An interview with Linq

An interview with Ronny North

1 Describe the early years of your musical roots and how your talent was nurtured.

My parents enjoyed listening to music, so I was exposed to it regularly at a young age. I took piano and organ lessons during my childhood, sang in the chorus in school, and played cymbals in the high school band for a year. My heart just wasn’t into the piano, so I dropped it and bought myself a guitar and a chord book shortly after I entered college.   
 
2. Were there any events or people that have been musically influential?

My college years were spent in Boston from 1965 to 1970, so I was caught up in the turmoil of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. The music was just exploding during that time. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, and the psychedelic rock bands of the late 60s to name a few all made a huge impression on me. Everything was so “cutting edge” that I just couldn’t get enough. I saw Led Zeppelin at the old Boston Garden on their first US tour and left feeling totally blown away. 

3.  Tell me about your new CD, FAST MOVING DREAM and how it came into fruition.

FAST MOVING DREAM is the direct result of a need to give voice to conditions in the world that I’m upset about, I hope that I can somehow make a difference, and an urgency to share the products of the huge creative space that I find myself inhabiting at the moment. Topics include war, healthcare, homophobia, the importance of being true to yourself and a tribute to a friend who died too young.

4.  What is the feel of your new CD?

I call it electric folk and rebellion rock. I tend to blur genres somewhat because the songs present themselves according to the emotion that I’m feeling as I write them.  “Who I Need To Be” has a pop feel to it, “Never Be Mine To Love” has a touch of blues, and the title track recently landed on a funk station.   
 
5.  Who was involved in the making of the CD?

I recorded FAST MOVING DREAM at the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, MA. ( www.ima.org) June Millington produced the project. Recording engineers were June Millington, Dan Tinen, Ben Slater, and Jane Clark (formerly with Motown). The songs were mixed by Dan Tinen, Ben Slater and June Millington. Studio musicians included June Millington, Jami Sieber, Julie Wolf, Loren Weisman, and Allison Miller among others. 
 
6. How many CD's have you released to date as a solo artist or with a band?

My first release was a single called WAR MACHINE (June 2003). JOURNEY was released in July 2004, and FAST MOVING DREAM was released in June 2006. 
 
7. How involved are you in past and present recording projects?

I have worked with June Millington on all of my projects. We share many early musical influences, and at times she practically reads my mind when it comes to capturing the essence of my material in the studio.
 
8. What recording equipment have you used and where have you recorded?

My earlier material was recorded using an Alesis system with ADAT tapes, but FAST MOVING DREAM was recorded using ProTools. All of my recording has been done at IMA in Goshen, MA, although a few overdubs were added at Jane Clark’s studio in Catati, CA. 
 
9. How do you prefer to record your guitar parts?

Most of the time I use an amp with built-in effects, so we run a DI from the amp and also mike the amp. If I’m looking for a folkier sound with my acoustic electric, we use both a DI and a mike at the sound hole. 
 
10. Do you own your own label & publishing company?

I own Linqsongs Publishing.
 
11. Are you affiliated with any music associations or unions?

I belong to ASCAP, both as a writer and a publisher. I also belong to HAMS (Hilltown Alliance of Musicians and Songwriters). I’m a performing member of Indiegrrl and also belong to other networking organizations including Just Plain Folks, Outmusic, GoGirls Elite, Gay Guitarists, and, of course, Indieguitarists. 
 
12. What are some of the highs & lows of your career so far?

I started my musical career much later in life than most and am just having lots of fun. I get high when we finish a mix and I know that we’ve nailed it. Recording live with incredibly talented musicians is exciting. Being selected as one of the finalists in the WRSI (Northampton, MA) Singer-Songwriter Contest shortly after JOURNEY was released was an honor. I was asked to perform “War Machine” following a speech given by Howard Zinn, which was being televised live. It was a thrill to meet him. I’ve been asked to do several live on-air radio interviews. I love sharing the stage with other artists that I admire. Driving down the road with the radio on and having one of my songs come on still blows me away. I can’t say that there have been any significant lows at this point. I’m just following this wherever it takes me. 
 
13.  Are you currently under management?

No. I’m doing this all independently.

14. Who does your booking?

I do. 
 
15.  What are your favorite venues to play?

The 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem, MA is a wonderful acoustic space, and the audiences there are terrific. The Meetinghouse also holds an annual outdoor Musicfest in a beautiful field. Klondike handles the sound, there are food and craft vendors on site, and it runs for about 7 hours.

www.1794meetinghouse.org

I got my start at the Royalston, MA Open Mics that run once a month from November through March at the Royalston Town Hall. The sets tend to be short (usually about 15 or 20 minutes) because they can draw as many as 10 to 12 acts, but it’s a laid-back fun-filled evening and a great way to network with other musicians.   
 
16.  Do you appear regularly at a venue?  If yes, where?

Royalston Open Mic.

I have also played at every Royalston Music Festival and every Meetinghouse Musicfest since they started. 
 
