Interview with SwampDaWamp

By Greg Prato

Guitar-heavy blues rock is what newcomers SwampDaWamp specialize in, as their website clearly states, “Not your typical run of the mill picture-perfect country-rockers, SwampDaWamp is an outside-the-box, real honest-to-goodness American band with an amazingly unique rock-country edge...and they are here for the party!” Comprised of band members Gig Michaels (lead vocals & acoustic guitar); David Lee (drums); Michael Hough (guitar & vocals); Keith Inman (guitar); Mike Huffman (keyboards, B3 & vocals); and Cody Bennett (bass), the bands’ three six-stringers recently talked their instrument of choice with Guitarsite.

How and when did you start playing guitar ?

GIG: I started at age 15, a late bloomer at the time. I was actually writing poetry before I picked up the guitar. I started putting my words to music when I lost my license at 16, I think I had them for 2 months before my first high speed chase!! LOL!

KEITH: When I was about 14 years old I saved up my lawnmowing money to buy a new trumpet, as I was in the school band at the time. But something happened on the way to the music store, and I came home with a Fender Telecaster instead, and it's been pure love ever since. The guitar was actually my 4th instrument, I took piano lessons for about 6 years, then trumpet for 4 years and then a brief affair with the drums before I found my true love.

MICHAEL: I started playing seriously when I was thirteen. Up until then I was all into dirt bikes (which I still am), but at that age I began to realize that chicks dug musicians. I sold my dirt bike, bought a decent guitar and amp and started jamming with a drummer and another guitar player I met in school. We had no bass player! We even played a few parties and a school dance three piece, without a bass!

Who were your early influences ?

GIG: Led Zeppelin, Waylon, Willie, Merle, Genesis (pre Collins), Phil Collins, Skynyrd, James gang, Beatles, Stones, James Taylor, Yes, Bad Company, outlaws, Allman Bro’s.. Everything man touched me that was relevant…

KEITH: For me it was Rock and Roll of all types, Kiss, Nugent, Aerosmith, Zep, Jeff Beck,Skynyrd, AC/DC, Deep Purple----I mean the list goes on and on. I was and still am obsessed with music, absolutely can not get enough of it.

MICHAEL: When I started paying attention to music it was vocal groups that got my interest at first. British bands like “The Beatles” and “Herman’s Hermits”. The harmonies were what got to me. This led me to bands like Marshall Tucker, The Allman Brothers, The Doobie Brothers, .38 Special, etc. They all had great harmonies as well as rockin’ guitars. Progressing on the guitar came with listening to people like Santana, Neal Schon, Jeff Beck, and later on Steve Lukather, Steve Vai, John Sykes and other guys from that era. These were the guys I really studied but I have to say I’m influenced by just about everything. So I’m sure there is some guitar work on some one-hit-wonders that maybe opened my eyes a little more.

Some information about your new release (how it came together, favorite album/song, etc.).

GIG: We took a few months off the road to do this album/ CD (I will always call them albums) Most of this record is from the road and some from personal growing pains. Welcome to the Inn is a good example from the road. Half my Life is a good example of growing pains. What’s so cool about this album is that it was the real core of the band working together as well as other members writing lyrics. Keith wrote Helluva Night and Michael wrote Rock This Country and we had a couple more outside writers on Lady and Stoned, which I never thought I would welcome 10 years ago! LOL!! But hey a good song is just that, no matter who wrote it. I dig working with other writers now more than ever.. As for a favorite.. I would have to go with Double or Nuthin..It’s about a woman/mother/parent/gambling addict that just cant get it right. She hates herself for what she’s doing, but she cant stop what she’s doing…..

KEITH: This band works very hard, we spend alot of time on tempos, arrangement, melodies,  vocal harmonies, guitar sounds etc. It all starts with an idea someone has or a complete song sometimes enters into the scene. Gig might  come in with an acoustic riff and a chorus, and the band will build an arrangement based on that, or maybe someone will have a song pretty well hammered out like Mike did on "Rock this Country" or like I did with "Helluva Night". The majority of this album are Gig's songs, he has a unique writing style and no can write for a singer better than themselves, he is really tapping into his persona nicely now. -I like all the tunes, as far as performing the songs, I always prefer the more rockin', up tempo, heavier songs, and probably always will. Having said that, I also like soulful ballads , and I hope we will put one on our next release. 

MICHAEL: We all feel that “Rock This Country” is the best work we’ve done yet. The songs, for the most part, were finished before we went into the studio. We spent a few months in rehearsal getting parts and arrangements sorted out. Then when we got to Nashville Ken Coomer and Charlie Brocco (co-producers of the record) took the songs to that next level. Enough can’t be said for their contributions. The record would not be what it is without those two guys. As for a favorite track, I can’t say. What’s yours?

Please describe your guitar set-up (guitar makes/models, effects, amplifiers, strings, etc.).

GIG: This will be easy….. Taylor T-5 direct, I only play on a couple!! LOL!! Dig in with Keith & Michael on this subject.

