- 14 minutes ago
Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and The Winery Dogs' Richie Kotzen sit down to discuss their powerhouse collaboration, Smith/Kotzen. Dive deep into their songwriting chemistry, their individual approaches to soloing, and the moment they realized they 'clicked' as a guitar duo.
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00:00The first time we got together I took a riff over at Richie's and Richie's got a home studio and
00:06we started rather, I mean I've written, sat down with other guitarists and you end up just playing blues licks
00:13all day and not writing anything but you know we went straight into the writing, I had a riff, we
00:19had a song called Running and Richie came up with a chorus and that was it, I'm like bang, you
00:25know in a couple of hours, I mean we didn't finish it but we had the basic thing down so
00:30then we jammed, we did jam a little bit, we were sitting there with guitars and then we came up
00:35with Scars, the song Scars, you know, I had an idea for the verse and Richie came up with an
00:41incredible chorus, you know, it's just, it was just, you know, it was just, we went to work straight away.
00:51Yeah, it's the creative process, that's everything, that's why I, you know, really kept at playing the guitar because I
00:59wanted to make music and original music.
01:02So, it's the most exciting part of it, the most rewarding part, I get the most satisfaction out of any
01:10element in music, I get the most satisfaction out of having an idea and then having it eventually come back
01:17out of the speakers and be like, yeah, that's what I was hearing in my head or it's even better
01:21than I thought it was going to be.
01:22So, yeah, and so that's the part that I think we connect on because, you know, we can, anybody can
01:29go play and jam, you know, play some covers and, but the thing that really is super rewarding is, is
01:37that having that little idea and having it come to life, you know, so that's something that's, you know, the
01:44core of what this is, is the fact that we've written songs together.
01:49I think probably Richie and I have, well, speaking for myself, but very different, very different, I mean, I've been
01:57playing in Iron Maiden for such a long time and the solos are part of the song and the solos
02:04are without, almost without exception, 16 bars and that's it, you know, there's no extended solos.
02:12Most of the solos I play with main are the same as on the record, partly because maybe that's what
02:21people want to hear, especially stuff like Trooper or old stuff with, but with, with SK, I mean, and the
02:27way Richie plays, Richie's much more improvisational.
02:31It's encouraged me to be a little bit more trying to keep up with this guy, you know.
02:34Oh, right.
02:35So, um, and it's nice and I'm getting into that a bit and I'm, I'm getting a little bit more
02:40confident about branching out and, and I don't, I think I've only got three solos in the whole set that
02:45I, I, I play the same every night.
02:48The rest is off the top of my head, so that's, and it's a bit of a challenge every night,
02:52so that's nice.
02:53The way I've, I've been, you know, since I started recording myself is like, well, I don't know what I'm
03:01going to do.
03:01Let me try it, you know, let's see what happens.
03:05And so in that approach, um, I'll, I'll get set up and I'll, I'll, you know, so let me try
03:13something.
03:13And a lot of times I hear something, I might hear a melody to start with or something and I'll,
03:18I'll play it and I'll, I'll do a take.
03:20And then typically what'll happen, if it's in the body of the song, I usually have some kind of melody
03:26in my head.
03:27And I think part of it too has to do with the fact that I'm a singer. So I kind
03:30of think in terms of a melody as what, you know, singing.
03:34And so I might play something and then I'll go off from that. And so what'll happen is I'll record
03:40it and I'll be like, okay, I like the way I started it.
03:43I like the way I ended it, but that middle bit, I got lost in there. And then I might
03:47listen to it and say, oh, I hear something.
03:49Let me try and see if I can pull this off. And you know what I'm saying?
03:51So I'm kind of constructing in real time. And then on the other side of the coin, there are solos
03:57like at the end of a song, I'll just go off and go for it.
04:03And that's a lot of fun for me because I grew up playing with guys that, that would, you know,
04:07we play jam and improvise.
04:09And, and so that's relatively easy for me to do that because it's kind of how I learned, you know,
04:16it's, it's, it's comfortable for me.
04:17I know a lot of guys will sit home and, you know, write out the solo. Okay, I'm going to
04:22play this here.
