Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello gave an interview to Guitar World in which he discussed working with Bruce Springsteen during the pandemic, which he described as a ‘time of great fear and anxiety.’

Although Tom Morello is mainly known for his tenure with Rage Against The Machine, he has also worked with various artists, including Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Apart from making guest appearances with the band as a touring musician, he has also performed and recorded with them occasionally.

The COVID-19 outbreak took a heavy toll on most of the musicians. Due to the pandemic precautions, which resulted in restrictions, many musicians couldn’t perform live in venues and had to reschedule most of their shows. Besides, it was not always possible to gather in a studio to record new material.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the guitarist released the two albums he recorded during the lockdowns: ‘The Atlas Underground Fire’ released in September 2021, and ‘The Atlas Underground Flood’ released in early December. Morello collaborated with various artists in both albums, including Bruce Springsteen, Bring Me the Horizon, Nova Twins, and the Manchester Orchestra.

In an interview with Guitar World, Tom Morello talked about working with Springsteen and the others during the pandemic. He stated that this musical effort was just like a lifeline and an excuse for him to settle the demons in his brain during the lockdown. He then said working with such different artists provided him an oasis ‘in a time of great fear and anxiety.’

In the interview, Tom Morello told Guitar World the following:

“This rock ‘n’ roll pen pal community was a real lifeline. Every day had started to feel exactly the same but getting to work with different artists of different genres from all over the world provided an oasis in a time of great fear and anxiety. This record was an excuse to settle the demons in my brain down during a time where there were plenty of them.”

Apart from Bruce Springsteen, Morello also worked with Bring Me the Horizon, Eddie Vedder, Grandson, Phantogram, Damian Marley, Mike Posner, and more. Below, you can listen to Morello’s collaboration with Springsteen and Vedder for a cover of AC/DC’s classic ‘Highway To Hell,’ which appeared on ‘The Atlas Underground Fire’ album.

You can check out the cover below.