By Amanda Wicks
Things seemed shaky for Jon Bon Jovi in 2014 when Richie Sambora suddenly decided to quit Bon Jovi, but since then he’s recovered and moved on to record new music.
Related: Bon Jovi Hits Broadway to Play New Album
Speaking with Billboard in a new interview, Bon Jovi opened up about his new album This House is Not for Sale, and how he worked out several personal issues — including Sambora’s exit — through song. “This House Is Not For Sale could not be more personal,” he said, “that’s me banging on my chest saying ‘my integrity is not to be compromised.'”
While the album may be personal, Bon Jovi emphasized how the entire band played a greater role in shaping the music than in the past. “This was more of a band record than I have made over the last three or four [records],” he explained. “What I mean by that was the guys were in the room the whole time. Some songs, from the notebook to the studio floor, took on a different life because of the band, where on the previous three records that would not have been the case. The record-making process changed with this album.”
Regarding Sambora’s role on past albums, Bon Jovi revealed, “Richie did participate in the record-making [in the past], but it was always me and [guitarist John] Shanks at the hip, and then Richie second to that, and then [keyboardist] David [Bryan] and [drummer] Tico [Torres]. David really filled that void left by Richie and took on a whole different leadership role in the studio, and it was a welcome addition.”
