{"id":2221851,"date":"2026-01-04T17:26:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2221851"},"modified":"2026-01-04T17:26:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:26:55","slug":"alex-van-halen-and-steve-lukather-to-work-on-new-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/alex-van-halen-and-steve-lukather-to-work-on-new-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex Van Halen and Steve Lukather to work on new album"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"37b63531-d722-4200-bf04-2102de19ffe1\">Alex Van Halen says he\u2019s getting ready to make a new album with guitar ace Steve Lukather, a longtime friend of Alex and his brother, the late Eddie Van Halen.<\/p>\n<p>Talking with Iron Maiden\u2019s Nicko McBrain for the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ivRG5gH1uOE\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ivRG5gH1uOE\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em>Metal Sticks<\/em> podcast<\/a>, the Van Halen drummer offered few details about the project.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\" data-url=\"\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"37b63531-d722-4200-bf04-2102de19ffe1-2\">\u201cI\u2019m getting ready to do this record with Lukather and a couple other people,\u201d Van Halen said. \u201cIt should be exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Asked if they\u2019d begun rehearsing, Van Halen replied, \u201cNo, we don&#8217;t need to rehearse,\u201d and laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s a lot to be said for spontaneity,\u201d he added. \u201cThat&#8217;s how we did a lot of things together in the studio. [<em>Eddie<\/em>] would just play and we would just take snippets of it, and then you elaborate on little ideas and make a song out of it. Beethoven made a whole symphony out of [<em>snippets<\/em>],\u201d he added, before singing the opening notes from the composer\u2019s famed Fifth Symphony.<\/p>\n<p>Van Halen also spoke of his close friendship with Lukather.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you&#8217;re in this line of work\u2026 it goes beyond a superficial contract, and \u2018I want you to do this and do that.\u2019 We do it because we like something, or we want to do it because it&#8217;s creative. The moment you get into contracts that are very specific about what your role in the project is, it falls apart. That&#8217;s our experience anyway.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-YLFrcMyNcm8Gx2rLsQBH55\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-YLFrcMyNcm8Gx2rLsQBH55 slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cAnd we&#8217;ve known Lukather for a long time. He was one of the real, <em>real<\/em> true best friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"ivRG5gH1uOE\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-ivRG5gH1uOE\" data-yt-video-token=\"ivRG5gH1uOE\" title=\"Alex Van Halen joins Nicko McBrain, &amp; David Frangioni for the Season Finale of Metal Sticks - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">Alex Van Halen joins Nicko McBrain, &amp; David Frangioni for the Season Finale of Metal Sticks &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 4.903 56.85C7.6 149.68 15.553 157.681 25.65 160.4c18.3 4.934 91.682 4.934 91.682 4.934s73.383 0 91.682-4.934c10.098-2.718 18.049-10.72 20.748-20.882 4.904-18.421 4.904-56.85 4.904-56.85s0-38.431-4.904-56.85\"\/><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"m93.333 117.559 61.333-34.89-61.333-34.894z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"watch-on-youtube-ivRG5gH1uOE\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ivRG5gH1uOE\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ivRG5gH1uOE\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\">Watch On <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"youtube-logo\" viewbox=\"0 0 507.9 113.39\"><g fill=\"#fff\"><path d=\"M64.792 80.99V32.396l42.082 24.297zm93.803-63.285a20.285 20.285 0 0 0-14.32-14.32C131.642 0 80.99 0 80.99 0S30.337 0 17.705 3.385a20.286 20.286 0 0 0-14.32 14.32C0 30.338 0 56.693 0 56.693S0 83.049 3.385 95.68A20.285 20.285 0 0 0 17.705 110c12.632 3.386 63.285 3.386 63.285 3.386s50.652 0 63.285-3.386a20.284 20.284 0 0 0 14.32-14.32c3.385-12.632 3.385-38.988 3.385-38.988s0-26.355-3.385-38.988m94.473 74.326c.887-2.314 1.332-6.098 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1.68 4.982.849 1.041 2.16 1.564 3.938 1.564 2.392 0 4.035-.927 4.923-2.781.887-1.853 1.37-4.942 1.447-9.268l13.785.812c.077.62.116 1.469.116 2.548 0 6.565-1.795 11.47-5.387 14.712-3.589 3.242-8.669 4.865-15.232 4.865-7.876 0-13.398-2.47-16.564-7.414-3.168-4.94-4.75-12.586-4.75-22.935V63.589c0-10.657 1.641-18.436 4.924-23.342 