{"id":10860,"date":"2020-05-29T20:50:45","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T11:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/?p=10860"},"modified":"2020-05-29T20:50:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T11:50:45","slug":"vol-109-sonny-landreth-may-2020-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/?p=10860","title":{"rendered":"Vol.109 Sonny Landreth \/ May 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sonny Landreth <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\nPhoto by Greg Miles<\/span><\/p>\n

The one and only flexible slide-bar maestro, Sonny Landreth speaks to people with his outstanding Blues Rock. He has released a studio album \u201cBlacktop Run\u201d for the first time in 5 years. He displays not only the signature slide play, but also talent as a vocalist and a song-writer who touches listeners. His highly regarded skill is even approved by the legend Eric Clapton when he played for Eric’s Crossroads festival. Muse On Muse had a chat with Sonny Landreth himself about the outstanding Blues Rock product \u201cBlacktop Run\u201d<\/p>\n

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Interview \/ Text\u00a0 Mamoru Moriyama
\nTranslation\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hiroshi Takakura<\/p>\n

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\nPhoto by Robley Dupleix<\/span><\/p>\n

Muse On Muse : Your mastery of the expressive vocal, guitar play and outstanding production lead to the whole ensemble producing pleasing effect on your new album for the first time in 5 years \u201cBlacktop Run\u201d. This crucial Blues Rock album will certainly not disappoint your fans.<\/span>
\nSonny Landreth : Whenever I make a new album, I always want people to like it. But it\u2019s also important to try new things and to go into different directions. I think that\u2019s the nature of creativity and also, it\u2019s what I should do for the listeners. Otherwise, I\u2019m not giving them my best effort.<\/p>\n

MM : When we interviewed about your previous album \u201cBound By The Blues\u201d, you said you wanted to pay a tribute your heroes, Blues legends. What did you aim for this project?<\/span>
\nSL : I mostly just wanted to mix it up this time and make it more eclectic with different kinds of songs- electric and acoustic, vocals and instrumentals, original songs and a few written by someone else (Steve Conn). Rockers and ballads. I didn\u2019t really want preconceived notions to limit our approach and I wanted to be willing to push some boundaries. An interesting thing happened, though. Even with those intentions , I still somehow came up with a thematic thread. These songs are all inspired by the spirit of change and the essence of transition.<\/p>\n

MM : We found the name RS field for the first time in a while on the booklet as a co-producer. How was the work with him?<\/span>
\nSL : It was absolutely great! Though we hadn\u2019t worked together in many years, it felt like we\u2019d never stopped and picked up right where we\u2019d left off. Bobby (R.S.) is a genius and is the best at assimilating a multitude of information and crystallising it into a meaningful work of art. My engineer and co producer Tony Daigle and I had 90 per cent of the tracks already recorded when I brought Bobby onboard. The advantage of that was that he could bring a fresh perspective to the mix and, as always, he\u2019d come up with new, cool ideas in the final process to make it extra special. We still make a good team and I like that a lot.<\/p>\n

MM : How was the song-writing and production process for this album?<\/span>
\nSL : For me, writing has always involved different layers of attention. Many of the ideas- lyrics, melodies, guitar techniques- just occur to me in a stream of conscious fashion. While I tend to write words, thoughts or whole lines down, I always snatch the musical ideas by recording them briefly with my guitar even if just using the Memo app on my phone. But once I decide to turn those ideas, fragments and pieces into an actual song , then I go into a deeper, more focused place. It\u2019s like I have to flip a switch and invite the muse in. Because it involves idea construction, writing is the internal part of the process while recording is the outward manifestation of those ideas. At that point, my goal with production- choice of mics, amps, cabs, ambience etc- is to articulate and capture the sounds in my head. Simply put, to sonically serve the inspiration behind each song as best as I possibly can.<\/p>\n

MM : Please tell us about the title track \u201cBlacktop Run\u201d.<\/span>
\nSL : It\u2019s the title track because it embodies the spirit and the thematic overview for the whole album. I wanted to capture the feeling of being in between phases of one\u2019s life. There is turmoil and uncertainty when you let go of attachments that are familiar but there is also excitement and hope in the anticipation for what could lay waiting for you up ahead. The writing aspect was interesting because both the lyrics and the melody of the opening lines came to me on the back seat of a van while traveling with my band. Typically it doesn\u2019t happen in such an orderly, linear fashion for me but this time it did. And obviously, being on the road helped to provide the right vibe to write a road song.<\/p>\n

