It’s been more than 30 years since Gavin Rossdale helped form Bush, the rock band behind such hits as “Glycerine,” “Swallowed” and “Comedown.” But the British-born rocker has hardly been one to rest on his laurels.
Rossdale, 58, stays busy on several fronts. For starters, he continues with Bush, which will be releasing a greatest-hits album, called “Loaded,” on Nov. 10. The band has gone through different incarnations and took a seven-year break at one point, but as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Rossdale has remained the core that keeps it together.
At the same time, Rossdale has a range of other pursuits. He has a clothing line, called Sea of Sound. He’s a passionate cook and is developing his own food television program, featuring high-profile guests (he got Tom Jones to stop by for a meal). He’s also active with Artist for Action, a group of musicians committed to preventing gun violence in America.
Oh, and he’s a proud dad — he has three children from his former marriage to fellow rocker Gwen Stefani. His oldest son, Kingston Rossdale, is closely following in his footsteps as a musician, in fact.
MarketWatch caught up recently with Rossdale to ask about his life and work, as well as to hear his money-related views. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation:
MarketWatch: In what way do you have to be a smart businessman to keep a band going for so long?
Rossdale: Well, thank you, because if you’re calling me a smart businessman, I’ll take it. Quality is the key for me. I’ve always looked at it like a carousel. You try and keep the quality as high as you can, and the way that life works is that sometimes you come into the light and everyone can see what you’re doing. And other times it goes into the darkness. The crucial thing I’ve always felt was that you need to be as good when you’re out of the light as when you are in the light.
MW: You’re in New York City to appear with Artist for Action, a group that aims to prevent gun violence. Why is this is an important issue for you?
Rossdale: I think it’s an essential issue for all of us. If you’re not part of some kind of solution or discussion, you’re complicit. We’ve seen so much gun violence in America. I’ve got loads of kids. I have godchildren. I have friends with kids…the idea that kids are under the potential threat of this sort of madness doesn’t make sense.
MW: Talk a little bit about the cooking show that you’re developing, and the idea of featuring a celebrity guest on each episode.
Rossdale: I’ve always loved to cook. I love the alchemy of cooking. I think it’s a magical hobby. And I think there’s just something so great about breaking bread with people. You really find out some great stuff. Tom Jones was the first guest I had, and we talked about his growing up in Wales, his dad being a coal miner. Jones is a legend for us [in England]. He’s like our Elvis. And he still rocking it, looking amazing. I sang with Tom on the show. God, that was amazing. You feel a bit stupid singing with Tom, ’cause he’s so good.
MW: Your children have shown an interest in a career in music. What advice do you give them?
Rossdale: Don’t suck. My 17-year-old son Kingston is doing it, but he’s not supposed to lean on me. He’s supposed to find it out himself. And that gives an authenticity to it that I really respect. He goes off and he works with different songwriters to come back with a great song. I love it, because it’s so good and you don’t expect your kid to be that good. It’s straight-up incredible melodies this kid comes up with, like a legit hit record.
MW: When you’ve talked about raising your kids with your former wife, Gwen Stefani, you’ve talked about it not in terms of co-parenting, but just parenting. What’s the difference?
Rossdale: The difference is communication. So yeah, we just don’t communicate. I just do it how I do it, and she does it how she does it.
MW: Bush’s forthcoming greatest-hits album features a new song, “Nowhere to Go But Everywhere.” What was the idea behind it?
Rossdale: It’s a song that sort of galvanized the whole range of three decades of our music, what would speak to the beginnings of the band and what would speak to where we are now. And I don’t really know how I did it, but somehow I feel like I cracked it. It just makes me happy to sing and play the song.
MW: What’s the best piece of business advice you ever got?
Rossdale: John McEnroe once told me to buy oil paintings, which I think was a really good bit of advice. We were discussing art one night at a club. I had seen some lithographs I liked. He said, “Buy oils.” And he was right.
MW: A favorite thing you like to splurge on?
Rossdale: Entertaining. Just going out and having fun and living that sort of life of having large dinners with people. That is always time so well spent, and I’m lucky enough to do it.
MW: Conversely, what’s something you hate spending money on?
Rossdale: I hate spending money on lawyers, because the whole legal system is based around perpetuating the issue so that nothing really gets resolved. And you sort of wish you could have the conversations outside of a legal office to just get to the heart of the matter.
MW: Do you think you’ll ever retire?
Rossdale: It’s funny because in a way, even though I have a job, having chosen music has always felt like not having a job. Like, I’ve never traditionally had a boss. I’m just self-employed, and that’s been a great relief.
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