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"Things are always strange with us," says Joey Kramer with Steven Tyler.© Leon/Retna Ltd./Corbis

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is backing the idea of the band's frontman, Steven Tyler, possibly joining the lineup of judges on American Idol next season. "It could be a good thing for Aerosmith," he tells MusicRadar.

Kramer's view differs from that of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, who was blindsided and angered by the news of Tyler's involvement with the show (and whether or not Tyler does, in fact, sit in a judge's chair is still up in the air: representatives for Idol have neither confirmed nor denied that a deal has been reached).

"I know it's startled and upset some people," says Kramer, "but I'm trying to look on the positive side of things. If Steven joins American Idol, there could be upsides to it. Twenty million people a night would be exposed to Aerosmith via Steven. What's so bad about that? As long as it doesn't interfere with the band, I don't have a problem with it."

Kramer's upbeat outlook is hardly surprising to anyone who's read his harrowing 2009 memoir Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top, which has just been published in paperback. In the book, the drummer recounts in excruciating detail his years of drug and alcohol addiction, as well as what he describes as a subsequent "nervous breakdown" brought on by depression and anxiety in 1995. Stays at rehab centers put Kramer back on track, but it's been a long road. "There were definitely days when I didn't know if I'd still be around today," the drummer says, "but I'm a fighter, so I chose to fight."

Before we get into your book, what's the current state of Aerosmith? There's been so much drama during the past year - and now this new development with Steven Tyler and American Idol...

"Ah, you know, it's all par for the course, man. One of the greatest things about being in this band is that you never know what's going to happen. There's always weird drama in the world of Aerosmith. I've learned not to be perplexed by it anymore. It's what makes us the band we are.

"As for the American Idol thing and Steven, again, nothing surprises me when it comes to what he wants to do. And the big thing is, nothing's happened yet. We don't know know what's going to happen till it happens...and nothing's happened."

Putting aside the American Idol situation, the last year has been particularly hard for Aerosmith. The band was feuding with Steven, there were rumours that he was going to be replaced -

"It was strange, yes. But things are always strange with us. You read my book, you know what I mean. Even when things get crazy, we still always manage to pull it together. Conflict and drama...it's par for the course. Things used to really upset me about the way we acted and the way things went, but I have a new attitude now and I've learned that you get through things."

The band is back on tour, but once you're done in September, are you finally going to make a record? It's been a while.

"It has been a while, and yes, we're going to start an album soon. A couple of years ago, we started to work with Brendan O'Brien, but we never got down to actually recording with him. We still have to decide on firm plans, but I'd like to make this next record the same way we did Rocks and Toys In The Attic. I want to make an old-school Aerosmith album."

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