17.  Some say that music is a language.  Do you agree?

Absolutely. It has the power to bring people together, to build community, to find common ground even when they come from different cultures and speak different languages. It may be the most powerful language in the world. 
 
18.  Music has often been described as being therapeutic.  Would you agree or disagree with this comment? 

I agree totally through personal experience. Just listen to some of my lyrics. 
 
19.  Do you think artists should be morally conscious about the things they do and say?

It’s important that artists speak their truth because that’s what makes the songs real. How empowering and what a gift to be able to speak it in a way that enlightens, calls attention to injustice, promotes positive change, gives the listener something to relate to or just plain makes people feel good. I’m saddened when an artist chooses to promote prejudice and hatred either through words or actions.  
 
20.  Do you have advice to give other female songwriters?

I would suggest that they take advantage of the many networking organizations available to independent musicians. They can be a source of support, helpful information and new opportunities. 

 

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"Into the street the Piper stept, Smiling first a little smile, As if he knew what magic slept, In his quiet pipe the while".

Robert Browning

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The best music always results from ecstasies of logic".

Berg

 

 

 

 

 

 

"As to what happens when I compose, I really haven't the faintest idea".

Barber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Tonality is a natural force, like gravity".

Paul Hindemith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one".

Cage

 

 

 

 

"Dissonances are only the more remote consonances".

Arnold Schoenberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The best way to get to knowing a bunch of people is to go and listen to their music."

Woodie Guthrie

 

 

 

 

"A guitar has moonlight in it".

James M. Cain

 

 

 

 

"One of the street musicians was an old lady who played upon a hurdy-gurdy. She had been about the streets of London for upwards of forty years, and being blind, had had during that period four guides, and worn out three instruments".

Henry Mayhew

 

 

 

 

 

"The sound of the cornett is like a ray of sunshine piercing the shadows".

Marin Mersenne

 

 

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© 2006 Yonge Music

 

 

1.  You had your own cable show called "In the Now with Ronny North".  Describe the experience.  What wasthe format of the show?  Guests?  Live performances?
 
As for my cable show. Right before we were going to start production The cable company was purchased by Time Warner. This put us a little behind. We have a bunch of stuff already but we haven't finished any shows yet. I'm told my shows will air but because i've been so busy we're looking to start airing in early 2007. My show "In the Now with Ronny North" will be an action/music show. It will have both Music and Action Sports guests and there will be occasional musical performances. I will also be doing a segment called PSYKO GUITAR to give lessons on how to shred. I'm very excited about the show and hopefully it will do well once it starts airing next year. It's really been fun working with everyone at the cable station getting my show together and I have learned so much about how cable and TV shows are made.

2.  Describe the feel of your latest CD  Going Psyko
 
My current CD GOING PSYKO was released in January 2006. It has done really well and has received a ton of airplay and exposure. It was also written up in a bunch of guitar magazines. The CD was recorded entirely in my home studio. I produced and engineered it myself. It was mixed by Jim Deccinco at Pyram Axis Sound. I think the CD represents a good mixture of what I'm about in my playing. Some poppy stuff some heavy stuff and some acoustic stuff. I think it came out great. The Cd cover and all the art work was created by my assistant Karen Barrezueta. I think it looks awesome. You can purchase the CD on my website www.ronnynorth.com .

3.  Explain the creative process of your new CD from the initial inspiration to the recording of the CD.

I'm currently working on a brand new EP called "DISCONNECTED" It consists of some very heavy material that I had that just didn't fit on my regular CD's. All the guitars are down tuned on all the songs. I felt it would be better to put all the songs on one EP where it would be a more cohesive package. Basically when I'm writing for a new CD I demo all the songs by myself in my studio do a rough mix and make CD's for my band. I then have my band learn the songs off my demos. They add their spin to the songs and we record them in my studio. When recording I track the drums first which is a breeze with my drummer Nick Horn. Sometimes Nick plays along to the demo with the drum machine and sometimes we play all together with both the guitar and bass running direct and everyone listening with headphones. We do record everything but the bass and guitars are just used as guide tracks for when we start doing overdubs. My main concern is to get a great drum sound. Once we dial in the drum sounds he's done in nothing flat. Most of the time he'll nail it on the first take and we just do a couple of other takes because we feel guilty that we finished so quickly. After the drums are down I have my bassist put down his tracks. Then I do all my guitar tracks by myself. I hate to have people around when I'm doing my thing so I can concentrate on my playing and getting a great sound and trying out various pedals,amps,guitars and effects. After I do my guitars I make some rough mixes and listen to all the songs in my car for a couple days. If everything is good I then take the tapes to my friend Jim at Pyram Axis Studios for mixing and mastering. We mix in Pro Tools. What Jim does is he works on the songs for a couple days and dials everything in. After that I come in and we tweak everything the way I want the songs to sound. Usually Jim has it 99% there already and it's only something small that we fix like raising the level of the guitar solo one notch...

