Wong Notes

Marcus King has already been through the wringer, but he’s on the come-up. His hotly anticipated third LP,  Mood Swings , drops this Friday, April 5, and on this episode of  Wong Notes , the earnest, honest 28-year old South Carolinian goes deep on his career with Cory Wong. The two shredders open by swapping notes on how touring has changed post-pandemic. Costs are way up, but they’re m...

The ascendant roots shredder shares intimate details from his musical upbringing and gets philosophical on the past and future of bluegrass. Millennial folk philosopher Billy Strings joins this episode of  Wong Notes . The Grammy-winning acoustic picker is an open book—nothing is off limits with Billy, from recounting his days selling magic mushrooms in exchange for passing grades in math cla...

This time on Wong Notes, Cory is joined by his Vulfpeck and Fearless Flyers copilot Joe Dart. Wong doesn’t waste any time, diving in by asking Dart, by now renowned as a modern bass wizard with flawless fundamentals, how he developed he signature “voice” on the bass. As Dart explains, it came from listening to players who had their own distinct “voice,” who sound like “they’re singing a part withi...

Multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato has had a lot on his plate since taking over as bandleader for Jon Batiste on  The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  in late 2022, but has been enjoying every minute of it. "I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, with exactly the people I'm supposed to be there with," he tells Cory on this episode of  Wong Notes . Of course, given his role t...

Session drum ace Aaron Sterling might have fusion roots, but his bread-and-butter work lives at the top of the charts, where’s he’s featured on tracks by artists such as John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Lana Del Rey. He tells Cory what brought him to Los Angeles, why he’s “meant to be in the studio” instead of the stage, and he shares the surreal story of playing with EVH in a florist’s...

Cory Wong sits down with indie-rock bandleader Margaret Glaspy for an in-depth dialogue on artistry, celebrity, and the wisdom of Bruce Lee. Glaspy shares how she cut her latest record,  Echo The Diamond , live off the floor, with most of the “homework” happening beforehand and studio performances happening in-the-moment. “It really felt like air blew through the studio and then the record wa...

"I don't consider myself a jazz musician," says guitarist Charlie Hunter on this episode of Wong Notes—essentially refuting how he's known in the music world. "I am maybe jazz adjacent." Most listeners probably wouldn't agree, but if nothing else, Hunter is experimental. He's known for playing a guitar that's strung with both bass and electric guitar strings, that has two pickups—one for bass and...

Cory’s cast is off and he’s here to tell you to “go get hip” to Bruno Major! The soulful, jazzy British singer-songwriter shares why he prefers to record in his bedroom than a studio to create his “relatively lo-fi” music. “It’s far more important to be transmitting a privacy than an audio quality,” Major says. But he’s quick to point out that you can get good audio quality recording at home and d...

"When you switch the gear of what you're operating on from the memorized information to the gear of intuitive, faithful response, it's a whole different frequency that's emitted from the hands and from the soul," country shredder Daniel Donato expresses on this episode of Wong Notes. He's talking about what makes for powerful improvisation, and if you know anything about the guitarist, you know th...

Wolfgang Van Halen joins Cory for the season 7 premiere of  Wong Notes ! Chatting before the release of  Mammoth II , the duo discuss guitar trios, 5150 studios, cloning, touring with Metallica, plus: Who’s that playing wah on the record? What’s WVH’s rig? And much more. On his new record, WVH has lots to share. When it comes to writing and recording rhythm tracks, he’s says, “It’s all g...

Soulive, Lettuce, Tedeschi Trucks, and most recently, Stanton Moore and Branford Marsalis—that's a short list of some of the acts Eric Krasno plays and has played with throughout his career. From one funk guitarist to another, Cory sits down with Eric to talk what it means to play the right amount of notes when jamming, what it takes for Eric to absorb and learn so many different genres, and the i...

"If you keep your head and your ass in the same place, that'll happen on its own," says Jason Isbell on how he gets the most out of his live performances. On the heels of a new HBO documentary, he and Cory sit down for a deep discussion, talking creating genuine art that can also turn into hits, Muscle Shoals, and the intersection between "guitarist" and "songwriter"—as well as "for life" gear cho...

The Extreme guitarist shares his pedal philosophy—including how a visit from EVH inspired him to use a phaser on the new record—and talks about ripping with Rihanna at the Super Bowl and more. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Nuno Bettencourt: https://extreme-band.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.cory...

The Phish bassist chats about everything from how to EQ a picked electric bass tone to drummers, the importance of a good shirt, his recipe for a good gig, and why he hates jam bands. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Mike Gordon: https://mike-gordon.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com V...

Cory sits down with his bandmate-brother, multi-instrumentalist Theo Katzman, to discuss the virtues of musical self-acceptance, the infectious charisma of Trey Anastasio, and how Theo has made a career out of being a jack of all trades. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Theo Katzman: http://theokatzman.com Hit us up: wongnotes@premierg...

Mateus Asato shares on his experiences playing with pop stars, what it means to be of service to a song, and how taking a break from social media—which was where he built his fan base of 1.2 million—was crucial to his mental health. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Mateus Asato: https://www.instagram.com/mateusasato/ Hit us up: wongnot...

The professor is in. He dives deep into EVH’s moves, talks about why he prefers high action, and goes “full rant mode” into technical tips.  Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Paul Gilbert: http://paulgilbert.com Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguit...

This week’s ep is just a couple of Strat dudes talkin’ gear. The guys get deep on everything from their favorite guitars to pedals and some speaker chat, and the busy New York guitarist and professor talks about improv and the up-and-coming crop of jazz cats. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Nir Felder: https://www.nirfelder.com/ Hit u...

The Scottish singer-songwriter talks about discovering looping, the perfect pedalboard, and gets deep about the mystery of songwriting and coping with hearing loss. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit KT Tunstall: https://www.kttunstall.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Visit Premier Gui...

Roots guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas talks about his background as a pre-school teacher, the role of the guitar in hip-hop, and gives the definitive take on his Prince story. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Kirk Douglas: https://hundredwattheart.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Vi...

The Punch Brother and MacArthur Genius talks about why he chose the mandolin and how it relates to Roger Federer. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Chris Thile: http://christhile.com Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com Twitter: https://twitter.co...

The Foo Fighter talks about his influences from the guitar-hero era, and shares all the details of his gear, from his signature model Fender to why “you gotta have a Phase 90 on your board.” Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Chris Shiflett: http://www.chrisshiflettmusic.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www...

The jazz phenom chats about flying with his guitar, how he approaches fluidity on his instrument, overcoming injury, and his take on pedals and tunings. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Julian Lage: http://julianlage.com Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Visit Premier Guitar: http://premie...

The slide master talks about amalgamating influences, keeping it fresh, how he approaches tone, and the best amp ever made. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Fender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyV Jackson Audio Optimist - https://imp.i114863.net/rn3Vqj Fourth Position Academy Cory Wong Guitar Course - https://imp.i1148...

The master rhythmist answers questions from fans, sharing wisdom on picking technique, practicing, balancing 24/7/365 work with family, show prep, killing bad habits, rehearsals, and how to be a good hang on the disc golf course. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Fender Cory Wong Stratocaster - https://imp.i114863.net/LPqJyV Jackson Audio Opt...