Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto ( Sons of Apollo, WET ) have announced a joint project, Ellefson-Soto . To celebrate the news, the duo released their first single, which you can listen to below.
"Swords & Tequila," by Riot , has been given a new version now in the hands of Ellefson-Soto, and also features Andy Martongelli, guitarist for Ellefson's solo band, Paolo Caridi on drums, and Rick Hughes on vocals. The reinterpretation was produced by Ellefson and Martongelli, mixed by Alessio Garavello , and mastered by Elia Turra.
Speaking about the new project, Ellefson said: “Jeff and I have been friends for so many years that it’s great to finally collaborate on some material together. He has such a distinctive voice and a style that’s perfect for some new ideas that my guitarist Andy Martongelli and I are composing. We’re excited about the progress of all of this and I thought this would be the perfect time to give a little preview.”
Soto adds: “As COVID-19 became a major negative worldwide, it gave many artists the chance to finally collaborate with each other, something that would never have happened otherwise. Since I've known David for many years, I knew from other jobs outside of our day labor that we could come up with some amazing music. And here we are, sharing our cool little secret.”
Ellefson explained the reason for choosing the Riot Games song: “'Swords & Tequila', like the Fire Down Under , shows the band delivering their turbulent, high-energy rock and roll like no other band in the United States was doing at that time. It's an honor to offer them the well-deserved reverence, as well as a reminiscent tribute to the mighty Guy Speranza , who led the band like a god during that period.”