04:23That's now let me practice it six or seven times and then boom, I'll go to the studio. I'll record
04:27it.
04:28I've never done that, you know, um, uh, maybe I should, but it's just a different approach, you know.
04:36This is my main, uh, signature model, Fender Telecaster. Uh, in 96, actually, they introduced two variables, uh, Strat and
04:48a, uh, Telecaster.
04:51So they've been in production for a long time. Uh, but now they're, they're available globally.
04:56This became available globally maybe 15 years ago and the Strat more recently.
05:02Um, but this is the Tele and it is really stock off the, the rack.
05:08My main, main Telecaster is at home and the reason is because that guitar stays tuned at, at 440.
05:16With SK, we tuned down a half step.
05:19So this is the dedicated Telecaster for everything Smith-Cottson, uh, tuned down a half step.
05:26And it's completely stock off the rack with the exception that I take sandpaper to the neck.
05:32Just like the way that feels.
05:33Okay. So this is the other instrument. I only have two on this tour.
05:37I've got the Strat, the Tele.
05:39And I told you already that the Strat is also a signature model that you can buy.
05:44However, this color, um, I don't know if it's going to show up with these stage lights, but it's a
05:49really pretty blue.
05:50And we did this sort of as a one-off custom color.
05:54Now there's two of these that exist.
05:56Uh, the ones that are actually on the market are white and red, which I've had for a long, long
06:04time.
06:04Yeah.
06:04But, um, I had them do these baby blue.
06:15Uh, had the baby blue color because I thought it was a good, good looking color.
06:19Uh, but the Strat is, you know, um, not quite as custom as the Tele.
06:25Same wood configuration, um, large frets.
06:29Um, they used a really nice piece of maple for the neck.
06:32I don't know if you can see that.
06:34It almost looks like a bird's eye, but not quite.
06:37And, uh, you know, I like the gold hardware and, uh, DiMarzio pickups.
06:44And, uh, and there you go.
06:45So is it quite a chunky neck?
06:47I was just trying to figure out.
06:48Yeah, it is, but it's not as chunky as the Telecaster.
06:51Somehow the Telecaster is a little bigger.
06:54Yeah, yeah.
06:54Now that, and I don't even remember why, but that's the way it is.
06:58And I, and I like it.
06:59Yeah.
07:00So it has to do with the way the whole instrument feels, you know?
07:03Yeah.
07:04And so there you go.
07:05And how do you, just as a sort of rough split, how much time do you spend in the set
07:08on the
07:09Tele and on the Strat?
07:10It depends on my, uh, my, my mood.
07:14Now, for example, the last tour that I did was in the fall in the United States, and I played
07:21all Strats.
07:21I had a blue one, a white one, and a red one.
07:24Now was it, it was the Strat, you know, tour.
07:27Yeah.
07:27Uh, prior to that, I, I used the Telecaster.
07:30Um, now here I've got both.
07:32Uh, we just do the first part.
07:34Whoa, I almost fell.
07:35We do the first part with the, you can leave that in if you want.
07:39The first part with the, the, you know, this one.
07:43And then the middle is with the, uh, the other one.
07:46And then I come back and finish the show with running all the way through with the Strat.
07:52This is my signature model.
07:54It's a slightly later one because it's got the adjustable truss rod there.
07:59So you can get at it a bit more, a bit more convenient.
08:02But it's a great working guitar.
08:04It stays in tune.
08:06It sounds great.
08:07It's light.
08:08It's very easy to play.
08:09Very slim neck.
08:11Yeah.
08:12Big frets.
08:12I mean, it's great.
08:13Love it.
08:14It's got beautiful, chunky frets, doesn't it?
08:15And, uh, yeah.
08:17So, um, is the, the humbucker at the bridge, is that a relatively hot one?
08:20Or was it sort of more like the, you know, the vintage humbuckers or?
08:23Help.
08:24So it's that Simodunk and JB.
08:26Simodunk and JB, yeah.
08:27Jeff Beck pickup, yeah.
08:28So it's pretty, pretty high.
08:30I don't know exactly what it is, but it sounds good.
08:33Absolutely.
08:34And the neck, is that quite chunky or slim?