MM : An uplifting and bouncy tune \u201cLover Dance With Me\u201c and \u201cGroovy Goddess\u201d has a strong groove, as the name suggests, are the songs which people can dance to.<\/span>
\nSL : Yeah, there\u2019s nothing like a deep groove, right? Sometimes, I\u2019ll start with a rhythmic pattern that feels good to get me going in the right direction. You can use that momentum to open the door, so to speak, to the inspiration that will help you create meaningful lyrics and music. \u201cLover Dance With Me\u201d is a more recent song that I wrote and played in standard tuning without a slide so it has a completely different vibe to it than all the other songs on this album. It\u2019s actually one of a batch of similar non-slide instrumentals that I want to record in the future. \u201cGroovy Goddess\u201d is an older instrumental that we actually recorded, for the most part, several years ago. We sort of rediscovered it during preproduction and after listening to it after so much time had passed, I realized that it not only held up to the test of time but was also a perfect fit for this record. Whereas \u201cLover\u201d is more sensual, and focused, \u201cGroovy\u201d is more free wheeling and improvised.<\/p>\n

MM : \u201cSomebody Gotta Make A Move\u201d and \u201cDon’t Ask Me\u201d were written by the keyboard player of the band, Steve Conn.<\/span>
\nSL : Yes, I have always loved these two songs and have been playing them with my old friend, Steve Conn, for years and decided, with his permission and approval, to reinterpret them and record them with a different approach. To cover somebody\u2019s song should be a deeply personal choice, especially if that person is your best friend, so I really wanted them to turn out special! I decided to take an all acoustic approach with \u201cDon\u2019t Ask Me\u201d and played Reso guitar to bring it into the Delta blues meets New Orleans tailgate territory. I love the funky edge we got and Steve\u2019s accordion track was a different twist from the keyboards he played on his original version. \u201cSomebody\u201d is moodier and I love the spaciousness of it. I played slide in a minor 7th tuning that I came up with long ago but had never used until now so, I think, that gives it a unique voice. I really love singing this song and think it could become a Blues standard done by many different artist around the globe.<\/p>\n

MM : You issued a warning about global environmental problems on \u201cThe Wilds Of Wonder\u201d.<\/span>
\nSL : This was one instance where I wrote all of the lyrics first, very much in the form of a poem, and then began the process of writing the music. I was really fond of the narrative so I wanted the music to be every bit as worthy. I must\u2019ve written 30 completely different versions over the course of 3 years before I got it right. Words should stand on their own, music should make them more powerful and together they should be like a force of nature. I felt like this all came together in quite a cinematic way that was most appropriate for the subject matter and it\u2019s one of my favorite tracks.<\/p>\n

MM : How do you get ideas and inspirations for lyrics for vocal tracks?<\/span>
\nSL : From books, films, art, other musicians work, conversations, life\u2019s lessons. If you\u2019re open to it, inspiration is everywhere but you have to be humble and treat it with respect. As a writer, you have to be passionate enough to want it, bold enough to reach for it and resilient enough to fail time and time again until you succeed.<\/p>\n

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\nPhoto by Greg Miles<\/span><\/p>\n

MM : The dramatic instrumental track \u201cMany Worlds\u201d is impressive.<\/span>
\nSL : Of the hundreds of fragments of song ideas I\u2019ve \u201cjotted down\u201d by way of scattered home recordings, this piece evolved in my head with several thematic sections that segued one into the other. Though I even had a title for it, I\u2019d never completely finished it- let alone fully recorded it- but I always wanted to circle back to it someday. After Bobby Field arrived and helped Tony and I finish mixing, we had a total of 9 songs and I felt there should be 1 more. Then it hit me that \u201cMany Worlds\u201d would be perfect to round out the album. So, we recorded it on the spot and though I\u2019d already had it mapped out in my head, the delivery was very spontaneous and a lot of fun. It\u2019s the only song that came together in the moment with the 3 of us and got recorded, produced and mixed straight away.<\/p>\n

MM : The beautiful and untainted number \u201cSomething Grand\u201d deserves the final track of the album.<\/span>
\nSL : If I had to pick an all time favourite, I\u2019ve come to believe this would be the one. It\u2019s a deeply personal song and yet I do think it speaks to a universal truth regarding the power of forgiveness and redemption. I think there is a great misconception about vulnerability per se, that it represents weakness and is to be guarded at all times. Actually, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can be one of the purest expressions of our humanity and also one of the most liberating. Somehow, I feel like I tapped into a deeper well and found a way to articulate that with \u201cSomething Grand\u201d. And interestingly, all this and no guitar solo- go figure.<\/p>\n

