IRON MAIDEN's STEVE HARRIS Will Have A 'Pretty Busy Year' In 2017

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris was interviewed by Planet Rock‘s Paul Anthony when Harris‘s solo/side project BRITISH LION headlined the Planet Rockstock festival on Saturday, December 3 at Trecco Bay, South Wales, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about BRITISH LION‘s upcoming live album, Harris said: “It’ll be out hopefully… Well, it’ll be out at some point next year. And then we’ll do a second studio album as well. And so, with MAIDEN and everything else, it’s gonna be a pretty busy year for me. But, you know, I just love every minute of it, really.”

Harris also talked about BRITISH LION‘s musical direction, Steve said: “I think it’s gotten more powerful as we’ve gone on. It’s just evolving in a natural way, so that seems to be the way it’s going. It’s got loads of melody, obviously, but I don’t think there’s too many bands out there at the moment playing with loads of melody — heavy, but loads of melody, kind of [more on the] rock [side] but heavier. I don’t know, really. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m not keeping up with what’s going on, perhaps. But that’s what I think.”

According to Harris, BRITISH LION has written “about eight” songs so far for the band’s sophomore album, including “Spitfire” and “Bible Black”, which the group first performed live last year. “And then there’s two or three [other tracks] that we’ve gotta sort of finish off bits on them, and then we’re pretty well there,” Harris explained. “So, yeah, there’s not too much [left] to do.”

BRITISH LION‘s debut album sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

“British Lion” was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Mixed by Kevin Shirley — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — the CD features Harris alongside singer Richard Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson.