The fact that this power pop punk quartet has never even been to Japan seems to make perfect sense, or possibly none at all. Big in Japan, made up of bassist Joey (no surname was given on the band's website) guitarist Toddball (no surname was given on the band's website) singer/guitarist Zac Damon (the least suspicious surname from the band's website) and drummer Corky Pigeon (the most suspicious name from the band's website) seems to be interested less in the promotion of music than the playing of it. It's about time somebody was. Recently, Guitar Center got a chance to talk with the aspiring foursome that's likely to be big in the land of the free and the home of the brave, as well.
GC: What guitar are you playing these days?
Todd: I was using a Les Paul Studio Light. Unfortunately, due to improper care, I had to put it on hold. So it's my guitar in case I break a string on the other one. My new main one is a DeArmond 770. The main reason for that (guitar) is because Zac recommended it very highly. I ended up buying one and I'm extremely pleased with it.
GC: Do you use the same guitar recording as you do live?
Todd: Yeah. Zac also used a DeArmond on the entire recording. It's pretty much the exact same set-up.
GC: So what do you think of the amp rig you have now?
Todd: I'm using a Marshall JCM 800. I think it's a phenomenal amp and when I was playing the Les Paul through it, obviously it had the total rock and roll sound. With the DeArmond I was surprised I was getting even a better sound. It's much fuller, a little bit thicker than what a Les Paul would handle. The gear I have now I'm extremely pleased with, the Marshall and the DeArmond. It's really loud.
GC: Why did you go with the Marshall?
Todd: Basically because of the reputation from the rock world about Marshalls. I got my Les Paul initially and then a friend of mine was selling the Marshall I have now for 500 bucks. Not being a fool, I bought it and I've used it ever since. I've had nothing but compliments on the sounds that I have. I think my playing style lends itself to the sound. It's just huge.
GC: Do you use any pedals or effects or do you just use the sound you get from your amp?
Todd: I use the amp's distortion. I just turn the gain all the way up. But I have a Morley chorus pedal I use for some of the songs. I have two Boss pedals; one is a chromatic tuner and the other one is the Blues Driver, which just punches up the volume during shows. That's the basic set-up.
GC: Sounds like you've got some Morley fans in the band.
Todd: Yeah, Zac turned me onto them. He had a distortion pedal. I tried it and it was all right. I think I'm just so used to the amp's distortion. I'm pleased with that. He bought me the chorus pedal and it sounds beautiful. It's totally easy to use. So we've been able to get perfect sound out of it every night for shows.
GC: Have you added anything to your set-up that you're just completely in love with?
Todd: I think the most recent thing is the Blues Driver. I just picked up one of those. I really wished I had known about this earlier because it's so simple. It lends itself so much to a song if you're playing live.
GC: How did you find out about this particular piece of gear?
Todd: Zac bought one and said I should try them out because they are ideal for solos. I was blown away because he'd play a solo, kick in the pedal and you'd hear a full sound. After that I said I'm buying it. Honestly we practiced once, I heard it and bought it the next day.
GC: So what's the next thing you'd like to get?
Todd: I would love to get a new Les Paul Studio Light. I don't think they're being made anymore. I do want to put money into getting my other one fixed because that was my very first guitar. That's my favorite guitar without a doubt. I think I'm so accustomed to it because I've been playing on it since '91. Ten years now. Other than that, I would just stick with Gibsons. There's a lot of the Gibson reissues like the '57 reissue that I'd always have my eye on. Those are always going to be on my wish list. P-90 pickups are always on the wish list because they sound phenomenal.
GC: How about amps?
Todd: Anything louder. Like Orange or old Marshalls. The tones are very warm. I've always been into that. I'm just so drawn to the old, vintage amps and even vintage instruments.
GC: You said in the past that you like certain gear because you like the way bands sound through that gear. Is there any particular band whose sound you're drawn to, that makes you pull toward the vintage stuff?
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Todd: I guess any of the old punk rock records by The Damned or The Weirdos. The sound wasn't too distorted, but it wasn't clean. You could hear every note they played, even if it wasn't even good. There's a band out right now called The Briefs and they actually use an Orange head. Their sound is beautiful to me. It's just huge. It's a wall of sound. I guess Weezer should be one of them. You know they are very simple, very earthy. I'm a simpleton. I always try to keep it straightforward.
