Mick Mars has released “Loyal to the Lie,” the first single from his upcoming solo album, The Other Side of Mars, which arrives on Feb. 23. You can watch the video below.

The longtime Motley Crue took inspiration from cults while writing the song. “Manson, Jim Jones, Heaven’s Gate, the wacko in Waco,” he tells UCR with a laugh. “It’s about how one individual person can dictate and tell you whatever it is they do to get these massive amounts of people to hand over their money, their houses, their clothing and cars to one guy.”

“How does this one guy do this? Don’t do that, is basically what I’m saying,” he continues. “Because if you’re doing that, you’re loyal to a lie.”

“Loyal to the Lie” features vocals by Jacob Bunton (Mars Electric, Adler, Lynam) and shows a decidedly different side of Mars as an artist and guitarist than his work in Motley Crue. “You know, Motley is what it is. I can’t stay in that mode of writing and be me. I have a ton of ideas. [There’s] years and years of stuff,” he says. “It’s like, OK, this is where I’m at and this is where I’m going. During the Motley Crue times, that was time to write Motley Crue songs. Being on my own, [this is] what’s been in my head for a long time. So it’s coming out and it’s kind of like, reinventing me.”

What to Expect From Mick Mars’ Debut Solo Album

Although Mars has made many headlines this year thanks to his protracted legal battle with Motley Crue, listeners won’t find any of that discord reflected in the songs on The Other Side of Mars. “[There’s] actually really nothing,” says Mars, who announced his retirement from touring last year. “[Stepping] away from [Motley Crue], of course, was a little hard. But not as hard as it was on my body.”

READ MORE: Top 10 Mick Mars Motley Crue Songs

“It’s like, I needed to be Mick Mars, not [a] Motley Crue parody or whatever you want to call it,” he continues. “I’ve had ideas that weren’t quite fit for Motley Crue that I did for me as a solo artist. [It was important to get] the first record up to par [and demonstrate] what it is I’m doing and where I’m going with my music. It’s a diverse kind of music.”