Essential Guitarist:
Geoff Tyson interviewed by Simon Badham


Since the break up of T-Ride 12 years ago, you’ve been busy mastering all aspects of the recording process. How do you see yourself now, a guitarist, multi Instrumentalist, producer, or Jack-of-all-trades?

I have no patience for musicians and people in the music business. I have been let down too many times by too many people. The result is that I have chosen to master every stage of the music making process from the writing, instrumentation, engineering, production, artwork design, marketing, internet, video making and all of the business that goes with it. It is the only way I can get things done my way without having to deal with people who are not as passionate as I am. I’m a complicated man, but I am convinced that this is representative of the musician of the future. Gone are the days when an instrumentalist could show up drunk to a session, scream and act like a baby, do drugs and get arrested and still make a good living and be idolized in the business community and the public eye. Record companies don't find value in irresponsibility any more. That "rebel rock star" facade is long dead. So, in effect, I am the model of the small business/musician that makes a living doing music in the most difficult time to do so.

Your latest project is 'Stimulator’, a band you’ve formed with vocalist Susan Hyatt. Is this the type of music you’ve always wanted to create?

For me, music is about being in the moment. I never know what it is going to sound like until it is done. The music that Susan and I do together is very much a metaphor for our personalities and what mood we're in at the time. We go through life's inevitable ups and downs and then we write songs about them.

We both love good pop music, but there seems to be a distinct shortage of good pop music these days. At what point did David Bowie, Blondie, Earth Wind and Fire, and Led Zeppelin get replaced by Ashlie Simpson, Kelly Osborne, and Hillary Duff? What happened? Stimulator trying to correct that grievous error in industry judgment.

How did you hook up with Susan?

Susan and I were introduced by a mutual friend. We first got together to write songs for a WB TV show called "Birds Of Prey" which was about Batman or something. We realized after the first song that we had something special. It has been a wild ride since then, to say the least.

Susan co-wrote all of 'Stimulator', how much impact would you say she's had on you musically?

Susan has taught me the art of elegant simplicity. She is also a slave driver when it comes to business.

Did you have a musical direction in mind for this album before you started writing and recording it?

Yes, but it changed significantly throughout the making of the CD. It started as a rock band, evolved into a rock/dance band, and then swayed a bit more in the 80's direction. It is still evolving constantly as we compose for album #2. All artists evolve as they change as people and the world changes around them. Sometimes it is for the better and sometimes not. It is my opinion that an artist should go with the flow in that regard. Otherwise, you become a parody of yourself, trying to recreate something that you once were. If I were still trying to make T-Ride music, I would wonder about my sanity.

How would you define the Stimulator sound?

Imagine a rock guitar player who loves Zeppelin and Soundgarden with a producer who loves Marvin Gaye and Al Green with a keyboardist who loves Pink Floyd and George Clinton, with two composers who love old disco grooves, add a chick punk-rock singer who loves 80's new-wave and you have Stimulator.

Did having control over the recording process accelerate or hinder finishing the album? I bet you're one hell of a perfectionist!

It made everything very easy. Most of these songs were written, record and mixed over a period of a few days. I don't like to dwell on any one aspect of the process. I want to finish the song before I am sick of it. At the point where I am sick of it and I can't listen to the song any more, I can't tell if the work I am doing is making it better. So I stop. We have hundreds of unfinished songs that never made the grade.

Almost every take on this CD is either an improvisation that I edited with Protools, or a one-take performance that I did not edit. I have a low attention span.

Was song writing for this project any different to the way you've worked in the past?

Every situation is different. That is why every project sounds different. In most other projects, I have dealt with band mates who is are megalomaniac or control freaks or a thieves or severely emotionally challenged.

But with Stimulator, Susan and I are very diplomatic and we both have to agree on everything. Sometimes that can be frustrating if we don't have a similar vision for the song. Most of the time, whatever compromise we come up with is better than individual ideas that we had.

We find it very easy to move forward too. Since Susan and I do everything ourselves, progress comes from having a simple plan and then keeping each other accountable

You produced, engineered, mixed, CO-wrote and performed most of the instruments on Stimulator. Is this the closest you've ever got to near total artistic freedom.

Yes and no. With artistic freedom comes a mess of other responsibilities; responsibilities that confine you to a role. The trick is to defy a single musical categorization so that you can be free to take chances and to be obtuse. One day when Stimulator has a hit record, I'll be able to point back to the work we've done and say "look! this is rock, this is funk, this is classical, this is jazz, the is is punk rock. We can do it all..." When I can say all that while not having to worry about bills, then I will feel like I have artistic freedom.

What's the biggest challenge for you as a member of this band?

The responsibility for the quality of the entire musical presentation falls in my hands. I am directly responsible for the quality of every note that is played at every stage. Since I played every instrument on this CD, I have to monitor the live musicians to make sure that they are playing their parts properly.