MM : The album contains ten tracks in total. Six are vocal tracks which people can enjoy your verbal magic and message behind the lyrics, Other four are instrumentals which your mastery of guitar play including slide guitar will not bore your fans. How do you manage to balance vocal track and instrumentals for making an album?<\/span>
\nSL : It\u2019s part instinct, part trial and error and what you learn in the process. The main thing is how the album in it\u2019s entirety makes you feel. Do the songs, regardless of vocals or instrumentals, segue nicely or do you feel a let down from a certain track to another? You could think of it this way…your album is like a book (hopefully a good one), and each song is like a chapter. When you listen all the way through, is it similar in experience to when you get to the last page of a book that\u2019s so good that you want to go back to the beginning and read it again? If the answer is \u201cno\u201d then you should probably rethink your choices. If the answer is \u201cyes\u201d, then you\u2019ve got exactly what you need.<\/p>\n

MM : Please tell us about your gears, What guitars, amps, effectors and pedals did you use for this album?<\/span>
\nSL :\u00a0
\nGuitars…
\n\u2022Vintage 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard
\n\u2022Vintage \u201866 Fender Strat w\/original pickups
\n\u2022prototype signature Strat w\/DiMarzio DP181 p.up in a Tele bridge plate bolted to the trem block , custom mid & neck noiseless single coil p.ups by Michael Frank Braun at Fender
\n\u2022\u201988 Strat with Fishman Fluence single coils
\n\u2022late \u201880s 1957 reissue Strat with Lindy Fralin p.ups and Suhr Silent Single Coil backplate
\n\u2022\u201988 Strat with DiMarzio DP181 in bridge, Virtual Vintage in middle & neck, 2TEK bridge system
\n\u2022\u201cFrankensteined\u201c road Strat with Borisoff Trilogy Tuning Bridge, DiMarzio p.ups
\n\u2022Larry Pogreba \u201cHubcap\u201d Reso guitar, aluminum body
\n\u2022\u201969 Martin D-28<\/p>\n

Amp Heads…
\n\u20221995 100 watt Dumble Overdrive Special
\n\u20221989 75 watt Demeter TGA-3
\n\u20221965 Blackface Fender Bassman
\n\u2022Komet 60 with 6L6s<\/p>\n

Cabs:
\n\u2022mid 60\u2019s 2×12 Fender Bandmaster w\/V30s spkrs
\n\u20224×12 Marshall w\/ Celestion V30s spkrs
\n\u20221×12 Dumble w\/Celestion GH-100 spkr
\n\u2022Leslie 900 w\/ original preamp pedal<\/p>\n

Pedals:
\nDemeter Fuzzulator Mosferatu drive
\nAnalogman Compressor
\nVoodoo Lab Giggity EQ
\nAnalogman Chorus
\nWampler Faux Tape EchoV2<\/p>\n

extra notes:
\nI had the same pedalboard in the studio that I always take on the road. First in the chain is the Demeter Fuzzulator which I mostly use as a boost for solos while the rest of the pedals are always on. But for a super clean sound, I dialed in the Analogman comp and bypassed the rest. Another change up was a Fulltone \u201870 Fuzz for \u201cGroovy Goddess\u201d.
\nAlso, in lieu of the Analogman Chorus I like to use onstage, I went for the epic swirl of the Leslie cab in the studio. I think it developed into such an effective color that it actually became a signature, thematic voice for the whole album.<\/p>\n

Tunings, left to right, low to high strings..
\n(G)
\nD G D G B D
\n(E)
\nE B E G# B E
\n(Em7) \u201cSomebody Gotta Make A Move\u201d
\nE B E G D E
\n(Standard) \u201cLover Dance With Me\u201d, I didn\u2019t play slide at all on this song
\n(Am) \u201cBeyond Borders\u201d
\nE A E A C E<\/p>\n

all strings are D\u2019Addario…
\nfor chordal tunings electric guitars:
\nEJ22set
\n.013 thru .056
\nfor standard tuning electric:
\nEXL 120 set
\n.09 thru .042
\nfor acoustic guitars:
\nEJ17 Phoshor Bronze set
\n.013 thru .056 f<\/p>\n

Slides…
\n\u2022Dunlop #215 Pyrex for electric gtrs
\n\u2022Chrome plated Steel tube cut from Harley Davidson handlebars for acoustic gtrs<\/p>\n

Picks:
\nIKEDA flat\/thumbpick manufactured in Japan.
\nAcrylic nails on 1st, 2nd &3rd fingers right hand<\/p>\n

MM : Please send a message to fans.<\/span>
\nSL : Because of the awful pandemic, I could not bring my band to play the shows we had booked in Japan for October this year. However, we are rescheduling for the end of February next year to play two shows per night in three cities, so please watch for our itinerary! Meanwhile, I want you all to know how much your support and appreciation for my music means to me. I love Japan, you are the best fans in the world and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hope to see you next year!<\/p>\n

Sonny Landreth official site\u00a0 https:\/\/www.sonnylandreth.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n