TROY REDFERN – THE UK’s SLIDE GUITARIST EXTRAORDINAIRE
Troy Redfern is the UK’s finest slide guitarist. His body of work is beyond reproach. Every new release exposes Redfern‘s brilliant songwriting and masterful guitar play. We reviewed Troy‘s memorable single, “Ghosts”, in July of 2021.
Redfern has recently released his newest single, “Gasoline”, from his forthcoming album The Wings of Salvation dropping Sept. 23rd via RED7 Records. “Gasoline” is a groove laden fireball full of righteous guitar licks and pulverizing solos. His slide work is tremendously aggressive and carries a thunderbolt of electricity.
Speaking about “Gasoline”, Redfern states:
“With “Gasoline” I wanted to write a positive, uplifting, good-time rock ‘n’ roll tune. Right now, we’re bombarded with a lot of negative news in the media. Lyrically, I wanted to put something out there that was the opposite of that“.
Troy gives AMP an in-depth and informative interview about his influences, creative process and new album.
AMP: You have been described as a ferocious slide guitarist. Who were your influences and how did you incorporate them into your novel style of playing?
TROY: I have such a disparate cross section of musical influences. Obviously, my mental landscape and musical imagination is saturated with all the originators of the blues, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Charley Patton, but I’ve never wanted to imitate their styles, but rather be inspired by the spirit of what they were doing. Fred McDowell, Hound Dog Taylor, and R L Burnsides slide playing also had an influence, especially when it comes to the rawness of how they played. It felt honest and real.
Frank Zappa was, and still is a huge musical influence. His body of work encompasses everything from
Stravinsky-esque music through to odd-meter rock band workouts, you can hear echoes of his influence in “Gasoline” which is in 7/8. I wouldn’t be interested in odd times signatures if it wasn’t for him.
AMP: How does your creative process work?
TROY: It always begins with just guitar and voice. I like to channel an idea in a non-conscious, automatic writing kind of way. I really try not to let my conscious mind get in the way of any ideas that reveal themselves, because to me, that’s the killer of inspiration. Once the core idea is down, then I’ll start working on it, trying out different variations etc. Like I said, the most important thing for me is musical honesty, and to have the finished song to be as close to the inspired original idea as possible, without it being diluted.
AMP: What skills have you gained that help you perform effectively as a musician?
TROY: I think, like anything you do in life, it a matter of the hours you put in. I’ve been playing guitar since I was a kid, so I’ve put in a lot of time playing shows over the years and recording daily in my home studio. You build up a catalogue of tried and tested instinctual ways of either performing, recording, or writing music. I’m proud of the fact that I’m a self-taught musician and producer. I think looking through the lens of someone else’s sensibilities can be interesting, but the pursuit of developing your own unique expression is the only worthwhile goal.
AMP:Your new single “Gasoline” is a real banger. Is there a backstory to the song?
TROY: Ah thank you! I really love “Gasoline” because I managed to get a song onto the album that isn’t in a straight four-four time. I was in the demo phase of the album, just riffing on the National Triolian resonator, and that intro riff popped out.
Immediately, I really dug it because it had a groove to it despite being in 7/8. My producer Dave Marks heard the finished idea and really liked it but wanted to put the verse section back into 4/4. I stuck to my guns with this tune as I felt that switching time signatures disrupted the flow to my ears. Lyrically, I really wanted this song to be upbeat and positive, like a good time summer song.
AMP: Is there a particular song that you are extremely proud of?
TROY: On the new album The Wings of Salvation. One of my favourite songs is “Dark Religion”. It has a dark country vibe meets sea shanty which is a feel that I’ve not explored on any of my albums before. The tie in between the lyrics and melody really works for me. It feels complete.
AMP: If you could ingest the spirit of any artist, who would it be and why?
TROY: I really wouldn’t want to ingest the spirit of another artist, but if I had to it would be Edgar Varese. His compositions and his use of soundscapes are extraordinary. Also ingesting the spirit of an artist who’s not in the genre that I work in would hopefully make for some interesting results.
AMP: What makes your upcoming new album The Wings of Salvation special?
TROY: I think The Wings of Salvation is the boldest musical statement that I’ve made so far, in terms of distilling and defining my style. The album was written and recorded from scratch in just four weeks. The time from the idea of the songs to the completed version was so short I feel that it’s as close to a truly
‘inspired’ album that I could possibly make. Production wise.
I also think this is the best album that I’ve ever made. All the elements I wanted to have in this album managed to get realised, which I so grateful for. I was an intense experience making this record, but I feel that it paid off.
AMP: Any plans to tour the U.S.?
TROY: Unfortunately, there are no plans yet, but if an offer of a US tour came in, I’d be there. It one place that I’ve never toured but have always wanted to.
AMP: What’s next for Troy Redfern?
TROY: The new album drops on September 23rd, there will also be another single coming out near that time. Then we have full UK tour with Dare throughout October, then we’re straight into a European tour from November 10th through till December 10th. So, it’s going to be a busy time up until the end of the year, which is great!!
Troy Redfern’s new album The Wings of Salvation, released by RED7 Records on September 23rd , is
available to pre-order from www.troyredfern.com. Troy is special guest on DARE’s UK tour from October
6 – 29, 2022. Tickets available from: www.thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/Troy-Redfern.htm
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