Billy Idol’s voice crackles down the line, equal parts punk snarl and friendly charisma, as he opens up about his latest project, The Roadside EP. It’s been seven years since his last album, Kings and Queens of the Underground, and the world’s changed a bit since then, but Idol’s unflappable energy hasn’t. He’s as sharp and curious as ever, combining his love of rock and roll’s grit with the forward-thinking experimentation that’s always defined his career.
“When the pandemic hit, we thought, ‘Let’s just quarantine together and make music,’” Idol tells Kyle Meredith of the EP’s creation. “We needed something to keep us moving forward.” The four-track release reflects that sense of urgency, its songs leaping between moods and styles: the haunting reflection of “Bitter Taste,” the playful romp of “Baby Put Your Clothes Back On,” the 80s throwback swagger of “You Don’t Have to Kiss Me,” and the cinematic drama of “Rita Hayworth.” True to form, Idol and longtime guitarist Steve Stevens packed a lot into these 15 minutes of music.
“We’ve always gone all over the map, musically,” Idol admits. “It’s part of who I am. Growing up, British radio was so eclectic. You’d hear Jimi Hendrix next to The Supremes, Wilson Pickett next to some bubblegum pop song. That kind of mix has always stayed with me.”
But The Roadside EP isn’t just a pandemic project—it’s a personal one. “Bitter Taste,” the EP’s standout track, revisits the 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly ended Idol’s life and career. “It was a turning point for me,” he says. “I had to take stock, rethink what I wanted my life to be. Writing about it now felt right because everyone’s been going through a reckoning of some kind these last few years.”
The song’s sparse arrangement underscores its raw emotion, Idol’s voice laced with both regret and resilience. “I didn’t want it to be directly about the pandemic,” he explains, “but I hoped people could connect with it in their own way. It’s about surviving, moving forward. I’m a million miles away from that accident now, and I’m grateful for that.”
Of course, looking back is nothing new for Idol. His 1993 album Cyberpunk—a misunderstood, genre-bending opus—has taken on a cult status over the years, thanks in part to its eerie prescience about technology and culture. “It was a wild time,” Idol recalls. “I was coming off the accident, and I was reading all this cyberpunk literature—William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, people like that. It just lit my imagination on fire.”
Initially conceived as a soundtrack for a planned sequel to Lawnmower Man, Cyberpunk became something much bigger. “The studio nixed the movie, but I was already deep into this idea of using the record to explore what was coming—how technology was going to change everything,” Idol says. “We were experimenting with Pro Tools, home recording setups, all this cutting-edge stuff. I wanted to see what would happen if you mixed rave culture with rock and roll.”
The result was divisive at the time, but Idol sees it differently. “I was pulling from all over—rave, techno, modern primitives, meditation, even the L.A. riots. It was messy, but it was honest. And look where we are now. Everyone’s making music in their bedrooms. The things we were playing with then are the norm today.”
He chuckles, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. “I was one of the first artists to put an internet address on an album cover. Back then, people thought I was nuts. Now it’s second nature.”
That willingness to break the mold continues with The Roadside EP. Even a track like “Baby Put Your Clothes Back On” tweaks the Idol archetype. “It’s a little unexpected, isn’t it?” he laughs. “The old me would’ve been tearing clothes off, not putting them back on! But it’s fun to flip the script. It’s got a serious side, too. Sometimes you value a connection so much you don’t want to mess it up by taking it somewhere else.”
For Idol, fun and experimentation go hand in hand. “I like messing with the image of Billy Idol,” he admits. “Why not? It keeps things interesting. Even ‘You Don’t Have to Kiss Me,’ that’s a bit of a throwback to the 80s sound, but it’s also playful. I don’t take myself too seriously.”
Another playful twist? Signing with Dhani Harrison’s Dark Horse Records, a label that includes luminaries like George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and Joe Strummer. “It’s amazing company to be in,” Idol says. “Dhani’s a musician himself, so he gets it. He cares about the music.”
As Idol looks ahead, he’s already plotting his next move. “We’ve got another EP on the way,” he reveals. “Hopefully out by the time we head to Europe next summer. The plan is to do three EPs and then combine them into an album. It keeps the momentum going.”
And momentum is something Idol knows all about. Whether he’s revisiting his punk roots, diving into electronic experiments, or cranking out arena anthems, his drive to evolve remains undiminished. “I’ve never been about staying in one place,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to push forward, see what’s next.”
It’s that spirit that’s kept Idol relevant for over four decades. As he says goodbye, there’s a smile in his voice. “What’s the point of doing this if you’re not having fun?”
Listen to the interview above and music video below.
