Replacements plan to record

The Replacements are considering making a new album, mainman Paul Westerberg has said.

But the most important thing to him about his reunion with bassist Tommy Stinson is that they’ve rekindled the friendship they’d lost.

The pair got back together in 2012 to make a fundraising covers EP for guitarist Slim Dunlap, who’d suffered a severe stroke. That led to their live return last year, and more shows are on the cards.

Westerberg tells Rolling Stone: “We were talking to Slim when he was in the hospital and I was like, ‘Should we play?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, play.’”

It’s proved to be more fruitful than he could ever have imagined. “It’s good to wake up and go, ‘God, I’m late – I have somewhere to go,’” he reflects.

Guns N’ Roses bassist Stinson says his old friend spent many years finding it difficult to collaborate. “He was doing stuff in the basement by himself, instead of making records with other people. The artistic palette just kinda dries up. But I think he’s gotten around that corner.”

Westerberg says of their relationship: “We’ll call each other up when things go south, because we know we can get a laugh out of each other. Sometimes it’s worth all the money and kissing and hugging in the world.”

Stinson adds: “I think we got to realise we might need each other a bit.”

There’s no timetable for recording work, but tentative song titles include Are You In It For The Money? and Dead Guitar Player. The current lineup is completed by drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Dave Minehan.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.