Tremonti - Interview
Before I start let me say that I have looked up to Mark Tremonti for a long long time now. Through my teen years listening to Creed I was captivated by his guitar sound, and then with Alter Bridge was blown away by some of the solos that he managed to cram into the most basic of tracks. As such, when I found out I was going to be sitting down for a chat with the man himself before his London gig at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, I was more than a little excited, and scared. Fearing I’d make an absolute tit of myself I prepared some questions and set off out of Cornwall heading to London, ready to talk tours, bands, guitars and general music type stuff with the man – of course as soon as I stepped into his dressing room I forgot everything I’d prepared and instead turned into some sort of teenage girl type, but managed to ask a few questions at least!
So Mark, how’s the tour going?
It’s going fantastic man, I’m sad to have to end the European tour tonight.
So this is the last stretch then, the final night?
Yeah after tonight we go back to the states and do two weeks in the States after this.
Ok, so are you pleased with how it’s all gone so far?
Absolutely, Europe is always the highlight of our touring of the year.
So the UK fans always respond well to you then?
Always, always yeah, I love it, yeah, London is always a highlight as well.
Cool cool, so you do Creed, you do Alter Bridge, how do you find time to do a solo record as well?
Err well, I was at home and Myles was on tour with Slash for three months, as long as I can be at home and spend time with my family, then work on music in the studio then it’s easy, it’s the touring part that gets tough you know. I mean Alter Bridge and Creed can’t be going at the same time so they just sort of alternate years, and err, and Tremonti stuff if there’s a two week gap somewhere then we’ll just sort of throw a tour in there.
With the solo stuff then are you getting a chance for more freedom musically?
Umm well it’s just a heavier side of my writing, you know, I grew up listening to metal and I couldn’t really get that out of me in Alter Bridge and Creed so this is the perfect outlet for that. I mean it’s not all metal but there’s definitely that aspect to things in this band.
I was reading as well that you and Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed were also talking about putting together a speed-metal project of sorts?
Ahh yeah I mean those were just kind of rumours. I mean me and Jamey talked you know about doing a track on each other’s records at some point but yeah, I don’t think I could take anything else under my wings.
So with the solo record then, where did the inspiration come from to write that?
It was well, a lot of the record was ideas that I played with with the other guys when I was like I love this riff let’s make this riff happen, let’s make this part happen, let’s make this chorus happen and again, and I’d try again and again and again, then if they didn’t make the album on three different record cycles then I just took them and put them onto this one. This record is stuff that I’ve always loved over the years and just not been able to do with the other bands.
So is it going to be a one off then?
No no, absolutely not.
Excellent so there is more to follow
Absolutely yeah.
Ok, so you’re finishing the European stretch tonight here in London, can we expect anything special from the show tonight?
Uh just four dudes having a blast. Our show is no gimmicks we have no, we don’t even have a light show. It’s just the four of us, we use the house light guy, we have a three man crew so it’s a very stripped back show. We play the entire record plus all of the b sides that didn’t make the album, umm, so it is, you get what it is, there’s no big spectacle, just the four of us playing through the songs and trying to make as entertaining a go of it as possible.
How is it going playing the smaller venues then with this tour?
I like mixing them up you know, it’s just as much playing in a club as it is playing in an arena, there’s an intensity that you get in a club that you don’t get in an arena, so, but there’s also those big outdoor festivals that have a cool feel to them as well, it’s just a totally different feeling.
So seeing the fans right in front of you, do you think that helps feed the energy of the stage show?
Absolutely, you see a lot of familiar faces out there and feel comfortable right away seeing people you’ve seen a hundred times before. Every time you go on a set you just kind of make believe that no one’s ever seen you before and you’ve got to win them over so if you see a hundred people you know have already seen you before you know they’re already there.
So once the tour is finished in the US, what’s the plans then?
We’re going to get back into writing the new Alter Bridge record.
So Alter Bridge first, any ideas of a release on that one or are you literally just getting going?
We’re going to get in the studio in late April and then go from there until it’s done. We’re going to do some dates with Tremonti in May, so do some recording, take a little break and then come back into it.
