The super group Manraze, featuring Def Leppard’s Phil Collen on guitar and vocals, Sex Pistol Paul Cook on drums, and ex-Girl Simon Laffy on bass, have recently released their second album titled, PunkFunkRootsRock.

One would think after nearly 30 years in the music business, Collen would be jaded and content to take the adulation and the big paycheck that comes from touring with Def Leppard. While he does love Lep, it is inspiring to see the inspiration Collen gets from writing, recording and performing with Manraze.

In the interview that follows, Collen is very open about how the new music is different than one would expect, and how the band, which despite the pedigree of the members, is looking for their big break. The band would love to tour but needs ears on the music in order to get the attention needed to make a splash.

Collen is also very excited about being in a three-piece band. He is full of energy and describes the experience of playing with only two other people with the same excitement as a six-year-old sitting on Santa’s lap unleashing a laundry list of hoped for toys on Christmas morning.

In this interview we don’t talk Def Leppard but instead focus on a new band that more people should know about, Manraze. The music is truly like the title of the album but it is also well written, flawlessly executed and sounds best cranked up loud. Read on to discover the other band in Phil Collen’s life. If you give this music a chance, then chances are you’ll become a fan.

Read the full interview here.