British guitarist, singer, and songwriter Billy Morrison says the filming of the video for Becoming—his new collaboration with Sully Erna (Godsmack) on lead vocalsand Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) on lead guitar—was nothing less than intense and, well, extreme, watch it below.
“The Becoming video’ is a pure performance video that utilizes the skill and aesthetic that our director Ivo Raza brings to the table,” begins Morrison. “Sully [Erna] and Nuno [Bettencourt] both travelled to Los Angeles and we filmed in two locations: a rain room—where we shot for hours through a sheet of water!!—and a disused warehouse in South L.A. with a backdrop of a wall of lights. I added Erik Eldenius on drums, who played on the song, and Brett Scallions on bass, a co-writer on the song, and we used ghost lenses and other distortion techniques to represent the transition through the song that Sully’s lyrics talk about.
“The shoot was hot, sweaty and very long, and every person, band and crew alike could not have been more accommodating,” he continues. “The goal was to make a kick-ass rock video and we achieved that and much more.” Read more about the video below in a Q&A with Morrison.
Becoming arrived at radio on March 27th as the first single from first from Morrison’s upcoming album Hollow due out sometime in August via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. The powerhouse track was written by Morrison, Sully Erna (Godsmack) and Brett Scallions; it features Erna on lead vocals and Grammy Award winner Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) on lead guitar. Listen to the song here.
According to Morrison, “Becoming” is about “transforming out of the darkness and negativity of certain lifestyle choices and becoming a strong, positive and powerful force. For an in-depth description, you would have to ask Sully about the lyrics that he wrote.”
Two years ago, Billy Morrison released THE Morrison Project via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. It marked his third solo album (and first since 2015) and produced the #1 Active Rock Song (Mediabase) in America: Crack Cocaine featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens and co-written by all three artists (hear it here). A deluxe edition of the album followed in 2025 and bonus track, Gods Of Rock and Roll (Orchestral)—another seismic collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens—landed in the Active Rock Top Ten (Mediabase) and can be heard here.
The upcoming Hollow will follow the success of 2024’s The Morrison Project format with 12 songs, half sung by Morrison and half sung by a handful of Morrison’s friends. Guests include Dexter Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC, and the above-mentioned Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt, among others. Forgive Me, The Tailor, No Suspects, Another Day, Leave No Trace, and Becoming are among the song titles.
Q&A with Morrison About The Becoming video:
What was the biggest challenge in shooting the video in a rain room and warehouse in South Los Angeles?
Morrison: The biggest challenge in the rain room was the humidity! It was 90 degrees outside, full on heatwave in L.A., and we were locked in a sealed room with pouring water for about five hours—it felt like we were filming on some humid tropical island somewhere, just without the sandy beaches! Played havoc on the hair as well!!(laughs).
What was the concept to visually bring the song to life?
Morrison: It was Sully that came up with the out of focus concept and Ivo took that and visually illustrated the gradual ‘becoming’ clear, strong and powerful concept of the lyrics We are all in sharp focus by the end of the song.
The band footage is dynamic. Lots of ferocity and musician chemistry here!
Morrison: We did have great chemistry on the set between us all and everyone showed up that day to work hard and bring their A game. It was a long, hot, sweaty day but I think we all had a great time and Ivo has made the end result feel like the great performance video that I wanted.”
About Billy Morrison:
Billy Morrison is a British guitarist, singer, and songwriter, widely known as Billy Idol’s rhythm guitar player for the past 17 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens. He is also a solo recording artist in his right having released three albums including the successful and acclaimed The Morrison Project in 2024 via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. His fourth solo album, Hollow, will arrive in August 2026, also on TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. Morrison is also a former member of The Cult and Circus Diablo and currently also performs with the superstar cover band known as The Royal Machines. In addition, Morrison is a contemporary fine artist whose Warhol-inspired work has been shown at top galleries. He also has a regular show, Influenced, on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard (ch. 38), where he delves deep into the dynamic relationship between art and music.