Will you be coming back to these shores on that one?
Probably not, we’ll be in the studio, I mean we just came over twice in the last five months so we probably need to take a little bit, hopefully write some new songs before we come back.
Nice nice, ok, PRS guitars – why PRS? What is it about them for you?
Well they approached me when I was playing Gibsons way back in the early 2000’s and asked me if I’d be interested in playing their guitars, and I was like absolutely, send one over and let me try it out. So I got it, loved the guitar but I just couldn’t play it on stage, the pick ups were a little muddy for my playing, more of a blues based kind of sound and the neck was a little rounder than I liked, so I told them and they said they’d send me another one. They sent me another one, same thing, it just wasn’t quite my thing so they said well why don’t we design a guitar for you then. That’s kind of how we got started on designing the signature model and since then I’ve designed the guitar exactly how I wanted it and loved it ever since.
Cool cool, so we’ve got more solo stuff to come from you further down the line, a new Alter Bridge record, what about Creed then?
Well we just toured all of last year with Creed so it’s going to be a while before we get back to that I think.
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At this point it came time to end our chat, but let me say that without a doubt, Mark Tremonti was down to earth, genuinely interested in talking and clearly really chuffed to be doing what he loves doing. Further testament to this was the deal that if you bought a piece of merch from the merch stand you got a ticket to meet the band after the gig, something Tremonti himself said from the stage, going on to say that they’d sign everything for everyone.
Gig wise, anyone who went along to the Electric Ballroom in Camden on Monday hoping to see Alter Bridge or Creed must have been left wondering what on earth was going on, this show was all about Tremonti showing off his solo stuff and his love for metal. Bursting onto the stage he captivated the audience (which was not small by the way) from start to finish, playing the album and a few extras and showing just how powerful a record it really is. High points are hard to pick when it comes to a gig like this as quite simply, the whole gig was one, but Wish You Well certainly hit all of the right notes with every single person in the venue.
Raw, powerful, well-rehearsed and full of energy throughout, this was a show which made a statement – Tremonti his here and he means serious, serious business.
Tremonti isn’t just a guitarist who has played in Creed and Alter Bridge, he’s a musician who has featured on countless albums, a man who has worked to develop his style, and someone who has music running through his veins. If you missed this tour then take my advice, make sure get the record and get down to the next tour when they’re back – you won’t be disappointed.
To find out more about Tremonti, check out his Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
So Mark, how’s the tour going?
It’s going fantastic man, I’m sad to have to end the European tour tonight.
So this is the last stretch then, the final night?
Yeah after tonight we go back to the states and do two weeks in the States after this.
Ok, so are you pleased with how it’s all gone so far?
Absolutely, Europe is always the highlight of our touring of the year.
So the UK fans always respond well to you then?
Always, always yeah, I love it, yeah, London is always a highlight as well.
Cool cool, so you do Creed, you do Alter Bridge, how do you find time to do a solo record as well?
Err well, I was at home and Myles was on tour with Slash for three months, as long as I can be at home and spend time with my family, then work on music in the studio then it’s easy, it’s the touring part that gets tough you know. I mean Alter Bridge and Creed can’t be going at the same time so they just sort of alternate years, and err, and Tremonti stuff if there’s a two week gap somewhere then we’ll just sort of throw a tour in there.
With the solo stuff then are you getting a chance for more freedom musically?
Umm well it’s just a heavier side of my writing, you know, I grew up listening to metal and I couldn’t really get that out of me in Alter Bridge and Creed so this is the perfect outlet for that. I mean it’s not all metal but there’s definitely that aspect to things in this band.
I was reading as well that you and Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed were also talking about putting together a speed-metal project of sorts?
Ahh yeah I mean those were just kind of rumours. I mean me and Jamey talked you know about doing a track on each other’s records at some point but yeah, I don’t think I could take anything else under my wings.
So with the solo record then, where did the inspiration come from to write that?
It was well, a lot of the record was ideas that I played with with the other guys when I was like I love this riff let’s make this riff happen, let’s make this part happen, let’s make this chorus happen and again, and I’d try again and again and again, then if they didn’t make the album on three different record cycles then I just took them and put them onto this one. This record is stuff that I’ve always loved over the years and just not been able to do with the other bands.
