Sturgill Simpson is offering some advice to up and comers hoping to make it in the country music world. Since the release of
Passage Du Desir , the world has fallen in love all over again with Johnny Blue Skies, aka Sturgill Simpson. While his latest project blends a mix of multiple genres to create music that tickles your ears in the best way, Simpson has always been known for pushing the boundaries and creating genre-bending music. In a recent interview for Guitar Moves, Simpson sat down with Matt Sweeney, an NYC-based producer and guitar player who's played on Johnny Cash records, as well as cuts from the Dixie Chicks, Kid Rock, Neil Diamond and more. The two, along with Sturgill's longtime producer and engineer Dave Ferguson (Tyler Childers, John Prine, Johnny Cash) talked all things guitars, growing up in the south, and what influences Sturgill drew from for his music. The whole interview is beyond compelling. From Sturgill sharing that he was playing an electric guitar the way bluegrass players would pick to sharing tips and tricks from his mentors, this interview is a must-watch for the guitar geeks out there. However, towards the end of the interview, when Simpson was asked what advice he would share with young bucks trying to learn what he knows today, what would you tell them? The two-part question starts with playing guitar like Simpson.
"If a young person wants to play some melodic country music..." Sweeney asks Simpson after the two just finished jamming out together.
"If you want to be a melodic great lead country guitar player, as a kid...I would say go buy all the old Merle Haggard records and listen to Roy Nichols because he was a tasty son of a b*tch, man." Sweeny then asks Simpson what he would tell kids who want to sing old country or mimic the style he has created:
"They should know if you want to sing country... like really sing, by definition, country music, you have to SING. It's not blues, it's not R&B, it's not vocal acrobat, 'Look at what I can do.' You've got to hold that note. Or turn one syllable into sixteen. Listen to George Jones, Lefty Frizzell Robbins, Marty...and the way they sing. If you're singing, your voice is the instrument. And it's not about tricks or 'look at what I can do.' You don't have to be a great singer; you just got to... mean it." Simpson then goes on to share that he can recall listening to certain artists when he was younger who knew how to draw out a note perfectly without adding too much flare. The effect would make him want to kick out a window. It's gritty and real. Ferg adds that vocal character is a big piece of the puzzle too:
"Character, personality in their voice, something recognizable... and someone who has a true ear and can control their pitch and sing in time. All the greats have true character in their voice, you know who's singing the first two or three notes." All of the greats, including Simpson, have a character in their voice that makes them nearly instantly recognizable, which makes them so good at what they do. Whether Sturgill Simpson is singing bluegrass, country rock, or embracing his alter ego Johnny Blue Skies, you know the face behind the voice after the first few notes. Simpson's got some wise words throughout this entire interview. I highly suggest firing it up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3Q0jqDGf2I
Most Popular
Comments / 0