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MC: You made your first real foray into politics this year, endorsing Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. What was that like for you?
Kid Rock: It was a great experience. I learned a lot about the whole poop show behind the political window. I always said I’d never sit there and preach politics, and I don’t believe I did. I might’ve slipped a few times here and there when someone caught me off guard, but it was never my intention. I leave that to the pros. I’m not going to be Bruce Springsteen and sit there and tell you what’s wrong with the country. My main thing in being there was to pick a side, because I believe you have to stand for something. I think it’s okay to disagree, and now that we’ve elected our president it’s time to move forward and give him a shot, and if you don’t agree in four years we’ll be able to do this process again. So many people have died to protect that, I think it’s important to be involved in some way. But it was pretty interesting overall. We had some fun doing it.
MC: Is it too soon to be thinking about a next album yet?
Kid Rock: Well, now that I’ve got the new studio and (engineers) there full time, we’ve got a lot of videos and live recordings and stuff I’d like to finally get to. And I’m planning to jump back into the studio in the next year and put another record out in the fall (of 2013). It’ll be my last record with Atlantic, and right now I’m thinking I might do a record like I’ve never done.
MC: That would be saying something.
Kid Rock: I know. (laughs) But what I’m thinking about is going out and getting some song submissions and doing four or five country tunes, country rockers, and getting a Nashville producers for those. Then I’ll get some of my old school buddies in the hip-hop business––Rev. Run, D-Nice, whoever––to write some rhymes for me and to produce four, five tracks of that. So it’d be half country, half hip-hop songs, I won’t write anything on it, turn it into Atlantic in the fall and be done. It would be interesting, that’s for sure. It would kind of go out on the weird side while I’m focusing on the next Kid Rock record after that.
MC: You’ve also mentioned re-recording Devil Without A Cause for its 15th anniversary (in 2013). What makes you want to do that?
Kid Rock: ‘Cause I’ll own it! (laughs) Obviously it’s a great incentive to make a record and own the masters to it, and it’s my biggest selling album to date. But, y’know, people who have seen us live know the versions we’re doing now of “Cowboy” and “Wasting Time” and “Bawtidaba,” “Bullgod,” “Only God Knows Why.” We’ve twisted them all up so much it’s very interesting, very cool, and I’d like to put them out like we do them now. I’m not gonna say they’ll be better than the originals. That’s tough to top. But I think there’s something special about them that people will dig. And I think “Wasting Time” could be a very big song the way we’re playing it now, without the Fleetwood Mac samples. I just think it could be fun.
MC: Would you think about playing Devil in its entirety live?
Kid Rock: Yeah, why not? That seems like a fun thing that fans seem to like with other bands doing it. Even though it’s not the most original idea at this point, I think it would be something cool for the fans to see.
MC: What do you see on the further horizon, after you finish your current deal?
Kid Rock: We’re always talking about it, and we’re still not sure yet. Maybe if I do my own label I’ll work twice as hard. Whatever happens, I know I’ll always keep releasing records and touring. I’d be happy to be blessed enough to keep my fan base and be able to tour. I would not be upset doing what Tom Petty does––just put out a fucking record, play one show to promote it and move on and forget about the radio and the political thing of going on this TV show or dealing with that magazine and having to have extra content and all that rigmarole. I’m fortunate enough to have that rigmarole, but also fortunate to be able to say, “Y’know what? Maybe I don’t have to have it.” So I’m not sure where it’s gonna go. I just want to be happy making music
