On today’s episode we welcome guitarist Jake Goldstein and bassist Kevin Grimmett of the band HUNNY. We discuss their history and the success of their local scene, which included bands such as the Neighbourhood and Bad Suns. We talk about their influences and pay homage to the Cure. Other topics include signing with Epitaph Records, predicting future trends in music, releasing a steady flow of singles, and more.

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

HUNNY

In today’s episode we speak with Jesse Keeler of Death From Above 1979 about the secrets to his bass sound, the origins of the band, the “Freeze Me” video, and their new album, Is 4 Lovers. Additional topics include Jesse’s musical upbringing, his thoughts on the future of music creation, and of course his affinity for Regular Slinky bass strings.

Freeze Me video: https://youtu.be/sdQqgVzex_w

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

Death From Above 1979

On today’s episode we welcome Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney of 311. Nick and Tim grew up playing in bands together in Omaha, Nebraska. They soon forged the 311 sound and today, over 3 decades later, they’ve released 13 studio albums—ten of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Topics discussed include being rap-rock pioneers in the early 90s, breaking through to the mainstream in the mid 90s, band chemistry, influences, songwriting, pandemic life, distortion guitar tones, and much more.

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

In this episode we chart Steve Vai’s path from 12-year-old student under the tutelage of Joe Satriani to full-blown rock guitar god. Additional topics include the evolution of guitar playing, the development of Vai’s showmanship (especially while playing with David Lee Roth), the difference between discipline and passion, the story behind his monumental song “For the Love of God,” and more.

Steve Vai

Emily Wolfe discovered her passion for the guitar at just 6 years old. Then in college, she found the courage to step forward as a vocalist. Equipped with both a microphone and an electric guitar, Emily’s creative potential was unleashed. In this episode we discuss her fantastic new album, Outlier, produced by Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age. Additional topics include the city of Austin’s reputation as the live music capital, NFTs and other potential future trends in the music biz, the joys of touring, and more.
Intro Music by Eat the Wolf
Outro Music by The Vacant Shapes

Emily Wolfe

In this episode, bassist Justin Chancellor of Tool joins us to talk about the release of their brand new and long-awaited album, Fear Inoculum. Justin discusses the band’s unique songwriting process, his thoughts on finally releasing their music on streaming services, how he initially turned down the offer to join Tool, and much more. 

Referenced in the episode:

Tool's music: https://ernieb.al/2lGQRRl

Justin's bass strings: https://ernieb.al/2AQQ7hc

Ernie Ball Axis Capo: https://ernieb.al/2YurJf8

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Justin Chancellor of Tool

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Jason Richardson is known for his near-supersonic, highly technical playing style. Richardson established his reputation with his tenure in bands All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin. He released his first album “I” in 2016 and is currently touring with All That Remains. After collaborating with Ernie Ball Music Man on a 7-string guitar, his dedicated online following can now play to his exact technical specifications. In this episode, Richardson discusses the first time he picked up the guitar, musical inspirations, life as a solo-artist, and much more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Jason playing at 12: https://ernieb.al/2lTQFyw

Jason playing at 14: https://ernieb.al/2meGR22

Ernie Ball Music Man JR7 Cutlass: https://ernieb.al/2kIhh5p

Great Gear Giveaway: https://ernieb.al/2kQITFe

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf https://ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Jason Richardson

Forming in their senior year of high school, Avenged Sevenfold went from teenage garage band to one of the most successful American heavy metal outfits at the turn of the century. Selling an estimated eight million copies across their seven studio albums, the Huntington Beach natives have challenged the traditional genre, fusing aggressive metal, hard rock, and pop punk. In this episode, we speak to guitarist Synyster Gates about the importance of being musically adventurous, which albums were crucial in Avenged Sevenfold’s trajectory, and much more.  

