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After 30-plus years, drummer still enjoys keeping the beat for Tesla
Troy Luccketta’s life on the road has been amazing.
He’s been able to make a living providing for his family, as well as performing music.
“The tour is going great for about 30 years now,” he says with a laugh. “It’s pretty much like anything in life. You go through some trying times to figure it out. You get to a place where it’s not about you, and it’s better.”
Luccketta is the drummer for legendary rock band Tesla.
The band formed in Sacramento, Calif., in 1981 and has sold more than 14 million albums in the United States.
Tesla is known for such hits as “What You Give,” “The Way It Is,” “Ez Come Ez Go,” “Signs,” “Love Song” and “Little Suzi.”
Joining Luccketta in the band are Brian Wheat, Frank Hannon, Jeff Keith and Dave Rude.
Luccketta says the band has finished work on its forthcoming album, “Shock,” which is scheduled for a 2019 release.
The album was produced by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen.
“It’s been a couple of years in the making,” he says of the album. “The problem is we started writing and then we started tracking. Then we went on tour and had to finish it on the road in different locations. We decided to take our time with it.”
The band has been sitting on the tracks for nearly a year.
During its recent tours, Tesla hasn’t performed any of the new tracks.
“I was curious to see with the power of the internet, if the tracks would actually stay a secret,” he says. “Our record label instructed us not to let any of the tracks out. It hasn’t been too difficult. We don’t really show the record to anybody outside of the band. We’re waiting for a date to release the album in the new year.”
Luccketta says “Shock” is a different kind of album.
“I would say what ‘Hysteria’ was for Def Leppard, ‘Shock’ is for Tesla,” he says. “It’s a great record with songs that we’ve pushed ourselves with. We’ve done our part in creating music that we’re proud of. In today’s world, it’s difficult to get a classic rock band played on the radio. We have to think of other ways to get our music out there.”