3.281-4.903 8.9-7.355 16.854-7.355 5.482 0 9.691 1.004 12.626 3.012 2.933 2.01 5 5.137 6.197 9.383 1.197 4.247 1.796 10.117 1.796 17.607v12.163h-26.757m-284.953-1.33-18.187-65.68h15.869l6.37 29.77c1.623 7.339 2.82 13.594 3.591 18.766h.464c.54-3.706 1.738-9.922 3.591-18.65l6.603-29.886h15.869l-18.417 65.68v31.51h-15.754v-31.51M322.115 34.23v71.007h-12.511l-1.39-8.688h-.347c-3.399 6.564-8.496 9.845-15.291 9.845-4.71 0-8.185-1.543-10.425-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.359-7.915-3.359-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.348 5.426 1.043 6.776.695 1.353 1.853 2.027 3.475 2.027 1.39 0 2.722-.423 3.996-1.275 1.274-.849 2.22-1.928 2.838-3.241V34.229h15.986m81.995.001v71.007h-12.511l-1.391-8.688h-.345c-3.402 6.564-8.498 9.845-15.292 9.845-4.711 0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"3c3ac46d-2201-43a2-ac8a-247e09e9480b\">Van Halen\u2019s announcement is the first he\u2019s said about his work with Lukather in nearly a year. Last March, the drummer<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/alex-van-halen-steve-lukather-van-halen-album\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/alex-van-halen-steve-lukather-van-halen-album\"> <\/a>announced that he was working with the guitarist to create <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/alex-van-halen-steve-lukather-van-halen-album\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/alex-van-halen-steve-lukather-van-halen-album\">a new album of tracks from Eddie Van Halen\u2019s unfinished demos<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEd and Steve Lukather were very good friends, and they often worked together,\u201d Van Halen told the Dutch newspaper <em>De Telegraf<\/em>. \u201cThere is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Soon afterward, Lukather added context to Van Halen\u2019s announcement, noting that he would not be playing guitar on the album,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will not ever play a guitar note on a Van Halen song,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/steve-lukather-clarifies-role-in-new-van-halen-project\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/guitarists\/steve-lukather-clarifies-role-in-new-van-halen-project\">he said<\/a>. \u201cAl asked me to help him go thru a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that never saw the light of day. As of now that\u2019s all I got.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lukather and Eddie Van Halen first crossed paths on projects in the 1980s. Both men worked on Michael Jackson\u2019s \u201cBeat It,\u201d on which Eddie played the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/gear\/best-electric-guitars\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/gear\/best-electric-guitars\">electric guitar<\/a> solo <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/news\/quincy-jones-dies\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/news\/quincy-jones-dies\">at the invitation of producer Quincy Jones<\/a>. Eddie performed <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/gear\/best-bass-guitars\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/gear\/best-bass-guitars\">bass<\/a> on a song from Lukather\u2019s 1989 solo debut and contributed to a track on Luke\u2019s 2003 holiday album, <em>SantaMental<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very honored to have been Ed&#8217;s friend \u2014 really a friend,\u201d he told <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.metalmasterkingdom.com\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.metalmasterkingdom.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Metal Master Kingdom<\/a>, \u201cnot just a guitar buddy who had a beer with him once. [<em>There is<\/em>] 40-plus years with him, Al and I.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.guitarplayer.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alex Van Halen says he\u2019s getting ready to make a new album with guitar ace Steve Lukather, a longtime friend of Alex and his brother, the late Eddie Van Halen. Talking with Iron Maiden\u2019s Nicko McBrain for the Metal Sticks podcast, the Van Halen drummer offered few details about the project. \u201cI\u2019m getting ready to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2221852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2221851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Alex-Van-Halen-and-Steve-Lukather-to-work-on-new.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221851"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2221853,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221851\/revisions\/2221853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}