08:36No, it's a slim neck.
08:37Yeah.
08:37Yeah.
08:37I don't really like chunky necks.
08:39That's why I don't like old, old Les Pauls.
08:41Yeah.
08:42Or, you know, some Les Pauls.
08:44I mean, I do like Les Pauls, but I don't like chunky necks.
08:46So the Les Pauls I have have got slimmer necks.
08:50And, uh, it's kind of flat, profile.
08:54And, uh, I think it's modelled off an old Strat.
08:56When I first hooked up with Jackson, I took an old Strat to the factory and I copied the
09:02neck dimensions because it was comfortable, you know, so.
09:05And I also use this because when I was a kid, I had a black Les Paul copy.
09:12It was my first guitar and I loved it.
09:14And I, uh, I modded it and put, put, give some pickups in it.
09:18I just maxed it out as much as I could, but eventually I sold it.
09:21Wish I still had it.
09:22But this, I bought this in New York.
09:24It's, uh, Les Paul classic.
09:27Yeah.
09:28Um, it's not an old guitar.
09:30It's, uh, I think it might be a reissue.
09:33I'm not sure.
09:33Yeah.
09:34But this is really chunky.
09:36This neck's a bit chunkier, but I use it for a few songs and it's got, uh, the mojo factor.
09:43You know, I just love that.
09:44There's something I'm mistaken about.
09:45Les Paul is the sound of it.
09:47I, you know, you can pick it out.
09:49It just, and it just, uh, I suppose you play a certain way.
09:53You've got more, a lot of sustain.
09:54You can maybe play a little less if you want, get away with it.
09:58Yeah, totally.
09:59But that's nice.
10:01So how many guitars in all we've got here?
10:03We've got one, two, three, four, five.
10:05And, um, are these, are these backups here or just?
10:08Well, the thing is, this guitar is tuned down a semitone.
10:11Yeah.
10:11All our guitars are tuned down a semitone.
10:14Uh, and then we would like this one, for example, uh, we'll have a, it's the equivalent of a standard
10:25tuning drop D, but this would be a, um, C sharp.
10:29Yeah.
10:29Yeah.
10:30So you get the, you know, the, you know, the more, the, the heavy kind of barring situation.
10:35The one finger bandit, I'll call it, you know, and this, I got this quite a few years ago.
10:42Gibson gave this to me.
10:43It's a beautiful custom.
10:45And this is the guitar, one of my favorite guitar.
10:50I mean, looks wise, certainly, it's just absolutely beautiful.
10:52But I, what I didn't realize, it's got a slightly smaller frets.
10:58I wasn't quite, I know my hands are slipping.
11:01And I, and, uh, so I'm going to put some bigger frets on and I'll be back in action, but
11:05this is a lovely guitar as well.
11:09Yeah.
11:09I've got, uh, in the studio, I've got one of my Marshall heads.
11:15It's, uh, the super lead one nine five nine hand wired, uh, HW, they call it four input Marshall.
11:23We plug, well, I mean, you were using this as well, but, uh, we plug into the upper right channel,
11:31which is, uh, the normal channel.
11:33And then, you know, it takes pedals really well.
11:36And the cabinet's obviously in another room with microphones on it.
11:40And, and, uh, that's, that was the main rig at my house.
11:44But then you also did some recording on.
11:46Yeah.
11:47But, but to be quite honest, I mean, I, I, uh, with the exception of a tube screamer, maybe I'll
11:53put a tube screamer with that amp because it's all set up.
11:57So, and, and a lot of my equipment is in England and we record in America.
12:00So, and I, I lost a bit of gear in the fire as well last year.
12:05So, but, um, I do some, I do some stuff at home with just a Marshall, just a JMV Marshall,
12:12but mainly I used Richie's gear because it's so easy, you know, and we work fast.
12:16Now I've got an idea to plug it in bash, you know, it's specifically an orange head of the color
12:22is orange.
12:23I mean, it's a Marshall head, but it's just wrapped in an orange Tolex so I can identify it.
12:33But I love it because I, when I, you know, when I plug into it, I know what I'm in
12:37for.
12:38It's not going to be a guessing game.
