Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators release “Flying Blind” on Gibson Records

SMKC are back with a taste of their new album, and details of an extensive 2027 world tour

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators have shared the first single from their highly anticipated fifth album, due to arrive on February 26, 2027, via Gibson Records. The new single, "Flying Blind," also serves as the title track for the forthcoming record. Watch the music video for "Flying Blind," shot at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, by hitting the play button above.

Recorded largely live with longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette at Studio Barbarosa in Florida, the 12-track album marks their first full-length studio release since their acclaimed 2022 album, 4, also released via Gibson Records. Baskette previously produced SMKC's World on Fire in 2014 and Living the Dream in 2018. The band-completed by Todd Kerns on bass, Brent Fitz on drums, and Frank Sidoris on rhythm guitar-made the bulk of the new record in approximately one week, often recording two songs a day thanks to their winning creative formula: performing together in the same room and simply seeing what sticks.

Speaking about the origins of the first single, Slash explains: "Created in the studio while we were standing there in pre-production, a riff came to me and started developing. I had nothing of that song prior to those guys coming in, and then we started up a night of rehearsal and played that riff. It came together really quickly. As for it being the first single, you never know what the first single is going to be until you've recorded it. When I started thinking about it, 'Flying Blind' just seemed to have the right kind of melodic sensibilities and a hook to make it single material."

Myles goes on to explain how the title track's name hints at the shortcuts people sometimes take in their search for fulfillment in life: "I really enjoyed putting a melody to this song," he shares. "The way the chord progression starts in the beginning has a nice flow to it. The lyric is about how sometimes people try to take shortcuts and try to find the easy way to achieve happiness or enlightenment."

Slash describes the forthcoming album on the whole as "a really fun, kind of spontaneous rock 'n' roll record" that is "straightforward, down-to-earth and raw." Going into the sessions, he gave Baskette two key instructions: keep the recording as live as possible, and do not overwork the performances afterward. "He really adhered to that," Slash says. "It worked out great."

SMKC have also announced a 2027 world tour in support of the record, which will launch in Latin America in March, reach North America on April 23, and continue through the United Kingdom and Europe. The North American tour includes two nights at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, as well as performances at New York City's Beacon Theatre, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, Boston's House of Blues, Denver's Fillmore Auditorium, and other landmark venues.

Tickets go on general sale on October 9 and can be purchased via the official Slash website. Fans also have the chance to meet Slash backstage at Cardiff Castle in Wales thanks to a special charitable sweepstakes benefiting mental health and suicide prevention charities. Find out more at Fandiem.

"Flying Blind" is out now on all digital platforms via Gibson Records. Shop the Slash Collection from Gibson for guitars, books, apparel, and more.