Mentioned in this episode:

Paradigm Skinny Top Heavy Bottom strings: https://ernieb.al/2ExjPJi

Synyster Gates School: https://ernieb.al/2MM1MmK

Listen to the "Sunny Disposition" solo: https://ernieb.al/2oOctx4

Great Gear Giveaway: ernieb.al/2kQITFe

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold

Matt McJunkins picked up his first bass at 13 years old and hasn’t looked back since. After attending Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, McJunkins has gone on to contribute to a diverse set of projects across the rock scene, including current supergroup A Perfect Circle, Ashes Divide, Eagles of Death Metal, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Puscifer. In this episode, we speak to McJunkins about going to school for music, the backstory of his most recent band The Beta Machine, and much more. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Ernie Ball Axis Capo: https://ernieb.al/2YurJf8

Ernie Ball Super Slinky Bass strings: http://ernieb.al/2phKwuL

"Pictures" by The Beta Machine: https://ernieb.al/34hvFSX

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Matt McJunkins

Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, guitarist James Valentine spent most of his early career teaching guitar lessons in his hometown. It wasn’t until a coworker entered him and his band, Square, into the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands that his talent started to gain recognition. After winning the competition in 1999, James made the move to Los Angeles where he would eventually join the LA-based band Kara's Flowers, which would soon become Maroon 5. After a successful debut record and three Grammys later, Maroon 5 has gone on to become one of the most successful names in music today. In this episode, we speak to James about his early years with Maroon 5, how the hit show The Voice impacted his career, and much more.

Mentioned in this episode:

James' Ernie Ball strings: 
Electric - http://ernieb.al/2p7J27u
Acoustic - https://ernieb.al/2PCJgfW , https://ernieb.al/2ky6FlG

Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine: https://ernieb.al/2UmdR89

New Slinkys: https://ernieb.al/2l9fOkQ

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

James Valentine of Maroon 5

Joe Bonamassa began playing guitar when he was just four years old and hasn’t looked back since. He was featured across local news as the next “guitar prodigy,” and by the age of 12, he was opening for B.B King. Today, Bonamassa has accumulated 22 number one albums on the Billboard Blues chart and has been featured on the cover of every guitar magazine imaginable. In this episode, we speak to Bonamassa about his childhood, his world-class guitar collection, and much more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe's Ernie Ball strings: https://ernieb.al/2FZeNWM

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Joe Bonamassa

With her literate, emotionally intricate songwriting and inventive guitar playing, Annie Clark — known by her stage moniker St. Vincent — has become an unapologetic force in rock and pop. She introduced her genre-blending abilities on 2007’s ‘Marry Me,’ and has gone on to achieve a rare balance of critical and commercial success throughout the years. She became the first female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 20 years and cracked the Billboard Top 10 with 2017’s Grammy-winning MASSEDUCTION. In this episode, we speak to Clark about her experience tour managing as a teenager, her intense focus on making good art, her songwriting process, and much more. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

St. Vincent's Ernie Ball strings:
Electric - https://ernieb.al/regularslinky
Acoustic -https://ernieb.al/2ky6FlG

Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent guitar: https://ernieb.al/2Ft8hYr

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

St. Vincent

In 2015, guitarist Ayla Tesler-Mabe posted her first cover to YouTube soulfully playing John Mayall & the Bluebreakers “Hideaway.” Fast forward four years, the now 18-year-old boasts a following of over 400k on Instagram, plays to sold-out crowds, and stands as one of the most promising young guitar players on the rise. In this episode, we speak to the Calgary native about how the video game Rock Band inspired her to learn to play the guitar, her thoughts on releasing singles versus albums in the age of streaming, her experience playing in the band Calpurnia and her current project, Ludic, and much more.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Ernie Ball strings: https://ernieb.al/regularslinky

Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine guitar: https://ernieb.al/2UmdR89

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Ayla Tesler-Mabe

If you trace back the history of Nirvana and Soundgarden, you'll inevitably run into the Melvins. Bridging heavy metal and punk rock in the midst of the ‘90s grunge scene, the Melvins have crafted a sound that has remained influential and prolific for more than three decades. In this episode, we speak with vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne and bass player Steven McDonald about their history in the music industry, their thoughts on the reign of streaming services, upcoming projects, and much more.

