{"id":45,"date":"2010-07-21T07:46:52","date_gmt":"2010-07-21T14:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/?p=45"},"modified":"2011-01-19T08:05:19","modified_gmt":"2011-01-19T15:05:19","slug":"guitar-international-interviews-john-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2010\/07\/21\/guitar-international-interviews-john-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Guitar International interviews John 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guitar International recently conducted an interview with John 5.\u00a0 You can read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By: Dr Matt Warnock<\/p>\n

The Art of Malice<\/em> is an engaging and diversely interesting album from multi-faceted guitarist and composer John 5<\/a>. Each of the twelve tracks is a window into the multitude of genres that have influenced the guitarist over his long and successful career.<\/p>\n

One of the most compelling aspects of the album, from a guitarist\u2019s standpoint, is John\u2019s ability to seamlessly switch between musical genres at will. A skill that he\u2019s developed over years on the road with some of the biggest names in the business including country star K.D. Lang, metal monster Rob Zombie and the incomparable Marilyn Manson<\/p>\n

In the title track, for example, one can find moments of classical fingerpicking and chickin\u2019 pickin\u2019 country guitar ala Jerry Reed and Albert Lee<\/a>, while other songs delve into the modern rock, classic rock and metal genres. John always seems to have something new up his sleeves to entice his listeners, keeping them coming back for more.<\/p>\n

Songs like \u201cThe Nightmare Unravels\u201d are dark and brooding, featuring layers of guitars and powerful riffs that build until the songs climactic peak. Others, such as \u201cSteel Guitar Rag,\u201d find John on solo guitar, playing in a laid-back country setting, providing contrast to the heavier moments on the album.<\/p>\n

Possessing the ability to maneuver between rock, metal, classical and country music with ease, John\u2019s playing on\u00a0The Art of Malice<\/em> offers something for listeners of all backgrounds and tastes, while remaining true to his personal voice on the instrument.<\/p>\n

Though there are many guitarists out there that can play as well as John in each of these individual styles, there are few that come to mind who can play all of these genres as well as he can. This ability shines through on this record,\u00a0making it one of the most interesting instrumental guitar albums of the year.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Matt Warnock:<\/strong> On the title track to The Art of Malice<\/em> you quote the classical guitar piece \u201cLeyenda.\u201d How has classical music influenced your playing and writing over the years?<\/p>\n

John 5:<\/strong> I love classical music, it\u2019s a style that I really appreciate. I love to study it and I want to get more into it. There\u2019s a Spanish piece and a little classical piece quoted in \u201cThe Art of Malice.\u201d<\/p>\n

That song has a bunch of different styles in it. It\u2019s a very cool piece that way. I really appreciate classical music, as well as all kinds of music. I\u2019m a fan of the guitar and just a big fan of music.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> When you play in the classical style are you using a pick or do you switch over to your fingers at that point?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> I\u2019m using my fingers for that kind of playing. It\u2019s something I developed over the years. I\u2019ll sometimes use all of the fingers on my right hand and I fingerpick as much as I use my pick. Even when I\u2019m playing with Zombie, I\u2019ll use my fingers if I think it\u2019ll work better.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> There\u2019s also a lot of chickin\u2019 pickin\u2019, Jerry Reed, Albert Lee style playing on the record. Is that a style of music that goes back to your days growing up in Michigan or did you discover that genre later on in life?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> I was first introduced to that music before I found out about rock. When I was about seven years old I saw this kid, who was about the same age, and he was playing the banjo. He was so good and it really made me want to play the guitar. I didn\u2019t understand what a banjo was compared to a guitar at the time.<\/p>\n

I always appreciated that style of music even when I was playing rock, but it really hit me when I was on tour with K.D. Lang. There was a multi-instrumentalist in the band. He played fiddle, banjo, lap-steel, pedal-steel, all these different instruments, but it was all country music.<\/p>\n

