Sixx:A.M. was an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael, and was a side project of Sixx, who was also at the time bass guitarist for Mötley Crüe. The group is best known for their songs "Life Is Beautiful" and "Lies of the Beautiful People". The name Sixx:A.M. is a combination of all of the members' last names (Sixx, Ashba, Michael).
Sixx:A.M. released five studio albums: The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (2007), This Is Gonna Hurt (2011), Modern Vintage (2014) Prayers for the Damned and Blessed (2016), and three EPs; X-Mas In Hell (2008); Live Is Beautiful (2008) and 7 (2011).
History
Formation and The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (2007–2008)
The band released The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack in 2007, which is based upon Sixx's autobiography, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star.
The band made their live debut at Crash Mansion on July 16, 2007. They performed five songs from the album, The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack. The album had no drummer because lead singer/rhythm guitarist James Michael programmed all the drums. Due to this, there was some curiosity as to who would be playing drums for them live. Former Beautiful Creatures drummer Glen Sobel ended up playing on tour with the band.
On October 25, 2007, Sixx:A.M. played another show opening for Korn. At the time of this show, Glen Sobel was on tour drumming with Elliott Yamin.
Originally the group stated they had no intention of touring. After constant support for the band and interest in a tour, they held a nationwide vote for tour dates. The tour was scheduled to start in spring 2008 but was postponed to the summer due to unforeseeable circumstances.
In 2008, Ashba and Michael assisted Sixx with the writing and recording of Mötley Crüe's studio album Saints of Los Angeles.
On April 15, 2008, Sixx:A.M. announced they would be touring as part of Mötley Crüe's Crüe Fest, along with Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Trapt. The tour began on July 1, 2008, in West Palm Beach, Florida. During Crüe Fest, Papa Roach drummer Tony Palermo served as a touring drummer for the band. A deluxe tour edition of The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack was released on November 25, 2008, which included a bonus live EP entitled Live Is Beautiful which features recorded performances from the band's summer tour.
This Is Gonna Hurt and Modern Vintage (2009–2014) Sixx confirmed the work on a follow-up album to The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack in late 2008 after rumors that the band had begun writing for their second studio album during the tour in the summer of 2008.
In April 2009, both James Michael and Sixx confirmed that the band was in the studio recording new material. Sixx added that the new material was "inspiring. it feels like we may have topped ourselves on this album coming up, and can't wait for you to hear what it sounds like." He also revealed that the new album, like the first, would be a concept album, but refused to reveal more details about the concept. He also added that a "surprise," possibly a new song, might be coming soon and that the album would probably be ready in mid/late 2010.
On February 19, 2010, Sixx revealed that the band was currently in the studio recording the new album, with some guitar tracks by Ashba already laid down, but bass still left to record. Sixx also said that there were over two albums' worth of material written, but as with the first album, it would probably end up being a single album with the best songs chosen so it wouldn't have fillers.
On May 27, 2010, Sixx revealed that all bass tracks for the upcoming album had been recorded and James Michael was reworking the lyrics before recording final vocals. Sixx also said music video director P. R. Brown was writing the treatment for the video for the first single to be released from the album, due in early 2011. On July 23, 2010, Sixx confirmed that the new album had been finished.
On September 4, 2010, it was announced that Sixx would be releasing a book entitled This Is Gonna Hurt, which would be accompanied by an album by Sixx:A.M. Some of the songs on the upcoming album were inspired by the author's photographs, and others inspired photographs of their own, as the book was part photo, part journal. The HarperCollins imprint William Morrow and Company announced that the book would be released on March 22, 2011, accompanied by the album on the same day.