Ernie Ball strings: https://ernieb.al/regularslinky

Ernie Ball VPJR Tuner Pedal: https://ernieb.al/VPJRTuner

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Melvins

In this episode we speak with Mad Caddies guitarist Sascha Lazor about getting signed by NOFX’s Fat Mike, his latest project working with rap artist Doja Cat and Yeti Beats, the unique rewards and challenges of touring the world as a musician, and how his passion for reggae music led him to Jamaica where he quickly found use for his talents making beats and playing guitar in a Kingston studio.

Brought up during California’s Third Wave ska scene, the Mad Caddies’ sound is undeniably multifaceted — with hints of reggae, punk, pop, surf rock, and jazz all trickling onto their records. First emerging in the mid-90s, the Mad Caddies have been crafting and evolving their genre-bending style for more than 20 years.

Sascha Lazor

Goldfinger frontman John “Feldy” Feldmann has one of the most enviable résumés in the music business. With roots in the California punk scene, Feldmann has gone on to produce and co-write with a wide variety of music’s biggest names, including Good Charlotte, Panic! at the Disco, blink-182, and 5 Seconds of Summer. In this episode, we speak with Feldmann about the ups and downs of his early music career, what bands can do to get noticed, the roles and traits of a good producer, and much more.

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

John Feldmann

Hailing from Albany, New York, Drug Church has carved out a unique niche in the post-hardcore world. As articulated on their Spotify page, “They’re an unabashedly aggressive band that writes hooks you can’t stop humming — too poppy for the heavy crowd, too heavy for the poppy crowd.” And yet Drug Church’s proprietary sound continues to open new doors and attract new fans. In this episode we speak with vocalist Patrick Kindlon and guitarist Cory Galusha about their influences, their name, their thoughts on creating good music, and much more.

Articles referenced in interview:
https://www.revolvermag.com/music/drug-church-big-riffs-weezer-clones-mike-pattons-world-class-trolling
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwpwm3/drug-church-patrick-kindlon-cheer-interview

Intro Music: Lightning from a Gun by Eat The Wolf ernieb.al/2kCHJxf

Outro Music: The Vacant Shapes

Drug Church

Forged in the Chicago punk scene of the late ‘90s, Rise Against seemed an unlikely candidate for mainstream success. After signing to a major label in 2003, Rise Against went on to release six albums that reached the Billboard 200 — five of which charted in the top ten. In this episode we speak with vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath and guitarist Zach Blair about sheltering in place, being political, following your passion, Zach’s tenure in the band Gwar, and much more.

Rise Against

With the bonds of childhood friendship and the musical chemistry to match, The Story So Far caught fire in the pop punk world with their debut album Under Soil and Dirt. Never complacent, the Walnut Creek natives have continued to press the bounds of convention with each successive album. In this episode we speak with Kelen Capener, Kevin Geyer, and Will Levy about high school, songwriting, quarantine, Pure Noise Records, and more.

The Story So Far

With their self-released debut album 40oz. to Freedom, Sublime quickly established a grassroots following on the California coast. With the release of their self-titled third studio album—two months after the passing of singer Bradley Nowell and the dissolution of the band—Sublime amassed worldwide fame, which persists to this day. In this episode we speak with bassist Eric Wilson about Sublime’s early days, their signature musical style, and their profound legacy. Additional topics include Eric’s bass playing, Sublime with Rome, and a new project called Spray Allen.

Eric Wilson of Sublime

In this episode we have a wide-ranging conversation with Dream Theater bassist John Myung. John discusses his experience attending Berklee College of Music with John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater’s formation and early days, tips for practicing bass, and the story behind his new Ernie Ball Music Man Artist Series six-string bass.