KEITH: Here is where I drive the rest of the guys in the band nuts. If we do 20 shows in a month, I will use 15 different rigs, no joke. I am still on a tone quest and no one rig has ever totally satisfied me. I tend to like the older Marshalls the best, I have several 100 watt heads from the early 70's that I really like. Live I will often use the SLP Reissue heads, the splx and the Handwired version, they are very good. These are the amps I used in the studio along with my Fender Princeton Reverb for a few things. I have to use an attenuator live to get the power tubes going at a lower volume, and this works pretty well, however, it gets expensive because I blow up power tubes constantly and an occasional transformer. I have been experimenting with a couple of Marshall JCM 800s for live work. a 2203 and a 2204 model. They are quite good ,a little bright, but good. I also use a Bogner Shiva sometimes, it's a darker voiced amp than a Marshall and it sounds real good in the mix, and it's very dependable. I am also experimenting with a Soldano SLO, this amp is a beast. I like it very much, so it may be on the backline soon. For guitars, where do I start, I love Fender guitars, the Strat and Telecaster are classics.

Leo Fender got it right the first time, these guitars are the original Hotrods of the music world. I have a 52 reissue Tele and a custom made Esquire, made by Gene Morton here in Charlotte, a fabulous guitar, and for Strats I use a couple of Eric Johnson models. Of course the Gibson custom shop is making some great instruments, I have a couple of the 58 reissue Les Pauls. These are what I use the most in this band, it fills out the sound quite nicely. I also have a very low serial number LP Classic and a LP Deluxe that has humbuckers. It's hard to go wrong with a good Les Paul. This is a big band, so we don't need many effects. I will use an overdrive of some sort, usually a Tubescreamer, 2 delays, one for slapback and one for long delays, these vary, If I use my rack, I'll use my Chandler and my Effectron delays, both of which sound grand, however, I don't use the rack much anymore so it's usually a japanese  Boss DD3 and an MXR Carbon Copy delay. I like the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix wah. I am using a line6 wireless unit that mounts on the pedalboard, it works very well. I have boxes full of different pedals that I love, but they aren't necessary in this band. I prefer Dean Markley Jimi Hendrix strings, but I'll use whatever is available. I like Dunlop Tortex picks-1.14 mm. For acoustics, I have a Gibson J-150 and an Alvarez Yairi GY-1. They sound quite different and this is perfect for recording. 

MICHAEL: My main guitar is a modified Fender Power Tele. It has the Fishman acoustic bridge with two humbuckers (the modification). The Strat tone was just too thin to be my main workhorse and compete with Keith’s Les Paul so had Craig at Landau Guitar Co. ditch the single coils and install two Amalfitano custom hand-wound humbuckers. Jerry Amalfitano is great to work with. He’ll tailor his pickups to your EXACT specs. Without getting into numbers they are hotter than a PAF but less than say a Super Distortion. I’ve been using D’Addario strings on my electrics, acoustics and basses for too many years to remember. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! My amp is the Marshall JVM410H running through Green Backs. On the floor I’m using the Fulltone Fulldrive 2, a Boss chorus, a Danelectro delay (that Keith has loaned to me) and a Morley wah. Very simple, not much excess.

Do you follow a practice routine? If so, please explain.

GIG: We rehearse at least 3 days per week if we are off the road. It is very important to keep the chops up, believe me when you have sing 30 different songs in a night, it can be tough remembering the words, LOL!! We are always trying to better ourselves.

KEITH: When I was starting out all I did was practice and jam. I began playing in bands in front of people right away. I literally was learning on stage. This is probably why I love to play live so much, it is second nature to me. I feel very much at home on stage, Rock music is people music, it should be loud, it should be dirty, and it should be a powerful experience. I play everyday, sometimes I just noodle around, sometimes I might work on a song idea, sometimes I am working with a sound. But either way, I embrace the guitar daily, I don't know what my life would be like without it. It is my lifeblood, my savior, my enemy, my friend, my everything--me and my guitar are lifelong companions.

MICHAEL: I try to play an hour or two every day. It doesn’t always work out that way though with traveling and taking care of day to day band business (I handle a lot of our web stuff). As for what I play when I practice, that varies. Some days I’ll do exercises and scales for dexterity purposes. The rest of the time I’m trying to create. Once in a while I’ll hear something I just want to learn so I’ll spend some time in the woodshed.

What do you think of modern day rock guitar compared to the 60's to 80's era, and who are some of your favorite guitarists?

GIG: With the exception of a few, there is no comparison, and that’s all we’ll say about that. As far as favs… Steve Vai, Randy Rhoads, Vivian Campbell, Clapton, Keith Richards for his rhythms, Billy Gibbons, Gary Rossington, to name a few …

KEITH: I love it all, there are some great players out there, really amazing. I think the difference now is the industry, It's a corporate world now, it always has been, but even more so now. Good music will usually find a way to be heard. I like so many players, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Ritchie Blackmore, Ulrich Roth, Frank Marino, Pat Travers, Hendrix, Allen Collins, Carlos Santana. I mean there are so many, I could fill a book with just names. In general I love classic tones ala Allman Bros and Zep, But what I really dig are individuals who push the boundaries of the instrument, whether through their own abilities or from technology. I mean I like to hear something I've never heard before, you know? Like, what Eddie did with "Eruption", or what Tom Morello did in "Rage against the Machine" or the wild atonality of Vernon Reid's solo's, or the impossibility of Danny Gatton's playing. I can only imagine what it was like when Jimi Hendrix hit the scene, I'm sure a lot of players hit the woodshed after hearing him for the first time. And that's what's so cool about the guitar, it's possibilities are endless,  it's our imaginations that need work.

