The Riffhard Podcast

Andy James is a well known guitar virtuoso who has a massive YouTube channel, plays with Fields of the Nephilim, and has toured as a session guitarist with acts such as Five Finger Death Punch. On this episode: 9:35 - How bands are live-streaming now 13:09 - How Andy ended up touring with Death Punch 30:12 - Are certain tours harder than others? 35:34 - Learning someone else’s songs 46:21 - Having a natural knack for guitar 57:15 - Being an artist vs a craftsman 1:20:05 - Should you mix your own album? 1:33:52 - Handling writer’s block Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Hudson is a virtuoso guitarist who has played with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, and I Am Morbid among many many others. He is the founder and lead guitarist of NorthTale. On this episode: 2:45 - Guitar playing during the quarantine 17:40 - Perfect pitch 23:21 - Does language impact how Bill thinks about music? 38:13 - England and innovative rock 59:13 - Getting gigs 1:07:56 - Working out and having a healthy lifestyle 1:39:40 - How addictions can affect your performance 2:01:21 - Bill’s practice routine 2:21:12 - The importance of tempo Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Johnston is a Canadian guitarist who releases his work as an independent solo artist and has worked with Periphery, Polyphia, Scale The Summit, Mike Dawes, and many more. On this episode: 2:00 - Quarantine life and mask breath 10:09 - Being disciplined when you’re younger 27:07 - The critiques of instrumental guitar playing 34:33 - How Nick made his picking hand less sloppy 45:48 - Fear as a motivator 1:04:18 - Your pathology isn’t necessarily going to change because your circumstances do 1:10:47 - How Nick stays disciplined 1:22:52 - Tone in the hands vs. the gear 1:34:36 - Being honest with yourself about what you want to do 1:43:25 - Why Nick doesn’t want to be on a label 1:59:20 - Final guitar solos vs. improvising Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc Coyle is the guitarist of Bad Wolves and was previously in God Forbid. He also hosts The Ex-Man Podcast, where he talks to music industry professionals who leave major gigs and where they go from there. On this episode: 4:07 - You can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen 12:15 - How often does Doc write? 26:07 - Knowing when something is finished 34:15 - The first listen and discovering new bands 50:48 - Defining talent 1:00:23 - Guitar prep and tones 1:22:02 - Hands vs. gear 1:34:58 - Moving people emotionally with your music 1:41:02 - The challenges of adopting a new rhythm style 1:55:27 - Doc’s book idea 2:03:24 - Doc is a renaissance man Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Eyal Levi on Instagram. Like this show? Please leave us a 5-star review - even one sentence helps! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean Lamb plays guitar for the Canadian tech-death innovators, Archspire. He runs a very entertaining and informative YouTube channel where he takes on all types of hilarious and impressive guitar challenges. On this episode: 2:59 - Being creative in lockdown 10:32 - Being in a band should be treated as a job 19:30 - Fear of talking on camera 27:46 - Jason Momoa’s connection to the band 45:57 - Making money while being on a label 1:01:57 - Dean’s guitar playing and writing 1:22:16 - The role that rhythm plays 1:37:18 - The luck factor 1:49:02 - How ideas appear 2:02:13 - Learning techniques via cover songs vs. formal practice 2:07:16 - Playing without tension 2:14:38 - Warm up routines Check out Dean Lamb’s website. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Heylmun is the lead guitarist for Suicide Silence, arguably the most successful death core band in the world. On this episode: 2:19 - Mark and John’s tour stories 11:05 - How Suicide Silence leveraged Myspace to land a record deal 22:14 - Lockdown! 35:11 - Getting an idea and going hard with it 48:48 - Being in a band and being good at business 55:28 - Not dwelling on the negative 1:06:16 - Plan B 1:37:38 - Not all writers are virtuosos 1:47:08 - Working with another guitar player Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acle Kahney is a guitarist, songwriter, producer and mixer known for his band TesseracT and formerly Fellsilent. On this episode: 3:33 - Staying busy and live streaming during a pandemic 7:41 - Getting into mixing and mastering 16:56 - Different generations of guitar players 24:01 - Is talent real? 36:01 - What keeps bands together? 45:35 - Writing and learning new songs 55:53 - John Browne was THAT solo guy 1:11:17 - What happened when Acle started combining styles 1:23:07 - Working with Martin Grech 1:30:00 - Dealing with metal fans 1:39:13 - Working with other engineers 1:44:16 - Where Acle’s haunting melodies come from 1:50:06 - Getting a band from nothing to something Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wes Hauch is one of the most respected lead guitarists in metal known for his work with The Faceless, Black Crown Initiate, Alluvial, Thy Art Is Murder, and many many more. 2:25 - Mac vs. PC 11:32 - Hours spent playing guitar 25:38 - Playing what’s written vs. adjusting on the fly 36:14 - Lead guitar and solos 49:15 - Writing 1:00:37 - Lessons learned from playing live 1:08:29 - Geeking out about amps Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Richardson is one of the most highly regarded lead guitarists in modern metal. He made a name for himself in bands like Born of Osiris and Chelsea Grin before releasing an extremely successful solo album. He is currently the lead guitarist for metalcore legends All That Remains. On this episode: 2:10 - NAMM and Ernie Ball 7:59 - The Evolve EP and Jason’s own sound 19:41 - Returning to old ideas 30:21 - Jason’s rig 49:00 - Tour life 1:02:54 - How Jason learns other styles 1:12:10 - What Jason looks for in an engineer 1:29:40 - Jason’s online presence 1:39:14 - Jason’s favorite riff that he’s written Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices