How was Coachella?
Coachella was great. Definitely one of the best festivals to play in the states. They’re organized, treat you well, and above all the staff on-stage knows what they’re doing. It was a pleasure to play, even in the 100 degree heat that day. Some of my pedals didn’t like the heat so they just decided to do their own thing, but it worked out in the end.
Did you get to see any bands you're into?
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see hardly anyone this year. Portishead were fantastic — the highlight of the fest for me. I wish I was around the next day though to see My Morning Jacket. I can’t get enough of those guys lately and their new album is awesome. Would have liked to have seen Roger Waters do “Dark Side,” although Gilmour’s stuff is what I’d be most interested in seeing...
Are there any albums you're particularly into right now? What are you listening to?
Lots of late 60s and 70s prog rock is normally what’s on my stereo these days. Right now as I type away at my computer King Crimson’s “In the Court of the Crimson King” is playing. I think that’s gotta be in my top 5 records of all time. All the players on that record put in mind-blowing performances. The ascending and descending lines in “21st Century Schizoid Man” around 4:39 get me every time. I’ve also been getting into some Steve Reich. It’s great music for working or reading to. Or even if you’re dozing off. Some really cool drone-y, loop-y stuff. There’s so much stuff going on in each movement, that you can hear something new each time you play it. Records like that are the ones I keep coming back to time and time again. As far as new music, the Helio Sequence is a great band out of Portland. They’re a guitar/drum duo that play to sequenced tracks live. It’s huge sounding! Also, Russian Circles are another great band worth checking out.
Who are your guitar heros? Who did you grow up listening to?
Metallica made me pick up a guitar. As soon as I heard …And Justice For All I was hooked. I threw out all my Bon Jovi and Poison cassettes and begged my mom to get me an acoustic. I’d spend all my time with my nose in tab books learning James and Kirk’s guitar parts — that definitely influenced my early playing big time. After my Metallica fix, it was on to Slayer, Morbid Angel, Helmet, and Soundgarden. Being from Seattle, Soundgarden definitely had a big impact on me. In fact, my all time favorite riff is the super-low, down-tuned end of “Rusty Cage.” If there was one riff I wish I had written of all the billions of riffs in the world, that’s the one! So f***n’ heavy!
You have Bonnaroo and Pemberton coming up later this summer. Do you like playing the big festivals?
Yeah, festivals are nice. Logistically they allow you to play to a bunch of people in a different part of the country without touring. It’s great that way, we don’t spend a month on tour playing a bunch of cities and the fans get an amazing experience and show. That said, it’s also kind of limiting. Sets are shorter, using different gear can be challenging and the sound can sometimes be an issue.
Are there any bands you're looking forward to seeing there?
Jay-Z! My wife is gonna lose her s**t when he comes out. My Morning Jacket of course, Secret Machines, Chris Rock, Metallica. I’m going to have a great time and both of them.
What PRS model are you playing?
I’ve been playing my PRS McCarty since the start of the band. When my old metal/hardcore band Botch was finished and MTB was starting up I wanted to mix up my guitars. I’d been playing Les Pauls for a while and wanted something more modern. I went to a guitar shop North of Seattle called Guitarville and took the PRS off the guitar wall and was hooked. With all the two-hand tapping I was doing in the beginning of the band, I was looking for a guitar that was relatively light with low-action so could really play the tapping stuff accurately and easily. The McCarty totally fit the bill.
Did you play the PRS on Planet Of Ice?
I did play the PRS on Planet of Ice. In fact I would bet that about 90% of all MTB records have been played on that guitar. It’s just a great guitar — a real workhorse. When we fly overseas or out to festivals, it’s the only guitar I bring (and not just because airlines are charging an arm and a leg for checking bags these days!). Live its fantastic, and stays in tune perfectly.
Is there anything about the guitar that helps you get your unique sound?
The playability is fantastic. It just won’t sound bad. I’m so comfortable with it at this point its almost become another appendage on my body.
You use a lot of sampling and effects. What does your live rig consist of?
My pedal board at this point is pretty massive and obscene. Basically here’s the signal path:
• Barber TonePress Compressor
• Boss Tuner
• Ibanez Tube Screamer
• EH HOG
• Boss EQ
• Boss GigaDelay
• Digitech Whammy
• Boss RC-2 Loop Station
• (4)Line 6 DL4s
Three of DL4s are used only for sampling. Some songs have two different samples within the song, so for live purposes, having lots of DL4s allows me to have multiple songs sampled at once—good for live transitions.