The Riffhard Podcast

Adam Christianson is a guitarist in Architects. 1:57 - Being a Canadian in a British band 13:44 - Big vs. small shows 27:14 - Advancement of online education 41:22 - What does Adam focus on with the guitar? 49:22 - Perform as soon as you can 57:24 - Don’t discount anyone 1:05:29 - Being disciplined 1:21:21 - Does Adam write riffs with intention in mind? 1:29:49 - What elevated Adam’s playing the most? Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Misha Mansoor, aka Bulb is one of the guitarists of Periphery as well as one of the founding partners behind ventures such as Horizon Devices and Getgood Drums. 1:32 - Keeping busy during quarantine 14:23 - Building a career online 35:41 - Time management and avoiding burnout 47:58 - Taking a vacation 1:01:03 - Getting worn out 1:14:59 - Avoiding getting stale 1:38:52 - Communication is key - singing at someone instead of yelling 1:53:42 - Where does Periphery go next? 2:02:18 - Will there be another summer camp? 2:14:56 - Low vs. high gain Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Davidson is the guitarist for Revocation. 2:05 - COVID and false information 22:07 - Creating and cataloging riffs 42:58 - Building band members’ trust 55:51 - Dave’s practicing habits 1:13:08 - Where does Dave’s love of extreme metal come from? 1:20:04 - Heavy music techniques 1:36:41 - Chord progression and theory 1:47:05 - Dave’s writing process Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olly Steele is a guitarist in Monuments. 3:07 - How Olly and Browne met 8:55 - Learning to play a 7-string 19:43 - Tour etiquette 40:57 - Olly’s guitar playing and lessons 57:08 - Traversing the neck 1:14:58 - Learning with modern technology 1:26:04 - Defining moments when writing songs 1:34:30 - Balance’s clean sound Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gus G, also known as Kostas is a Greek powerhouse, lead guitarist of Firewind. He has played in Arch Enemy, Nightrage, Mystic Prophecy, Dream Evil, and for Ozzy Osbourne himself! 1:58 - Technology and quarantine 17:14 - An unlikely path to success 26:34 - Artists and record deals 51:59 - The impact of playing with Ozzy 1:04:43 - Guitar practice 1:17:44 - How Firewind got discovered 1:36:39 - Leaving Greece 1:44:15 - Knowing when to place the vibrato Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Marshall is the guitarist of Intervals. 2:02 - Aaron auditioned for Fellsilent 13:10 - Steady income during lockdown 34:33 - Working with producers 48:53 - Muscle memory 1:00:22 - Capitalizing on opportunities 1:17:31 - Health and lifestyle 1:52:27 - Lead melody and rhythm 2:02:43 - Learning chord and scale theory Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brody Uttley is the guitarist for Rivers of Nihil. On this episode: 3:20 - Social tier hunting 15:33 - Joe Bonamassa 22:03 - Quarantine habits 34:32 - Devin Townsend is a genius 43:53 - Why don’t Brody’s bandmates hate him? 1:24:11 - How Brody practices guitar 1:33:21 - Not tensing up when you play guitar 2:00:41 - Gear vs. hands 2:23:31 - What comes first, riffs or drums? 2:31:26 - The pressure to experiment Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Smith is the guitarist for Northlane and is the co-owner of Open Door Management. On this episode: 2:35 - Lockdown and cycling 14:55 - Focus and the inner bitch voice 22:48 - Having a disciplined approach 38:27 - Working with David Bendeth and Will Putney 58:18 - Northlane’s live stream 1:17:30 - Working on multiple things at once 1:34:45 - This is in fact a guitar podcast 1:40:30 - Going from a local band to national to international Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Dawes is an innovative acoustic guitarist who has built an impressive solo career 100% indie. He also plays for Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues and is a member of Nik Mystery. On this episode: 2:40 - Being a sideman for older bands 21:02 - Preparing for the worst on tour 37:10 - Being a solo guitar player vs. being in a band 49:35 - Knowing your intent 1:10:06 - Great guitar players exist in every genre and era 1:25:45 - Overcoming injuries 1:42:35 - How COVID has affected Mike 2:04:26 - Mike’s guitar tuning and setup 2:28:25 - How should beginners learn the percussive technique? Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Demmel is a staple in the metal scene gaining notoriety for his time in Machine Head, his band Vio-lence and his session gig for Slayer. On this episode: 3:07 - Phil’s quarantine life 9:41 - The logistics of collaborating on cover songs 20:55 - Playing guitar live can’t be simulated elsewhere 30:04 - How Phil learned guitar 40:47 - How crucial is the social aspect of the industry? 50:49 - Proving yourself as a band and musician 1:00:25 - Filling in with Slayer 1:16:50 - Learning Machine Head songs Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices