The Riffhard Podcast

Jake Bowen is a guitarist in Periphery. 3:02 - Eating high-calorie meals 9:21 - Jake’s problem with airports and authority figures 29:16 - Humans are still animals even though society has modernized 43:51 - How the band is handling staying home 57:18 - Anxiety and being a people pleaser 1:05:03 - Playing guitar live 1:21:00 - A day in the life of Jake 1:32:13 - Battling depression 1:44:02 - Being...

Eugene and Roman are the bassist and guitarist, respectively, in Jinjer. 1:59 - Working with Max Morton and writing songs 12:07 - Throwing ideas and riffs away 25:44 - The band’s communication 37:16 - Eugene’s bass lines 50:21 - Writing during lockdown and writing rigs 1:02:51 - Being able to travel with your own console 1:12:06 - Staying grounded 1:34:36 - Writing a song in 5 hours Roman Ibramkha...

Ruud Jolie is the lead guitarist of Within Temptation. 12:22 - How European culture treats metal music 23:19 - You can make music work without a band 37:15 - Ruud’s job as a guitarist in Within Temptation 56:48 - Guide for refining riffs 1:21:20 - Defining personal style 1:43:36 - Longevity is a rare thing 1:52:07 - Rehearsing before tour Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Lear...

Nick Sampson is a producer, engineer, and guitar player for I Am Abomination. 3:14 - Handling COVID 11:11 - Gaining trust and respect 17:03 - How guitar players can prepare 36:47 - Scheduling and time management 57:51 - Making your guitar as playable as possible 1:17:50 - Building and patenting a guitar 1:38:57 - Buying weed used to be difficult 1:57:39 - There’s no liposuction for guitar Want to...

Angel Vivaldi is a virtuoso guitarist as well as a songwriter and producer. 5:07 - Angel doesn’t miss being on the road 18:07 - Eddie Van Halen 28:10 - Finding what works best for your health 45:46 - Does Angel’s discipline with health and fitness transfer to guitar playing? 59:48 - Getting away from drugs and abuse 1:11:51 - How Angel recorded his first demo 1:33:00 - Working with Will Putney 1:5...

Angus Clark is a lead guitarist best known for his 20 year stint with Trans Siberian Orchestra as well as playing for artists such as Cher and Kitaro among others. 2:21 - The hired gun life 16:11 - Self-awareness is crucial 31:38 - Getting the TSO gig 49:42 - Tone is in your ears 1:08:24 - You don’t have to choose between writing and playing 1:19:21 - Knowing who you are 1:30:03 - The entrepreneur...

Mark Holcomb is a guitarist in Periphery and Haunted Shores. 2:05 - How Browne and Mark know each other 11:09 - The X factor and social media 21:51 - Adapting to touring life 29:18 - Day-to-day lifestyle 50:54 - Making ideas cohesive 1:22:45 - Coming up with open chords 1:35:26 - Using PRS guitars 1:42:14 - Gear and black metal Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. Learn more abou...

Mike Spreitzer and Neal Tiemann are guitarists for DevilDriver. 2:42 - How the guys are handling COVID 15:05 - How Mike and Neal know each other 29:19 - Dark times and lineup changes 53:13 - Working with Steve Evetts 1:09:01 - How Mike got into recording 1:22:56 - Pocket is different for everyone 1:34:44 - Tracking guitars and trusting producers 1:51:57 - Writing riffs 1:57:10 - Finding inspiratio...

Carter Arrington is a guitarist who has played with Progger, Peter Rowan, Eric Johnson, and many others. 3:25 - Carter’s rhythm playing 16:47 - Carter’s definition of pocket 40:42 - Adjusting to the pocket of a drummer 54:22 - Ego and finding what you want to do 1:03:14 - Obsession 1:28:49 - Carter’s course and writing 1:51:28 - Sixteenth notes Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard...

Kiko Loureiro is the lead guitarist for Megadeth. 3:08 - Getting stuck in Finland 12:32 - Touring and routine 24:19 - Playing guitar for work vs. not for work 54:28 - Music in Brazil 1:10:56 - Practicing and figuring out how you learn 1:33:47 - Should modern musicians record themselves? 1:52:38 - Adapting to modern technology 2:08:50 - Why Kiko learned to record audio and video 2:26:10 - What Kiko...

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 m...

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 - sing...

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...

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...

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 - Leavi...

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 a...

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 t...

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 fro...

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 i...

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 - Pro...

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...

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 o...

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...

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 ba...

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 - Ma...