James Michael has said he would be willing to work creatively with Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba again, now that time has eased past tensions, he told The Logan Show.
The singer was asked whether a reunion or anniversary tour for the band’s work was something the group had discussed and something he would consider. Michael explained that while no such plans have been made, his relationship with both men has improved since their time together.
Question: “I’m sure you’ve been asked this a million times, but now all this time has passed. I mean, is that something especially now in this age where it seems like every single tour ever now is it’s a reunion or it’s an anniversary or it’s a farewell or it’s this or it’s that. It’s like regular tours don’t exist anymore. It’s always some sort of big thing. Is that something that for one you guys have even discussed and for two something that you would be open to like a Heroin Diaries anniversary tour or anything along those lines?”
“We have not discussed it. I would be open to that,” Michael said.
“I mean Nikki and I text quite often and I literally was just texting with him the other day and I was like, ‘Dude, we got to start creating again at some point, you know? we got to create something together.’ That’s the other thing that I’m so happy about is my relationship with them is I think better now than it ever has been. You know, time has passed. The exhaustion, the burnout is all a thing of the past and now it’s just kind of the legacy that we all can be proud of and can enjoy.”
Michael explained that he would now welcome a creative partnership with both men. “But you know, I would absolutely revisit. I would absolutely get myself into a creative situation with Nikki and DJ again. Because it was so fruitful and honestly it was really enjoyable. We laughed our way through making those records, all of them. You know, the last the well, Prayers for the Blessed and Prayers for the Damn, there wasn’t a lot laughter. It was sheer exhaustion and just stress.”
He continued by noting that the earlier work had been different. “But for the rest of the records, we really did enjoy making those. We really were great friends and loved hanging out together and just got excited every day that we had a studio day booked.”
“So would I do that again now? Yeah, I absolutely would. I would love to hear what Sixx: A.M. would do now,” he added.
Michael made these comments while discussing the history of his work with Sixx and Ashba. His openness to reuniting creatively marks a shift from the difficult period that marked the band’s final albums.
Sixx:A.M. was formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael as a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California. Their debut album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack was released in 2007 based on Sixx’s autobiography. The band became known for songs like “Life Is Beautiful” and “Lies of the Beautiful People”.
The final years of the band brought intense pressure on all three members. Sixx and Michael recorded Prayers for the Damned and Prayers for the Blessed, with all three knowing at that time it would likely be the end of their album-making together. Michael has explained that the decision to step back came because the three friends were all burned out after years of touring and recording. Ashba had been touring with Guns N’ Roses around the world six times, and as soon as he would get off tour with that band, Sixx:A.M. would book him for another tour.
The band announced their hiatus in 2021. Since that break, Michael has remained in contact with both Sixx and Ashba, and his comments show that the relationships have healed over time. The exhaustion and stress that marked the final records have given way to a fondness for the earlier work and what the three accomplished together as a group.