MICHAEL: That’s a broad question. Just what is modern day rock guitar. There are so many ‘styles’ and ‘genres’. I went through the ‘fretboard gymnastics’ phase and now-a-days I’m just listening for parts that say something. Not a lot of words (notes), something that evokes emotion. As of late I’ve been listening to guys in the country market like Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, David Grissom, and these guys rock! They may not be cranked to 11 with gain out the wahzoo, but they smoke!

What advice would you give to other guitarists (to both newcomer and already established players) that you have learned thus far?

GIG: It’s about emotion not ability, don’t confuse the two.

KEITH: First, enjoy yourself. Then find your own voice, this is the hard one. I'm still searching myself, but I'm getting closer. You must allow your inner self to come out in your playing, otherwise you are just painting by numbers.

MICHAEL: Play what you feel! Be open to ALL types of music. The latest greatest song on the radio may not be your cup of tea but you should try to learn something from it. It’s popular for a reason. Leads are great, they get the spotlight, but in the whole scheme of things, without the ‘song’ there would be no place for the ‘lead’. So learn to play SONGS! Learn to play rhythm, rhythm, rhythm!! And most of all if you want to make music your living, LEARN THE BUSINESS! Whether it’s the business of songwriting, or studio work, or an original act or just the weekend warrior around town gigging. It’s not all just about showing up and playing your instrument.

Do you classify Swamp's sound as modern blue collar southern fried country rock? Some of the songs are tasty eclectic.

GIG: You know, it’s just an outpouring of the times in life made by 6 guys who know the pains of trying to live and be responsible citizens and offer some relief thru song. Yes it’s blue collar in that respect, the suits can hide from it all they want but ultimately end up with SwampdaWamp in their cd player.

KEITH: I leave the labels to others, we have what I think is a unique sound, and that must be what others hear in our tunes. Alot of that sound comes from Gig's writing, his inner voice. The cadence of the lyric against the music, and the somewhat unusual structure of the tunes. We use  the Major Key alot, this gives the songs a  bounce, and when you mix the Major Key voicings  and distortion you end up with something that people don't hear everyday. Working with Michael Hough is a dream gig. This guy is as consistent as the sunrise. A total team player and true journeyman. Michael can shred too, even though I play all the leads on this album, his lead playing is scary good,  he has great technique. But his personality is not one that needs to show off, that would be me! He is calm, cool, and collected. the foundation---I'm the X factor. When we work out our parts, we don't sit down and work on them, they occur naturally. We almost always play different, complimenting parts. Different inversions or one of us doing something melodic on top of another part. But, one thing is, we never step on the vocal, never. The vocals are the most important element, as much as we guitarists hate that, it is the truth. So we make sure that our parts support the vocal, first and foremost.

MICHAEL: Again there are so many ‘classifications’ of music these days. We definitely rock. We definitely have that country/southern thing goin’ on (after all, it’s our heritage). We write about real stuff, real life as we see it, which is definitely from our ‘blue collar’ point of view.

How do you balance the musical direction with keeping guitar parts in check with structure of songs without going overboard.

GIG: This question is aimed at Keith…aka..The Wizard….!

KEITH: I leave the labels to others, we have what I think is a unique sound, and that must be what others hear in our tunes. A lot of that sound comes from Gig's writing, his inner voice. The cadence of the lyric against the music, and the somewhat unusual structure of the tunes. We use  the Major Key alot, this gives the songs a  bounce, and when you mix the Major Key voicings  and distortion you end up with something that people don't hear everyday. Working with Michael Hough is a dream gig. This guy is as consistent as the sunrise. A total team player and true journeyman. Michael can shred too, even though I play all the leads on this album, his lead playing is scary good,  he has great technique. But his personality is not one that needs to show off, that would be me! He is calm, cool, and collected. the foundation---I'm the X factor. When we work out our parts, we don't sit down and work on them, they occur naturally. We almost always play different, complimenting parts. Different inversions or one of us doing something melodic on top of another part. But, one thing is, we never step on the vocal, never. The vocals are the most important element, as much as we guitarists hate that, it is the truth. So we make sure that our parts support the vocal, first and foremost.

MICHAEL: Other than my ‘gymnastics’ phase I’ve always been about playing for the song. I don’t create ‘guitar parts’ so much as ‘song parts’. I’d never play something just so I would have a part. If the song doesn’t need my guitar in a section, it’s not in that section. But I guess that’s easy for me to say ‘cause we are a guitar dominant band and I cover the main rhythm parts : ).

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www.swampdawamp.info

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Back 06.10.2009

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