I thought, if this guy can master all of these different instruments in the country genre, I should be able to master country music on just the guitar. So that\u2019s what I set out to do.<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Because the album features so many different styles of music, was it a tough choice between planning the album this way, or doing a genre specific record featuring just country,just metal, just rock or whatever?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Yes, and the reason I say that is because when I listen to instrumental records, even if it\u2019s great music, I get tired with it after a while. But, when there are different styles of music on a record like that I don\u2019t get tired. It\u2019s not just crazy fast guitar all the time in the same style. You\u2019re getting a break from it with the different styles.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still fast guitar playing, but the different styles break it up so it doesn\u2019t wear out after a few songs. I think that\u2019s one of the only reasons that I\u2019m doing what I\u2019m doing. I\u2019m not a clone of Yngwie or Paul Gilbert or something. I\u2019m not ripping anybody off. I\u2019m out there doing my own thing.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Do you feel that being such a diverse player has really helped you develop your career over the years, compared to how things might have gone if you had chosen to specialize in just one genre?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Back to what we were just talking about, I would love to be Steve Vai or Satriani or Yngwie. They\u2019re great, they\u2019re my heroes, but I didn\u2019t want to clone them. What they do is amazing. I just didn\u2019t want to copy them. I wanted to make a name for myself.<\/p>\n

Playing for so many different artists over the years, I\u2019ve realized that I\u2019m playing for that person. I\u2019m not up on stage playing \u201cBeautiful People\u201d with Manson and throwing in sweep arpeggios all over the place. Same thing with David Lee Roth or Rob Zombie, I\u2019m not throwing in solos all over the place, that\u2019s not my job when I play in a situation like that.<\/p>\n

With the instrumental stuff, I wanted to do something different. There are so many people out there cloning those big-name players, but that\u2019s not how you make a name for yourself in this business. That\u2019s always been something I\u2019ve focused on over the years, being known for my own style and not just as a copy of someone else.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> There are tracks on the album that have a guitaristic quality to them, that sound like they were written on the guitar. But there are also songs like \u201cThe Nightmare Unravels\u201d that have a textural, orchestral quality to them. Were those types of songs written on the guitar as well?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Those are all written on the guitar. I don\u2019t play any other instruments. I can play bass and banjo, but nothing else. I have a guitar on me all the time, there\u2019s a guitar in my hands now. [Plays a screaming double-stop bend<\/em>] It\u2019s always with me and I do all my writing on the guitar.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Can you talk about your song \u201cWayne County Killer\u201d a bit. Was this inspired by the serial killer from Detroit in the \u201970s?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Yeah, there was a serial killer who killed kids in Detroit back in the \u201970s that was called the Wayne County Killer. I remember that I couldn\u2019t go outside sometimes because the whole situation was just terrible.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Are you often inspired by real world events like this in your writing?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Yeah, but of course I\u2019m not glorifying serial killers by any means. It\u2019s just the way people\u2019s brains work that inspires me in that way. People like Howard Hughes, Mozart, people with these crazy, crazy brains.<\/p>\n

With a serial killer, it\u2019s just beyond me how someone could just do that. That their brains tell them it\u2019s OK to do something like this. I can\u2019t even stand to see a small bird suffer let alone a person.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m drawn to how those people\u2019s brains work, mostly because they\u2019re so outside of my own thought process and experiences.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> You covered Ace Frehley\u2019s song \u201cFractured Mirror\u201d on The Art of Malice<\/em>. Why did you decide to feature this specific song to cover on the album?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> That was the first piece of instrumental guitar music that I ever heard and I loved it so much. I loved KISS and loved Ace. It was just an awesome song. That was just me paying tribute to Ace for inspiring me so much over the years with that song and with his playing.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> When you listen to the album front to back it sounds like you\u2019re using a different guitar on each track because of the wide-range of tones you\u2019re using, but that\u2019s just your Telecaster right?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Yeah, but I used my Broadcaster on one thing and a Martin D-45 for the acoustic work.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Is this why you\u2019re drawn to the Tele, the diversity of the guitar?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> You know, I love history. For some reason I just love it. I love Fender, and Fender of course built the first solid-body electric guitar. I love the Telecaster. It\u2019s just something I\u2019m drawn to. I think it\u2019s a well-rounded guitar, it just does everything.<\/p>\n

It sounds incredible and I think they got it right back in 1950 when they first built it. I wouldn\u2019t play anything else. It\u2019s something from my childhood that\u2019s really stuck with me.<\/p>\n

