And he thinks the singer's choice of focus is misguided, adding: "We kind of feel a little bit abandoned by him." Tyler - who launched country music single Love Is Your Name earlier this year - admitted in June that his colleagues were "not happy" about his commitment to solo work. But he added: "This is a side-project that's now turned into a love of life."

Whitford tells Billboard: "He seems to think his solo career is going to go great guns. He doesn't seem to realize, in my opinion, his fans around the globe want to see him in the context of Aerosmith - and don't really care for whatever he thinks he's going to do.