PR.com (Allison Kugel): Where are you right now?

Bret Michaels: We are actually in the lovely city of Nashville, Tennessee, one of my favorite cities. I was down here finishing up some work on a solo record that comes out in the fall. It's called Custom Build.

PR.com: And right now you're touring with Poison?

Bret Michaels: Yeah. Poison is out all summer long until September 3rd in Atlanta at the HiFi Buys Amphitheatre. That's the last show.

PR.com: Since you mentioned Nashville, in my research I noticed that although you're a rock musician there's a strong country music connection in there. What's the country music connection about?

Bret Michaels: For me it's very big. First and foremost I love rock music in all its forms! I love a good distorting guitar and good melody. I like good melody and that's where my connection to country is. When I grew up, my father was a huge country music fan. He likes the old school traditional stuff. When I was growing up my mom was big into a lot of what I call hippie folk-esque music, [like] James Taylor. I think that's led to what I bring to the band, which is not only just a sense of good rock music, but a good sense of being able to tell a story whether it's funny, sexual, deep… I'm able to complete the story with the lyrics and the melody.

PR.com: Was music something your parents were very passionate about when you were growing up?

Bret Michaels: Only on a listening level. My mother played acoustic guitar and I got guitar lessons when I was a kid. One of the first instruments I learned to play really well was the harmonica (laughs). How un-cool of an instrument is that when you're a kid?! I'd be like, "Can I be the harm player?" and they're like, "No one in this band needs a harm player." (Laughs) My dad loves harmonica because every old country song had a harmonica player. Then I picked up the guitar realizing that was going to get me much more attention from the girls, if I was standing in the front of the stage with a guitar. And then the realization hit me that the singer seems to get the most attention (laughs).

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