GC: What is the next thing an intermediate player should get to improve on his sound?
Todd: I would definitely recommend the Blues Driver, without a doubt. Maybe even a chorus pedal, not necessarily the Morley one. I know when I was younger I bought a DOD pedal, a Super stereo chorus pedal. I had a lot of fun with that. It made it sound at times like the electric was a twelve-string. If you have a different sound you can experiment more with songwriting structure. So, I would just recommend a couple pedals because if you can write a good song with little effects, who knows what you can do with five or ten.
GC: Do you practice a lot?
Todd: Right now I just practice the new songs that we work on. Sometimes I'll practice my scales just to warm up my fingers. Mostly, I just work on songs now and writing on my own.
GC: Speaking of writing, what's your approach to writing lyrics and music?
Todd: I found it easier in my older bands. I was in a band called Sixtysixpercent and I found it easier to actually work with them. They delved into anything, any topic. It could be about a girlfriend breaking up or someone close to you dying. Anything that might happen to me. I just try to word it differently, but have someone relate to it. I try to keep them a little bit abstract so that it's not too obvious. Hopefully, people read them and say, "Oh, ok, I see what he's talking about." With music, most of the songs I think I've written start with one riff and if it's powerful enough, I'll keep that for the chorus. Then I'll write the verses and an intro to it. I try to keep my song structures a little bit different, not so run of the mill like verse-chorus-verse-chorus-ending. I just try to place a part in the song differently. I write an intro and then put it after the first chorus or something. I just combine the two. I'll put the melody over it and then I just meld the two.
GC: How do you guys decide who gets to take the lead in certain songs?
Todd: It depends on the technicality of the solo. If it's a difficult solo, I'll have Zac take it just for the fact I like to be a little bit more energetic on stage. I don't like it if a crowd gets bored so I'd rather play a simple rhythm behind a lead. Any lead I play, it's a little bit more emotional. It's definitely not technical. It will be maybe a couple of notes or something, but the weight will play off of any rhythm guitar. I'll go for that. I'm not into fitting more notes into a solo. I'm into whatever will strike me more musically. I'd rather have Zac do it sometimes because he'll play it better and concentrate more. I'll just be in the back jumping around like a moron.
GC: Do you warm up before a performance to get that energy going?
Todd: I should warm up. I don't go out there with the intention of doing certain moves or anything like that. If I play the song and I'll feel the jump coming on or something, I'll jump. Granted, I've been extremely sore after shows. Energy, yeah, that definitely is almost number one in my book. Obviously they should perform well above all and I concentrate on playing well. But if I feel like I'm standing too long in one spot, I'll move around. You have to give the people something to remember. With all the bands out now, everyone is playing extremely well. So, I just have to give them a little more. I would love for people to walk away and say, "He was nuts! That guy Todd was nuts. He was crazy." Nothing for shock value, but very energetic.
GC: It's that energy we tend to feed off of that makes the show definitely memorable.
Todd: Anytime I go see a band, if they play exactly like the album and don't produce any energy, I will not be pleased. I won't be unhappy, but I won't feel they performed really good.
GC: As a band, what are some of the bands that you guys can agree on that are influential?
Todd: I know bands we all like right now. There's a band called The Shins. They are just an amazing indie pop band. I think they're from New Mexico. A punk rock band from Seattle called The Briefs has us blown away. We just saw them live like actually last week. I think we all like rock and roll, like AC/DC. Old punk rock bands like Bad Religion. There's a lot of bands though that we all like. But we all have our different styles that we truly enjoy.
GC: Whatever words of wisdom that you have for aspiring talent out there, I'd be really curious to hear them.
Todd: I got into this band through meeting people. I've been playing for 12 years. Any words of wisdom are basically don't do it for the wrong reasons. I play guitar for the sheer passion of it. I love it. I had no intentions of ever touring, let alone putting out a record. I think if you're doing it for the right reasons, you'll get somewhere. It doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a millionaire or anything like that. But, you will be satisfied if you play with you heart. Don't judge people and just play the music.
GC: Have you or do you shop at Guitar Center and if so, what do you think of it?
Todd: I have. They have a lot of stuff to choose from. I just go to the one in Hollywood. The grand-daddy. They definitely lent a helping hand and walked me through things. So, it was very, very convenient.
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