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

John Myung of Dream Theater

Seether formed in 1999. Just one year later their demo was charting in their home country of South Africa. The year after that, US label Wind-up Records flew the band out to NYC for a showcase performance, promptly signed them to a deal, and the rest is history. In this episode we speak with singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan and bassist Dale Stewart about Seether’s grassroots rise in South Africa, their big move to the US, and their brand new album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.

Seether

Indie-folk artist Matt Costa grew up skateboarding in Southern California. In the wake of a debilitating accident, Matt discovered a new passion and natural aptitude for songwriting. He soon crossed paths with No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, whose early mentorship helped put Matt on track for a successful and enduring music career. In this episode, we speak with Costa about songwriting, skateboarding, touring, John Steinbeck, and his brand new album Yellow Coat.

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

Matt Costa

In this episode we speak with System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian about moving to the US from Armenia as a kid, the formation and early days of System Of A Down, their unique situation of touring but not recording, and dealing with the public obsession with a new System record. We also discuss Shavo’s new band, North Kingsley, which has been prolifically writing and recording and is just beginning to release their songs to the public.

Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down and North Kingsley

In this episode we speak with Knuckle Puck guitarists Nick Casasanto and Kevin Maida. The Chicago suburbanites tell the story behind their name, describe their first gig, and explain why they all get along so well. Kevin pitches The Sopranos as the greatest show ever created and Nick tells the story of a fan who turned out to be a long lost relative. Other topics include guitar strings, blink-182, and Knuckle Puck’s new album, 20/20.

Intro Music by Eat the Wolf
Outro Music by The Vacant Shapes

Knuckle Puck

Cliff Williams of AC/DC joins us on the podcast to discuss his musical history prior to joining the band in 1977, his favorite memories of playing with AC/DC through the decades, his reflections on their new album, and his Music Man bass which has accompanied him through thick and thin since 1979. Ernie Ball Music Man has recently recreated Cliff’s bass and is making a very limited run available to the public. Following our interview with Cliff Williams, we speak with engineer Blair Ridings to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of recreating Cliff’s iconic bass.

Cliff Williams of AC/DC

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kid Bloom joins us on the podcast for a wide ranging conversation. We discuss the idiosyncrasies of growing up in Los Angeles, playing strange gigs, writing songs on an instrument vs in a DAW, gaining traction without a label, and creating music that is unencumbered by social pressures.

Intro music: Eat the Wolf
Outro music: The Vacant Shapes

Kid Bloom

Joey Bradford, guitarist of the Used, knows touring — from all angles. Right out of high school he jumped on the opportunity to sell merch on the Warped Tour for Saosin. Never looking back, Bradford’s talent and tenacity continued to open doors (like the time he was approached at the merch table and asked to fill in on guitar for Thrice!). In this episode we speak with Bradford about making his way in the music biz, trying out for the Used, collaborating with artists such as Mark Hoppus, and creating music with turbocharged producer John Feldmann.
Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

Joey Bradford of The Used

Today we welcome YouTuber, shredder, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Jared Dines to the podcast. Through his intermingling of musical proficiency and comical skits, Jared has amassed millions of subscribers and hundreds of millions of views. In this episode we discuss social media as an outlet for musicians, the viral video experience, internet trash talkers, a day in the life of Jared Dines, Shred Wars, guitar practice, influences, new projects, finding fulfillment, and more.

Intro music by Eat the Wolf
Outro music by The Vacant Shapes

Jared Dines

At just 16 years old, Joe Robinson, equipped with his acoustic guitar, won Australia’s Got Talent. His career has since continued to flourish, releasing solo albums, doing session work, and performing with Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and many other artists. In this episode we speak with Joe about getting the most out of your guitar practice, embracing mentors, growing up in a tiny Australian town, winning Australia’s Got Talent, and moving to Nashville.

Joe Robinson

Welcome to Striking A Chord, a podcast presented by Ernie Ball — the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality electric guitar and bass strings. Tune in as host Evan Ball interviews some of music’s most influential artists and trailblazers about their stories, their reflections on musical trends, their advice for aspiring musicians, and more.

Striking A Chord

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