Jon over on guitarnoize.com has recorded a video interview with *THE* Greg Howe!

Check it out!

Check out this cool interview with Andy James over on dofret.co.uk:

Q: I understand that you are in the process of putting the finishing touches to your new solo CD – said to “re-define shred”! I’m quite excited by this news – what can listeners expect?

A: Lol, I don’t know about re-defining shred! There are a lot of awesome players out there. Yeah the new solo CD is underway. All the drums are done courtesy of Lee from Sacred Mother Tongue and all the rhythm guitars and clean guitars are done. I’ve just got to do bass then the rest of the solos and stuff. Scott Atkins (founder of Grindstone Studios http://www.grindstonerecording.com/) is producing it. We talked about working together on a new solo album and he was up for it. I wanted this one to be a proper studio effort rather than trying to record an album at home again. I’m not very technically minded and recording is something I’ve always struggled with. Scott is amazing at what he does and he is a bit of a slave driver so I know my best playing will be squeezed out of me.

As for what the listener can expect, mmm, well with the stuff on this album I’ve really tried to go for more of an epic approach to writing. I would say it’s written more like a band vocal album than an intrumental jam fest, which there is nothing wrong with, but it makes sense to me to write in this way as I find it translates to people better. You know your obvious intros and verse sections and then melodic hooked choruses. I’ve not really heard much instrumental stuff written this way, especially in more of a heavier vein, that is just guitar without vocals. There are some great instrumental releases coming out though that are really making me think “Jesus, I hope mine will be half as good as that”. I’m talking Rick Graham’s new album and Andy Wood’s solo record. Both those guys scare me, not just because they are great players, but also because they show a great deal of versatility.

One thing with my album which I don’t think is a bad thing, is that it’s pretty much all in the same vein. Lets face it, I’m a rock/metal player and thats what I love to do. I know instrumental albums seem to be judged on how versatile it is musically but this is a shred album for shred fans that has got technique, melody and hopefully good some songs (I’ll let you guys be the judge). You have to play to your strengths, and I admire guys who can do it all.

Another great interview over on dofret.co.uk with upcoming US guitar wizard Andy Wood:

Q: You are a Suhr Artist, as well as playing Tom Anderson guitars. I heard on the grapevine that Suhr are in the process of designing an Andy Wood Signature model? Are these rumours true? Can you give us a sneak insight into the specs? What is it like working with Suhr?

A: Yeah man, all I can say is that im EXTREMELY honored to be a part of the Suhr family. Ed Yoon found my music about 2-2 1/2 years ago and since then its been great! John (Suhr) is one of the worlds greatest guitar builders (as well as an all around cool dude), all of the guys that work out there are super nice guys, and not to mention the company I get to keep on the artist roster, I mean some of the other Suhr artist are downright FRIGHTENING players! As for the rumors of an Andy Wood sig model.. I dunno what I’m allowed to say but, I can say that the Suhr guys are working with me to come up with some very fun and unique things in the very near future, it will definitely be something special and something very shredneck! My specs are based on my current 2 Moderns, but I’m trying out some different pickups. I currently use the popular SSV and SSH+ combo but I’m in the process of trying out all options and going with what suits my stuff the best. There is also something that will hopefully pass the Suhr inspection and make a debut on the final product, I can’t say yet what it is, but I can say its something I have yet to see on a Suhr before And of course it will have my favorite secret weapon, the “redneck mod”!

Guthrie Govan gives some great answers to questions that didn’t make the live webcast from Lick Library:

Checkout this great interview with Marco Sfogli over on dofret.co.uk:

Q: To me, and many other people, one of the main things that stands out about your playing is your superb phrasing – is that something that you have always been conscious of and is it something you practise?

R: Not really, I think that’s one of the few things that comes from the inside, that has probably bring with me since I was born. I mean I never practiced the melodic aspect, the so called “notes choice”. That comes naturally for me probably due to the fact that I grew up surrounded by music, hearing my mom singing and my father playing. Can’t really give a detailed answer about this.

Q: The guitar scene here in the UK seems to be really picking up at the moment and feels like it is going back full circle to the days when being technically proficient on guitar was something to be proud of! Players like Guthrie Govan, Rick Graham, Tom Quayle and others seem to be taking technical (and musical ability) to a new level. Are you familiar with any of these players? Does the scene in Italy compare? Which guitarists and bands have caught your attention recently?

R: I know all the guys you mentioned, three monster players. Had the pleasure to talk briefly with Guthrie before a clinic he did here in my town and he’s equally the coolest guy and the most unbelievable guitar player I ever watched playing. I love Rick and Tom as well, you know I always liked tasty players and those are easily three of the tastier and finest players on the scene today. Also I just got Rick’s solo record “Inside Out” (reviewed here on Do Fret) and he did an amazing job, so tasty! There are a lot of great guitar players from my country, too many to mention. I don’t really listen to instrumental music today as much as in the past, I prefer listening to bands. Loved the latest Nickelback record as well as Karma from Winger.

Great video interview with Rick Graham from Jon over at guitarnoize.com:

Spotted over on truthinshredding, Q&A session with Andy James. Great to hear about a new album sometime this year!:

Great video interview with Slash from Gibson.com talking about his upcoming self titled solo album and the gorgeous Slash Appetite For Destruction Les Paul:

Check out this interview with Paul Gilbert in the latest Guitar Edge Magazine:

From that and your huge body of work, it’s obvious that you’re very motivated. Where does your drive come from?

My motivation varies radically, depending on my environment and mindset. I have to thank my parents for always having good music playing on the stereo when I was a kid, and for creating an atmosphere that encouraged creativity in general. I saw some great concerts when I was a kid, too: Van Halen, Ozzy with Randy Rhoads, Pat Travers, UFO, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Saxon, and others. These all inspired me enormously. And now I have live shows and recording deadlines to inspire me. Plus, watching this one video of Gary Moore on YouTube—search for “Gary Moore Lesson,” it will blow your mind. The tour I did with G3 was very motivating, as well. Overall, though, as much as I fancy myself a staunch individualist, my strongest motivation comes from knowing I’ll be having some kind of interaction with other human beings. It can be teaching one student, playing for an audience of 10,000, or anything in between. Book a gig, and you will be motivated!

Thanks to Jon over at guitarnoize for the heads up, great interview with Guthrie Govan in latest Premier Guitar Magazine.

You want to do it all in one big shot.

Yeah. I’ve tried one way of doing an album, which is using some tunes that I wrote nearly twenty years ago, some tunes I wrote ten years ago, and a couple that I wrote fairly recently. It’s this big sprawling conglomera- tion of things that I’ve done over the years.

I know what it’s like to make an album that sounds like that. I want to explore doing it the opposite way so I can learn something about the whole working process. It’s more about continuity and just being able to come up with everything in one period of time. I find that if you can lock yourself away from the rest of the world just for a few days, gradually you start to go mad in all the right ways. You start to feel more creative and then you’re surprised at what comes out. So, rather than planning what kind of album it’s going to be, the plan is to lock myself away, go slightly mad and see what comes out.