So is it going to be a one off then?
No no, absolutely not.
Excellent so there is more to follow
Absolutely yeah.
Ok, so you’re finishing the European stretch tonight here in London, can we expect anything special from the show tonight?
Uh just four dudes having a blast. Our show is no gimmicks we have no, we don’t even have a light show. It’s just the four of us, we use the house light guy, we have a three man crew so it’s a very stripped back show. We play the entire record plus all of the b sides that didn’t make the album, umm, so it is, you get what it is, there’s no big spectacle, just the four of us playing through the songs and trying to make as entertaining a go of it as possible.
How is it going playing the smaller venues then with this tour?
I like mixing them up you know, it’s just as much playing in a club as it is playing in an arena, there’s an intensity that you get in a club that you don’t get in an arena, so, but there’s also those big outdoor festivals that have a cool feel to them as well, it’s just a totally different feeling.
So seeing the fans right in front of you, do you think that helps feed the energy of the stage show?
Absolutely, you see a lot of familiar faces out there and feel comfortable right away seeing people you’ve seen a hundred times before. Every time you go on a set you just kind of make believe that no one’s ever seen you before and you’ve got to win them over so if you see a hundred people you know have already seen you before you know they’re already there.
So once the tour is finished in the US, what’s the plans then?
We’re going to get back into writing the new Alter Bridge record.
So Alter Bridge first, any ideas of a release on that one or are you literally just getting going?
We’re going to get in the studio in late April and then go from there until it’s done. We’re going to do some dates with Tremonti in May, so do some recording, take a little break and then come back into it.
Will you be coming back to these shores on that one?
Probably not, we’ll be in the studio, I mean we just came over twice in the last five months so we probably need to take a little bit, hopefully write some new songs before we come back.
Nice nice, ok, PRS guitars – why PRS? What is it about them for you?
Well they approached me when I was playing Gibsons way back in the early 2000’s and asked me if I’d be interested in playing their guitars, and I was like absolutely, send one over and let me try it out. So I got it, loved the guitar but I just couldn’t play it on stage, the pick ups were a little muddy for my playing, more of a blues based kind of sound and the neck was a little rounder than I liked, so I told them and they said they’d send me another one. They sent me another one, same thing, it just wasn’t quite my thing so they said well why don’t we design a guitar for you then. That’s kind of how we got started on designing the signature model and since then I’ve designed the guitar exactly how I wanted it and loved it ever since.
Cool cool, so we’ve got more solo stuff to come from you further down the line, a new Alter Bridge record, what about Creed then?
Well we just toured all of last year with Creed so it’s going to be a while before we get back to that I think.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At this point it came time to end our chat, but let me say that without a doubt, Mark Tremonti was down to earth, genuinely interested in talking and clearly really chuffed to be doing what he loves doing. Further testament to this was the deal that if you bought a piece of merch from the merch stand you got a ticket to meet the band after the gig, something Tremonti himself said from the stage, going on to say that they’d sign everything for everyone.
Gig wise, anyone who went along to the Electric Ballroom in Camden on Monday hoping to see Alter Bridge or Creed must have been left wondering what on earth was going on, this show was all about Tremonti showing off his solo stuff and his love for metal. Bursting onto the stage he captivated the audience (which was not small by the way) from start to finish, playing the album and a few extras and showing just how powerful a record it really is. High points are hard to pick when it comes to a gig like this as quite simply, the whole gig was one, but Wish You Well certainly hit all of the right notes with every single person in the venue.
Raw, powerful, well-rehearsed and full of energy throughout, this was a show which made a statement – Tremonti his here and he means serious, serious business.
Tremonti isn’t just a guitarist who has played in Creed and Alter Bridge, he’s a musician who has featured on countless albums, a man who has worked to develop his style, and someone who has music running through his veins. If you missed this tour then take my advice, make sure get the record and get down to the next tour when they’re back – you won’t be disappointed.
