Despite being in the midst of his own “Sting 3.0 Tour,” Sting has been game to fill in for Neil Young & Crazy Horse at not one, but two festivals. He’ll be taking the stage at this week’s Ohana Festival, and last weekend, he admirably slotted in for NY&CH at Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival. As it happens, host of the Kyle Meredith With… podcast Kyle Meredith himself happens to live in Louisville, so he took the opportunity to catch up with Sting at the fest.
Sitting down backstage at the event, Sting discussed his new tour, which kicked off just a few days prior in Detroit. The trek sees one of the greatest bassists ever performing with just two other bandmates, his first time in a three-piece configuration “since the famous one,” as the former Police leader puts it. “The three of us love the clarity of the sound between the instruments, all the air between the instruments, which creates a lot of freedom. It’s not all clogged up with sound, but it’s loud and it’s clear, and I think the audience responds to that,” he says. “We have to work harder. There’s no safety net.”
He also touches on his new single, “I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart),” which he recently preformed on Colbert. “It’s a romantic song, but it’s noisy and very direct,” Sting explains. “This song is more complex than it sounds, actually. There are more chords in it than you would imagine, but it sounds simple. And I think that is the trick.”
Speaking of new music, he also addresses the recent news slipped by Dr. Dre that Sting will be featuring on Snoop Dogg’s new album. “Yes, I know him,” Sting says coyly of Dre. “If he says, I’m on the record that must be the truth. Sounds pretty good, actually — if it’s true.”
Watch Sting’s entire interview with Kyle Meredith from the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond Festival above. Then, snag yourself tickets to the “Sting 3.0 Tour” here.
Having trouble seeing the video above? Watch on YouTube.
