Alice in Chains shrugs off the rust

ROCK gods probably don't come any friendlier or more down-to-earth than William DuVall, current frontman of Alice in Chains, one of the last surviving acts to remain from the Seattle grunge movement of the 1990s.

Speaking over the phone from Sydney earlier this week where the band is currently on tour, he's chatty and chuckles ever so slightly when asked if he's used to fronting one of the world's most successful rock acts. Alice in Chains has sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

"That's the thing that takes getting used to, the air of celebrity that people place on this and what that does to the people around you or your family and friends," says the 46-year-old. "For me, I just feel like this is my work - I'm a working musician."