To find out more about Tremonti, check out his Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Mark Tremonti hitting the UK on tour!
Creed and Alterbridge guitarist extraordinaire Mark Tremonti is due to be hitting the UK on a tour you can't afford to miss, supporting the release of his solo album, All I Was. With Tremonti taking on lead vocal duties, as well as the guitar work, Eric Friedman taking on backing vocals, bass and rhythm guitars, and Garrett Whitlock on drums, All I Was reveals a new side to Tremonti and showcases his own personal song writing style across its 12 tracks.
The album has already been well recieved by fans of Alterbridge and Creed, and pulled new listeners in, all of them firmly converted to the gravelly yet powerful vocals, soaring lead lines and powerful melodic rhythms that abound throughout. As such, the upcoming UK tour promises to be one not to miss, and one which will secure Mr Tremonti a slot as a 'must see' act of 2012.
Having originally shot to fame with successful rock band Creed (and by successful we're talking 3 multi-platinum albums, over 28 million records sold in the US, over 40 million world wide and the 9th best selling artist of the 2000's), Tremonti has worked over the years to develop his abilities, hone his style and craft music which connects with the senses. Moving from Creed to Alterbridge (Debut record certified gold by the RIAA), Tremonti remained in the rock/metal/alternative spotlight, being named 'Guitarist of the Year' for three consecutive years (Guitar World) and the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time by Total Guitar - which is pretty good going in our books!
With all of this success it's easy to see why the music Tremonti offers up is so popular, but the solo album, All I Was, has taken a different approach and opened up his music to a whole new world of fans. Drawing on the heavier side of his influences and offering up tracks which verge on the realms of thrash metal (check out Wish You Well to see what we mean!), the tour in February promises to bring this new, heavy and downright 'in your face' sound to the masses, and we're going to love every second of it!
Tour dates are as follows:
All shows feature Heavens Basement (HERE) as direct support.
Loud-Stuff is going to be checking out the tour when it hits London so expect a comprehensive write up afterwards, but in the meantime, check out the video to You Waste Your Time below, and start getting damned excited!
To find out more about Mark Tremonti and All I Was, check out his Facebook page HERE and the project website HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
The album has already been well recieved by fans of Alterbridge and Creed, and pulled new listeners in, all of them firmly converted to the gravelly yet powerful vocals, soaring lead lines and powerful melodic rhythms that abound throughout. As such, the upcoming UK tour promises to be one not to miss, and one which will secure Mr Tremonti a slot as a 'must see' act of 2012.
Having originally shot to fame with successful rock band Creed (and by successful we're talking 3 multi-platinum albums, over 28 million records sold in the US, over 40 million world wide and the 9th best selling artist of the 2000's), Tremonti has worked over the years to develop his abilities, hone his style and craft music which connects with the senses. Moving from Creed to Alterbridge (Debut record certified gold by the RIAA), Tremonti remained in the rock/metal/alternative spotlight, being named 'Guitarist of the Year' for three consecutive years (Guitar World) and the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time by Total Guitar - which is pretty good going in our books!
With all of this success it's easy to see why the music Tremonti offers up is so popular, but the solo album, All I Was, has taken a different approach and opened up his music to a whole new world of fans. Drawing on the heavier side of his influences and offering up tracks which verge on the realms of thrash metal (check out Wish You Well to see what we mean!), the tour in February promises to bring this new, heavy and downright 'in your face' sound to the masses, and we're going to love every second of it!
Tour dates are as follows:
- Thursday February 14th - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton (Buy tickets HERE)
- Saturday February 16th - The Picture House - Edinburgh (Buy tickets HERE)
- Sunday February 17th - The Ritz - Manchester (Buy tickets HERE)
- Monday February 18th - Electric Ballroom - London (Buy tickets HERE)
All shows feature Heavens Basement (HERE) as direct support.
Loud-Stuff is going to be checking out the tour when it hits London so expect a comprehensive write up afterwards, but in the meantime, check out the video to You Waste Your Time below, and start getting damned excited!
To find out more about Mark Tremonti and All I Was, check out his Facebook page HERE and the project website HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls