Richie Sambora‘s split from Bon Jovi last year hasn’t hindered his solo career, but it looks like the rock star may be ready to rejoin the band that made him famous!

The musician clarified there’s no longer any “bad blood” between him and his former bandmates after he was given an ultimatum before the group’s latest tour. “I still see the possibility of a return,” said the songwriter. “There are just a few steps I want to…take.”

The 54-year-old had chosen not to join the band on their lengthy world tour because of those personal aspirations.

“I just wanted calmer waters, and just do something for myself,” shared the guitarist. “But the Bon Jovi machine was on. I said I wanted a break. We had just finished with another tour…[and] I saw a year of other priorities for me.”

richie sambora

Richie with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi

He explained, “I wanted to make my own music, and preferred doing a few shows with my own band. That was just not accepted.”

Though Richie admits the decision to leave was “hard,” he feels it was for the best, for now at least.

“I’ve done a lot of wrong things in my life and I’ve regularly made bad decisions. But I think this step was the right one at last,” the rocker told Lust for Life magazine.

“We’re going to record an album. I’d like to do a tour after that. Not a tour of 14 months in more than 50 countries. Just a nice tour, playing music then being home for a while,” said Richie, who has a 16-year-old daughter with ex-wife Heather Locklear.