Sometimes I have had to play the babysitter role. That means I have had to tell past band members how to set their tones, tune their drums, how to dress, what to say or not say on stage and when they can start getting drunk. All this on top of having to play guitar.

I am happy to say that after gigging for 2 years, Stimulator finally has a fantastic band that takes care of itself. We have the fantastic Chad Stewart on drums who has played for Faster Pussycat, Gilby Clarke (from Guns and Roses) and is solid and pro to the bone. We have Sean Tichnor on bass who rocks my world. Susan Hyatt is always energetic and beautiful and is a fantastic front woman, and we have the incredible Mac Hine on keys who has yet to play a single wrong note.

The CD contains some great bonus video material; you guys seem totally in your element playing live. How have you stripped down Stimulators layered sound for the road?

We try to emulate the CD as closely as possible. We experimented with a leaner, rock band kind of sound, but we later decided that we could do better. So now we reproduce the CD note for note, and then add that live element that changes every night

Your guitar playing is noticeably reserved on Stimulator, are you ever going to release a more guitar orientated album?

Yes, eventually. Right now all of my efforts go into Stimulator. The second CD will a lot of guitar solos on it.

Have you ever thought about working or playing in a professional capacity with your old teacher Joe Satriani?

Yea, that would be incredible. Do you hear that Joe?

One aspect of your playing that has always caught my attention (beyond the great chops) is your innovative rhythm playing, use of inversions and sense of timing. What made you develop these sides to your style?

Music is 99.9% rhythm. A good groove can have more of an emotional impact than a melody. You can have the most amazing melody ever written, but if it isn't performed with the proper rhythmic articulations, it will be lost in the mess.

The songs that Dan Arlie wrote for T-Ride always had very complex choral textures. We wanted to be able to reflect that without using keyboards in the production. That guitar style came from having to fill that need. Without Dan's songs, that guitar style doesn't really exist.

On the T-Ride album, your solo moments were always memorable if a little short-lived hehe. I remember wishing you'd play at least one solo. Why didn't you let rip a little?

T-ride was the anti-guitar, guitar hero record. Dan wanted it to be clear that the musicians were top-notch, but he didn't want any moments that were self indulgent. Eric wanted the production to feature the drums and bass so he mixed the guitars very low for the CD. I think he thought he was going to reinvent metal music production. I thought that it was especially ironic that the only thing anyone cared about was the guitars.

For a musician of considerable ability, you seem to play down virtuosi aspect of your style. Why so?

I'd like to change that. I think that the biggest lingering question for me as a guitar player is how I am going to present that virtuosity. I don't want to come out with a guitar album and have people compare it to Satriani. I want it to stand out completely on its own musically and stylistically. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to approach it.

Is it fair to say the instrumental 'Bone Down' gave us a little glimpse into what an instrumental Geoff Tyson song may sound like?

Bone Down was a Dan Arlie composition. I would probably do something more moody like Portishead meets Led Zeppelin.

I saw you play with T-ride in London back in the early 90's, how difficult was it to perform and re create those songs live? (I thought you pulled it off unbelievably well!)

I remember that show. It was at the London Borderline. I was so hung over. I discovered that European been was considerably stronger than American beer the night before.

Playing T-ride live was really difficult. Playing all of those guitar parts while singing made it so that I could not move around the stage at all. We were so boring to watch, that we used to call ourselves "The Pillars Of Rock". Ha ha! And the way T-Ride music was designed, if one part wasn't played perfectly, the whole thing fall apart.

What gear are you using these days and what will you be taking out on the road?

I play a cheap, Mexican telecaster with 11 gauge string. No effects. Usually, I play through a Marshall, but I love the ampeg combo amps too. I keep it simple and light so that I can deal with all the other bullshit that happens when you play live.

You've worked with legendary producer Mike Shipley, I bet that experience was invaluable. What did you learn from working with a producer of that caliber?

I watched him mix a lot and I saw his approach to making a mix work.

Who have you produced albums for beyond Stimulator?

There have been so many. Many of them were bands that I was in where we were very close to record contracts before someone in the band fucked it all up. In fact, since t-ride ended, there have been 4 bands that I produced and wrote for that have been within arms reach of a record deal. Each time, someone in the organization sabotaged it for various stupid reasons. This is another reason why I chose to do everything myself. Other than that, I own a small production/recording facility in Hollywood and anyone with songs and some cash can get a Tyson production. I have produced hundreds of CD's over the years.

You seem like a very driven guy. What ambitions have you yet to fulfill?

I want a hit song. I want a hit record! I'd like to meet a nice sweet fun loving girl who's really crazy and curses a lot.

What's next for Geoff Tyson?

One day at a time, bro.