PVA:Were you learning it by ear, or did you have the music?
Todd:Most of it I learned by ear, but towards the end, my Uncle Jeff gave me a book with, I think, all of the songs up through Signals. But even that wasn't complete. It was missing all of the cool stuff. Just wasn't in the book.
PVA:Did you have to consciously try to develop your own sound and style after playing covers all those years?
Todd:No, I think that your own style actually comes out of playing other people's stuff. You take a little of this, and a little of that and combine things that have never been combined before. It just happens. When I first started writing stuff, I was worried that it would sound like AC/DC riffs with Zakk Wylde solos. But the more I play, the more I learn about other styles. I've been getting into jazz lately, so that has had some effect.
PVA: What kind of jazz?
Todd:Oh, I don't know. Mostly stuff I hear on the radio. That new age jazz. Like Eric Johnson's Manhattan. I love that kind of stuff. I recently signed up for guitar lessons so I could learn some jazz.
PVA:How's that going?
Todd:I don't know. I haven't had one yet. I took lessons for about the first two years I was playing. Then I could figure stuff out just by listening to it.
PVA:What kind of equipment are you using?
Todd:Um, well for guitars I've got a Paul Reed Smith I just got about six months ago, and my old trusty SG for backup. For effects I've got one of those Digitech RP-5 processors. I've got that running stereo into two amps. One is a 100 watt Marshall with a 5150 cabinet, and the other is a 50 watt Marshall into a Carvin 4 x12. It sounds like a weird set up, but it's paid for, you know? I would eventually like to have two matching half stacks in stereo, but I haven't really found the cabinet that I'm in love with yet.
PVA:What kind of sound are you looking for?
Todd:That's part of the reason that I haven't found a good amp. (laughs) I don't know. I think by finding stuff I don't like, my own sound will come out. I really loved the sound Peter Klett had on the first Candlebox album. It was just great. So I have been kind of aiming for that, but I have to make sure it will work with our music, you know? It might be great for Candlebox, but suck for theMatter. Kind of like, I couldn't imagine the "Justice for All" sound working for "Back in Black."
to be continued...
theMatter's Frontman Tedd
theMatter's Bassist? ?
theMatter's Drummer?