With his low-octave vocals, wavy dark locks and musical references to Native American spirituality, former Cult frontman Ian Astbury had been compared to Jim Morrison long before any talk of a second-coming of The Doors. But now, as he performs with The Doors of the 21st Century, the resemblance--both in sight and sound--is downright eerie.

The new incarnation of the iconic L.A. band, which started in 2002 and is now embarking on another round of tours, has already faced enormous obstacles. The newly lengthened "21st Century" name stems from lawsuits filed by Doors' drummer John Densmore and Morrison's family. Even Stewart Copeland, who played drums for early reunion performances--filed and then settled a suit for being dropped from the project.

Beyond this is the unavoidable reaction of dedicated fans wary of anyone singing the words of a too-soon departed legend. But British-born Astbury, who formed The Cult in 1981 and found global success in the late '80s and early '90s, takes it in stride, as he shares the stage with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, long-time mentors who continue to influence his views on the musical world.

LiveDaily: How did your work with The Doors come about?

Ian Astbury: I was introduced to The Doors through [their manager] Danny Sugerman, who wanted me to meet Oliver Stone in 1989, when they were doing "The Doors" movie in Los Angeles. At that time they were considering me for the role of Jim Morrison in the movie, but I turned it down--because I didn't feel comfortable portraying some theatrical version of somebody I admired as a singer.

After that ... the next major event was really the VH1 storytellers ... I think [Manzarek and Krieger] had such an incredible time performing the songs again, they wanted to continue the energy of that show. They'd given it a lot of consideration and weighed all the pros and cons, and I think they really just felt that they wanted to perform the songs one last time. And obviously you can't perform the music of The Doors without a singer. So they had to solicit a few considerations, and they felt my character, my spirit, my voice, were perfect to sing these songs.

What has the response been to your taking on this project?

There's been a lot of controversy over me doing it, and people wondering what my motivation is. My motivation for performing The Doors is, number one, they had been one of the most important musical influences of my life. But I'm under no delusion that I'm replacing Jim Morrison. I'm not "stepping into his shoes," which has been said in some interviews. Jim Morrison's shoes are unfillable. ... And I'm not trying to portray some wishy-washy, theatrical version of Morrison. I'm just being myself. It just so happens that my voice is baritone, it's in a similar register, and we may have some similar [physical] characteristics ... but I'm not there to emulate Jim Morrison; I'm purely there to be of service to Ray and Robby.

How much work have you done with them so far? What have rehearsals been like?

We've only done about 28 shows. It's more of the magnitude of what the project is that's captured people's attentions. We're not going out seven days a week. They want to do it the right way--they're playing quite a lot of theaters, they're doing some music festivals. But they're picking and choosing it, and each set is custom tailored to the venue that we're playing in. Everything's been really considered. The rehearsals are run with real workman sessions. ... They're very serious about what they're doing. They want excellence. So for me, the performer, it's been really demanding. ... They've driven me, and they've given me a new found inspiration and love affair with music again, because they're real musicians. And their consideration is about music, and creativity and performance and craft and, my God, it's been unbelievable.

What is it like to walk on stage with them? Is it kind of surreal?

Well, I'm a big fan, so it's the best seat in the house. The performances have been intense. The audience reaction has been amazing. ... I think it's given Doors fans a place to go.

And I'm fascinated that at this time, when there's a lack of patriarchs and male icons, that Ray and Robby chose to do this now when we really need [someone] to show us where we're going. The world's in such turmoil. And when you go to their music, there's a real sense of hope and optimism and direction. They give solutions, they give direction, they give pointers. So you see these young men--men and women--come to the shows and really it's like a touchstone for them. They can have their musical experience and afterwards some of them are able to speak to Ray and Robby and that's wonderful. And I step back, because that's their heritage and their legacy.

Do you perform the songs much differently from their original forms?

There are a few arrangement changes--some of the tempos are faster and I might sing some things a little differently. ... What I'm really grateful for is that there's a lot of soloing, so I'm able to step back and watch them perform, and that is just the greatest gift, to watch two of my mentors performing in this way. It's a bit flabbergasting.

I'd love to go see The Doors with Jim Morrison. That would be a dream come true. But we make it very clear what it is--that it's Ian Astbury singing. And Ray and Robby have been very clear about that. ... I think if they felt it wasn't right they wouldn't do it. They're not those sort of people. They don't need the money. They're being paid modestly. There's no billions of dollars changing hands, it's all being done for the right reasons.

What plans do you have apart from The Doors of the 21st Century?

I've been working intensely for the past two years on a new project. The working title is "Warriors of the Mystic Plains." I just wanted to come up with something that's really evocative and romantic and had some energy and soulfulness, because it appears to me that so many bands are created purely as a brand name, as a product. It's like the band's name is created and the image is created, and the music is the last consideration. ... I want to create something that's super Technicolor in a world that's drab. There are bands that I like right now--but I get the feeling that people are just looking at their shoes. There's no real cock-rock, Led Zeppelin--that kind of energy, where did it go? I miss that. And that's where I want to head, to have a band that is sexually charged and soulful, with provocative lyrics and strong chord structures and melodies.

How soon will we be able to hear work from that project?

I've done one set of demos with Gordon Raphael--he's producing the Strokes--in London recently. I've been writing with several different writers, so I'm going to get a mixed group of material. It's going to be a mash up of punk, rock and roll, electro, there might be some break beats, but essentially it's going to be a rock-and-roll project. We've got a tentative release for spring 2005, because The Doors of the 21st Century are going to start winding down then. I've committed myself to Ray and Robby.

Do you have any future plans with The Cult?

At the moment, no. We revisited The Cult after a four-year hiatus, we released an album, and I just felt I was getting back on the wheel again. I felt like I was being railroaded. They wanted me to be a good little rock star. And that's not who I am. ... There were definitely moments that were good, but overall, it was a very unenjoyable experience, which has given me far more resolve to pursue my own things.

And I am anxious to get out there and perform with my new project. But I want to do it right. I had a band called the Holy Barbarians, but that was when I walked out of The Cult, and six weeks later I had a band and an album. This time I want to do it properly and take time and consideration with the material and actively look for musicians. And we're not going to run out and sign to some half-assed record company. We're going to retain as much artistic control as possible and do it right.

What have you learned from the whole Doors experience?

It's been a fairly tale, and it's been a university education for me. I've never experienced the intensity and the love of musicianship. One of the reasons that I left The Cult was that was dying in [that band]. It was becoming more of a business--about creating a product to go out on the road. And I didn't want to be a part of that, I wanted to be a part of real music--real, raw, organic stripped-down music.