Interviews | GC Riffs

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Interviews

Tennis: Backstage at SXSW

No strangers to life on the road, married duo Tennis have seemingly mastered the art of touring – as Alaina says, “It’s about treating yourself more like an athlete than a rock musician.” Not to mention how much of a crowd-favorite their unique soundscape of glittery pop rock has become amongst the festival circuit (they played Coachella in 2017). We had the chance to hang with Patrick & Alaina backstage at Lustre Pearl to talk about the realities of making it to SXSW, their ever-shrinking stage setup, and the importance of powering through every performance.

Interviews
27 Mar 2018
Rapsody: Backstage at SXSW

As a pioneering, Grammy-nominated female rapper in hip hop, Rapsody continues to grow her legacy through thought-provoking lyrics and a trailblazing mentality (she was the only female rapper in the Best Rap Album category at this year’s Grammys). We hung out with Rapsody at the SXSW screening of her Netflix documentary series Rapture to talk about advice for new artists, Queen Latifah as early inspiration, and starting out with just a microphone in her closet.

Interviews
27 Mar 2018
Sunflower Bean | The Sound (and Gear) of Desert Daze

We sat down with Sunflower Bean in conversation at Desert Daze Festival in Joshua Tree, CA about growing up under the influence of rock & roll, buying your first big piece of gear and how to gig like a pro from the club to the stadium.

Interviews
27 Mar 2018
Durand Jones & The Indications: Backstage at SXSW

With origins in Bloomington, Indiana, Durand Jones & The Indications unite the forces of both modern + vintage gear to present their own unique blend of doo-wop pop. We caught up with the band after their show at The Blackheart in Austin, Texas to talk about their touring rigs, networking on the road, and how posting their favorite 45s on Instagram has helped grow their connection with fans.

Interviews
25 Mar 2018
Hinds: Backstage at SXSW

Despite this only being Hinds’ third year in Austin, their recording-breaking 18-showcase lineup has earned them some much-deserved street cred as SXSW veterans. We caught up with Ade, Ana, Carlotta & Amber just before their show at Cheer Up Charlie’s to talk about vintage gear, balancing a hectic tour schedule, and how Ade ended up with a bass previously owned by the guitarist of Blonde Redhead.

Interviews
25 Mar 2018
Jordan West: Artists Influencing Innovation

As a product specialist and artist relations rep for Roland Drums and Percussion, LA-based artist Jordan West has become a familiar face demoing Roland's products in clinics and videos. Recently, Jordan was offered the opportunity to go in-depth into the product development process when she was invited to Roland HQ in Japan as one of the first artists to provide feedback on the design of the new TM-6 PRO Drum Trigger Module. We caught up with Jordan at Winter NAMM 2018 to chat about her involvement with the TM-6 PRO, Roland's unique approach to innovation and the future of electronic drumming.

Interviews
08 Mar 2018
Larkin Poe: Backstage at the Hotel Cafe

Georgia-native sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell have made quite the name for themselves "trying to push the boundaries of the blues with modern sound elements", as described by lead vocalist and guitarist Rebecca. We sat down with the band before their show at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood to talk about the inspiration behind their self-produced new record Peach, touring with Elvis Costello and how hip-hop helped them rethink their approach to modern blues.

Interviews
09 Jan 2018
Deap Vally | The Sound (and Gear) Of Desert Daze

We recently sat down at Desert Daze festival in Joshua Tree, CA with Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards of Deap Vally, where we talked about Fender Mustangs, Lindsey’s first pedal-buying experience at Guitar Center and why Julie can’t live without her Zildjian 21” Sweet Ride. Check out the full conversation below!

Interviews
01 Nov 2017
The Sound of Royal Blood

The band from Brighton gave us a look at the touring gear that makes their signature sound.

Interviews
12 Oct 2017
Meet Babylon: The Band Featured in Our Labor Day Spot

We sat down with the LA band Babylon on set to learn how they found their sound.

Interviews
01 Sep 2017
Meet Resident Peasant: Our Featured Unplugged Artist

Introducing Andy Marshall, a singer songwriter from LA who appears in our latest commercial.

Interviews
01 Sep 2017
Tone, Range and More with Tosin Abasi

Tosin Abasi talks about how his progressive rock group Animals As Leaders found success without a vocalist.

Interviews
28 Jul 2017
Mic Drop With Maynard James Keenan | Guitar Center

"I don't search for inspiration. We're surrounded by it at all times. You just need to be open enough to recognize it." We talk with Maynard James Keenan about his new book 'A Perfect Union of Contrary Things'

Interviews
14 Jul 2017
Death Valley Girls | The Sound (and Gear) of Desert Daze

Touring is a dedicated art for Bonnie Bloomgarden, Larry Schemel, Alana Amram and Laura Harris of Death Valley Girls – an art consisting of electrifying, often out-of-body experiences that shape a sound they themselves classify as an “acid-tripping science experiment”.

Interviews
L.A. Witch | The Sound (and Gear) of Desert Daze

Southern California-based L.A. Witch recently released their retro-groove-laden debut on Seattle's Suicide Squeeze Records. While the three-piece group manifests decidedly vintage-inspired tones on their album, their touring setup consists of a number of reliable, modern, road-ready pieces of gear. The band discusses a few of their favorite items, including singer/guitarist Sade Sanchez's trusty Lock-It strap that keeps her new Fender Jazzmaster right where she wants it, Irita Pai's preferred D'Addario flatwound bass strings and the Evans-equipped Pork Pie snare used by drummer Ellie English.

Interviews
Jennifer Batten and Marc Scherer Team Up

Legendary guitarist Jennifer Batten has teamed up with vocalist Marc Scherer for a release of 11 searing melodic rock songs with their new project, BattleZone under the moniker Scherer/Batten.

Interviews
Sound Bites: Max Weinberg's Part in "Born in the U.S.A."

Learn how Max developed his iconic sound for Bruce Springsteen's classic American anthem.

Interviews
The Sound of TOKiMONSTA

Hear the story and discover the gear behind one of the hottest producers in music today.

Interviews
The Sound of Elise Trouw

The 18 year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter breaks down her sound.

Interviews

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