12:39Uh, I don't like a lot of, uh, configurations because at the, again, at the core of what I do,
12:46my concern isn't gear.
12:49It never was.
12:50It's like, I want to make music.
12:51Sure.
12:51So let me get to it.
12:53Give me something that's responsive.
12:54Yeah.
12:55This is the most responsive head I've ever played through.
12:58If I play quiet, it's quiet.
12:59If I hit it hard, it barks at me and it's hard.
13:01And so I can control it.
13:03You know, it doesn't compress my sound and make it sound little.
13:07Uh, and, um, I just love the way it sounds.
13:10And then I don't know what's in there, but, uh, I like the vintage thirties.
13:16Yeah.
13:17Although I just got hip to the cream backs, which are 60 watt.
13:21I put those in my combo.
13:23Yeah.
13:23And, uh, but the thing is they still sound very similar because the cone is the same size.
13:28Yeah.
13:29You see with the 70 watt speaker, I believe that cone is bigger.
13:33I don't care for that sound.
13:34I like the smaller cone dimension and that's how I get the response that I like out of the speaker.
13:41Interesting that you, you say the, uh, super bass was, you know, the one you have at home because a
13:46lot of people like them even better than the, the straight, um, you know, super lead plexi.
13:50Yeah.
13:51It's a different tonality.
13:52Yeah.
13:52Yeah.
13:52But I haven't recorded with it in years because, uh, I don't really know why I have.
13:57Oh, I remember it was blowing fuses.
13:59Right.
14:00Right.
14:00Yeah.
14:00But recently I pulled it out and I played through it and, and, uh, it was working.
14:04Yeah.
14:04Yeah.
14:04But that's why I stopped playing through it because it would blow fuses in the worst possible time when I'm
14:10in the middle of something.
14:12And then, you know, like, again, I don't want to be distracted if I'm trying to play something.
14:15Yeah.
14:16Or record something.
14:17So then I started using the reproduction, which, you know, it's hand wired.
14:21It's top notch.
14:22Yeah.
14:22So I don't have any problem with it.
14:26With, well, with SK, I mean, um, we're, we're pretty old school.
14:31We both use amplifiers.
14:33I mean, a lot of bands now just don't use backline.
14:36You know, it's all, and it's processed and it's, uh, in ears and we, you know, we've got the wedges
14:42and we've got the stacks, half stacks, and we just go for it.
14:45I mean, uh, uh, uh, yeah.
14:49And the, the, the, the amps have, there's so much choice these days.
14:52I mean, back in the times you're talking about the, you know, when the electric guitar came to the fore
14:58really, uh, sixties, seventies, there wasn't really that much around.
15:02You really had to work to get a sound, but now it's just, but having said that, you know, a
15:08lot of it's in here and in here and, you know, what you're feeling.
15:12You just got to have something that enables you to express, you know.
15:16Yeah, I mean, it doesn't have to be loud to be good.
15:19A lot of times being loud can be a problem.
15:23I don't like, if I go see a band, I don't like to be loud.
15:26I like to be good.
15:28Good.
15:28Yeah.
15:29Exactly.
15:29You know, it doesn't have to be loud.
15:32Also, it doesn't have to be quiet either, but, you know, it's like taste.
15:35You just got, yeah.
15:36Food's got to taste a certain way for you to want to eat it.
15:38Yeah.
15:39Yeah.
15:40Well, we've got more shows and I'm very excited about how it's been going, how well received the album was
15:48and, you know, it's just a great thing.
15:52It's a great creative outlet and, you know, it's something that I think both of us would like to see
15:58carry on, right?
16:01Yeah.
16:01I mean, I'm having a great time on the road.
16:04I mean, this is our first proper tour.
16:05We did a little tour a few years ago, just 12 dates, which I loved.
16:10I love taking the songs on stage and I love singing and I love singing with Richie because, you know,
16:16I mean, he has the range.
16:18I kind of fit in with him and we both, it's expressive, you know.
16:23I'm up there and I'm lost in a world where I've got to play solos, rhythm, singing, harmonies.
16:30There's so much going on.
16:31It's so fulfilling, really, for me.
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