Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale explained in a recent interview with Alternative Addiction the events that followed leading him to record his first solo album. Turns out Rossdale actually offered to his former Bush bandmates to release the CD as a Bush album, but the band decided not to. “This record was nearly a Bush record,” explained Rossdale. “I asked [the band] if they wanted it to be a Bush record, I always do that, and I always want it to be a Bush record. I feel guilty when I do a record and I don’t offer it to them first.” Rossdale also made it clear that he is still very much in touch with his former bandmates. “I’m always open and available to them. I went through so much, how could you not?” As for the rumors that the band called it quits because they couldn’t get along, Rossdale wouldn’t deny there was issues, but they weren’t what tore the band apart. “We had our differences, but it was nothing that couldn’t have been worked out or shouldn’t have been worked out,” said Rossdale. The real reason Bush called it quits according to Rossdale was the toll that being in a high profile band like Bush had on its members. “It had to do with touring and people wanting to stay at home and not travel so much. Putting out records, going on the road it’s like you have to go into battle…taking your record out there, playing it’s a hard life and that’s why it’s not easy and it’s not for everyone.” After Bush released their last record together in 2003, Rossdale went on to form what he called a side project, a band called Institute. “It was something that I thought I could do in between doing a Bush record. I enjoyed it; it was like my tin machine,” said Rossdale. “It was this period in time of making a heavier record, and I thought if it had come out at a different time or under it different name it may have caught on, but that’s showbiz for you, and you’ve got to bounce back.” After Institute’s label had released just one single from their debut album, they asked Rossdale if he could write another song to be added to the record, a request that seemed a bit strange to Rossdale. “I was like, ‘the record has been out for six months,’ but they wanted me to do it anyway,” explained Rossdale. “So I gave them five songs because I wanted to get it right, and after hearing those songs they wanted me to do a solo record.” After that, Rossdale sat down and wrote 35 songs, 15 of which would wind up on his debut solo album. The label tapped producer Bob Rock, who co-produced the record with Rossdale. “It was a really great partnership, we brought the best out of each other,” said Rossdale. One of the things Rock encouraged Rossdale to do was to turn down the guitars a bit, which was somewhat of a new thing for Rossdale’s music. “It’s not like I am mellowing with age,” says Rossdale. “Its just that I did that really heavy institute record where the guitars are in your face and everyone ignored it. All I have ever done is sing to a distorted guitar so I wanted to change it up a little bit.” But Rossdale was quick to point out that although he tried new things on this album, it’s not a radical change musically. “It’s not that much, I was really free in Bush and I was lucky that I was in a situation where we all worked freely and did whatever we wanted to do, so it’s not crazily different.”