I wish I could\u2019ve used it earlier on in my career, but those bands always saw it as a country guitar. I like being different, so why not use a Telecaster in some of the heaviest bands in the world.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Did you play your Tele backstage and in the studio at the same time as you were playing a more \u201cmetal\u201d guitar onstage with those bands?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> Yeah, I always played a Tele offstage. Luckily Fender knew I was doing this and they approached me to see if I would be interested in doing a signature model with them. That was one of the happiest days of my life. It really is unbelievable. There\u2019s no way I can explain it.<\/p>\n

Growing up I collected all the catalogues, brochures, all the price lists, the Fender facts, I collected all this stuff and was so into it. When I found out I was going to get my own signature model I was just blown away. It was a huge moment in my life.<\/p>\n

\n

Matt:<\/strong> You mentioned playing acoustic guitar on the album. Are you using a DADGAD tuning on the song \u201cThe Last Page Turned?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

John:<\/strong> It is a DADGAD tuning, I\u2019m almost positive. Once I record it I don\u2019t play it for a while, but I think that\u2019s it. I just love acoustic music, like Jimmy Page\u2019s acoustic stuff. In fact, I love Page\u2019s acoustic work on Physical Graffiti<\/em> and Led Zeppelin III<\/em> better than the electric, hard-rock stuff.<\/p>\n

That was kind of my approach to it, thinking about how I would do things if I was around in the \u201970s or something. I think it would be great to do an acoustic album someday.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> Since a lot of our readers are also players, can you tell us how you approach practicing to develop the level of diversity you\u2019ve been able to achieve in your playing?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> You know what I do, and it sounds crazy, I watch T.V. and play guitar for hours on end, going over things forever until I really get it down. I know it sounds funny but it\u2019s what I do. That\u2019s my secret. It\u2019s a bit strange, but it\u2019s what I\u2019ve always done and it works for me.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard that Stevie Ray Vaughn used to do the same thing. He\u2019d put on a football game, sit back in his recliner and improvise to what he was seeing on the screen. If the ball went up in the air he played an ascending line. If there was a big tackle he played a jarring riff, that sort of thing.<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> I\u2019ve never heard that, but that\u2019s exactly what I do, though I don\u2019t watch sports. I just watch whatever happens to be on and it really helps.<\/p>\n

Matt:<\/strong> As you go forward do you see yourself focusing more on your solo career, as opposed to playing in other people\u2019s bands, or are you going to keep doing both?<\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know, I haven\u2019t thought about it. Today I\u2019m leaving to go on tour with Zombie and I get to play in front of fifteen-thousand people everyday, which is rad.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m lucky. I get to play guitar all day and make a living and I\u2019m happy. I think that\u2019s the secret to life, be happy and enjoy what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the most compelling aspects of the album, from a guitarist\u2019s standpoint, is John\u2019s ability to seamlessly switch between musical genres at will. A skill that he\u2019s developed over years on the road with some of the biggest names in the business including country star K.D. Lang, metal monster Rob Zombie and the incomparable Marilyn Manson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[16,13],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interview","tag-inte","tag-john-5","tw-post-no-content"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1qFj4-J","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":834052,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2020\/11\/14\/john-5-to-revolver-mag-about-hendrix-i-devoted-my-life-to-learning-his-catalog\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":0},"title":"John 5 to Revolver Mag about Hendrix: “I…devoted my life to learning his catalog.”","author":"Dillon - Team John 5","date":"November 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Revolver spoke to John 5 about his devotion to the legendary Jimi Hendrix","rel":"","context":"In "Interview"","block_context":{"text":"Interview","link":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/category\/interview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"John 5 Torry Pendergrass","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/john-5-pendergrass-image.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/john-5-pendergrass-image.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/john-5-pendergrass-image.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/john-5-pendergrass-image.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/john-5.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/john-5-pendergrass-image.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":640311,"url":"https:\/\/john-5.com\/main\/2019\/10\/08\/superfan-john-5-visits-the-brady-house-im-the-bad-brady\/","url_meta":{"origin":45,"position":1},"title":"Superfan John 5, visits the Brady House; 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