fun. We thought we got to do this again. I think these new songs from the new album would be great to play live. I’d love to do them live. We’re looking forward to that.
Cryptic Rock – That is something to look forward to, for sure. It’s a different atmosphere because when you are playing with Iron Maiden, you are sometimes in massive venues with tens of thousands of spectators.
Adrian Smith – Yeah. Richie and I, when we went out with that, we did big clubs and small theaters. It was great. I haven’t done that for years. We travel on a bus. It was like going back to basics. It was great fun. There is something magical about heavy music in a small place. It really shakes the rafters in the building and vibrates around the whole place. I enjoy playing big places in Maiden as well, but it’s almost a different mindset.
Cryptic Rock – Right. That is a surreal thing to have that kind of energy. What is that like, playing in front of thousands upon thousands of people?
Adrian Smith – We’ve played football stadiums, sixty thousand people down in South America. It’s incredible, the energy from the crowd. If you thought about it too much, you’d probably drive yourself crazy. It would just be too much. You just go out and do what you do.
With Maiden, we got a big production. You need a big production in a big place because not everyone can see you up close. You have to really project. When you’re playing in a club, it’s just you, you’re singing, and you’re playing the guitar. That’s what you stand or fall on.
Cryptic Rock – Like you said, you cannot get too inside your own head; otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy.
Adrian Smith – Exactly. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I do beat myself up a bit. That’s the way it is.
Cryptic Rock – Understood. So, how does the creative process start for you and Richie? Do you guys hang out and carve out some song ideas?
Adrian Smith – We do hang out, but we won’t be writing. We go to dinner, and wives are friends as well. We’re friends outside of the music. When it comes time to do it, we’ve got a deadline. That’s when your brain kicks into gear. It’s always good to have a deadline that focuses you on getting the job done.
Cryptic Rock – Right. It seems like an excellent relationship. As you said, you have known each other for quite a while now. Now that you have completed these two records, do you ever stop and wonder what took so long to do this? It seemed like it was a great opportunity.
Adrian Smith – Yeah. I wish I’d have found someone like Richie years ago. Like I say, I’ve always wanted to be in a band with myself and another singer. It’s a very fine balance. You’ve got to find the right person. It is what it is, and you’ve just got to make the best of it when it comes along.
Cryptic Rock – That is a good thing. Another notable aspect of Black Light/White Noise is the underlying lyrical theme that runs throughout this album. It seems like there’s an interconnection lyrically.
Adrian Smith – Yeah, maybe. The subject matter is more about different ways of looking at things. It’s more rooted in a sort of reality. It’s not an escapist kind of lyrics. We do spend a lot of time on the lyrics, trying to come up with a good idea. Richie’s very good at lyrics.
You finish a song to a point where it sounds good, but you haven’t got any words to go with it, and that’s the icing on the cake. Sometimes you come up with a title, and then you’ve got to make sense of it. You come up with a good title like White Noise or Black Light, and you just have to weave a story around it. We do spend a lot of time. It’s important, lyrics that people hopefully can relate to. There’s a song on there called “Dark Side,” for example, “I’m on the dark side of the street. I’m down on my luck. I need a helping hand.” I think people can relate to that.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. The music makes the lyrics that much more potent. The other thing is that the production for Black Light/White Noise is quite warm. Many modern Rock-n-Roll productions lately seem overly processed, and everything is just too perfect. There is dynamics and a balance with this album.
Adrian Smith – I totally agree. The style of modern music today is creeping into Rock music. Pop music has been so processed with the advent of digital recording. It’s processed, computerized, and done to a grid. Everything is tuned to perfection. It ain’t Rock-n-Roll. Rock-n-Roll is supposed to be a little bit rough around the edges.
We try to keep it real. There are no massive stacked-up guitars. There are only two guitars, a little bit of overdubs in the solos and vocals. We’re trying to keep it basic and keep it real. There’s too much nowadays. Everything, like food, is processed these days. You’ve got to get to the real stuff. It’s good for you!
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