4.  The Going Psyko CD was featured in both the
February 2006 issue of Guitar Player Magazine and the Spring 2006 issue of Frets Magazine.  How did this opportunity present itself.  Explain.
 
I was just offered these opportunities and I took them. I feel very fortunate that I get the exposure that I get. I don't take it granted for a second.

5.  Which two songs from Going Psyko are in the Top 10 on High Octane Radio in Texas?
 
Both the songs Remember and Race with Me made into the top 10 on High Octane Radio in Texas....This was after no promotion at all which really surprised me. Texas is so cool and I really seem to do well there......

6.  When is the official release date for your
acoustic instrumental CD, Acoustify?
 
I'm shooting to have Acoustify out before Christmas this year....I think people will be surprised to hear me acoustically. The CD will even have a song with guest vocals on it by my close friend Michelle Casilas from the band Angelspin.The song is called Reason. It's definitely very mellow CD....

7.  When is the official release date for  your
DISCONNECTED EP?  Describe the sound.
 
I am looking to have DISCONNECTED out in January of 2007. The CD is the most heavy music I have ever recorded. The songs are all very dark and are all down tuned. They were all directly inspired by some very bad that stuff that I had to deal with this year. I was definitely venting and it felt good to get it out in my music. It will be available on my website.

8.  You have been a judge for Guitar Center's
Guitarmageddon Guitar Competition for the last 3
years.  What is Guitarmageddon?  Describe how you judge a guitar player’s performance.  What are the benefits of being a judge?
 
I have been lucky to have been invited to be a judge in Guitar Center's Guitarmageddon Guitar Competitions. Basically any up and coming guitarist can get up and do his thing playing to the Guitar Center backing tracks that they provide all the players. They have a choice of 10 songs to solo over. It really is great to see some of these players do their thing and to judge them and give them pointers if they want advice. I just feel honored to be able to participate in the event. It's always great to be able to help out up and coming players if you can....... 

9.  MTV licensed  music from your Smeared CD for their "Real World" reality TV program.  How did this deal arise?  Agent?
 
I was approached by the production company that provides the music for MTV and some other networks. They felt my music would work for some of the MTV shows....It has given me some great exposure.

10.  When is your signature guitar and
Distortion/Overdrive pedal coming out? What does
signature mean-that you approve or actually designed it?
 
My new signature AMT PSYKO DRIVE Pedal is a collaboration between my ideas and AMT electronics (www.amtelectronics.com ). I am definitely in on the design of the pedal. I'm very excited about it and it's a great honor that AMT believes in me enough to put out my Signature Pedal. The Pedal will be switchable between overdrive/ boost mode and distortion mode. It will have a real detailed EQing functions so you really can dial in your sound. I've been a proud endorser of AMT Pedals for several years now . They really do make a fine product. I actually used my AMT pedals for all the distorted guitars on my new DISCONNECTED EP. As for my signature guitar unfortunately the company that I was working with ran out of steam and couldn't get it together. I gave them every opportunity to get everything going but they just couldn't do it. Ultimately I was worried that the guitar with my name on it would not be up to my standards. After I terminated my relationship
with the company I was approached by a few other companies about signature models but I'm still thinking it over. I have been working with a cool new company called Brazen Guitars (www.brazenguitars.com ) I've been using a couple of their Dynasty models for my main stage guitars lately. Great stuff and the owner of the company Steve Tsai is such a great guy. It really has been fun working with him. The quality of the guitars is great and best of all they are really affordable. The guitars I use are have mahogany bodies with maple tops. The necks feel like a 60's Les Paul. The guitars are very Les Paul like in tone but are much more playable.....I also use Minarik guitars as well (www.minarikguiatrs.com )

11. You regularly open up for national acts, name a
few shows and explain the highlights.
 
I do open up for a lot of national acts. It really is a great thing because the shows are usually sold out and I get to go out and just do my 1/2 an hour set . There are several limitations and the bands and their people aren't always nice to the opening bands but we deal with it. Just the chance to get some exposure on the shows is a great opportunity. It's also a great challenge to win the crowds over. I especially enjoy meeting everyone after we play. After our set I go out and hang at our merch booth and talk to everyone and sign stuff if they like. It's great to talk with people that just found out about you and want to know where you came from....

12.  You have recently played in Iran for the troops.
What was that like?
 
We are going to be playing in Iraq but they're still getting everything together so it looks like we will be going early next year...I can't wait!!!! It's so great to be able to play for our troops that are out there defending our way of life...If I can bring them just a little bit of joy it will be all worth it....

13.  How do you get a fat rhythm guitar sound when you record?
 
When I track rhythm guitars I usually just use a Shure SM-57 and find the best sounding speaker on one of my various 4x12 cabinets. I usually put the mic a couple of inches away from the speaker with the grill cloth removed from the cabinet. Sometimes I put it directly in front of the cone other times I'll put it about 2'oclock on the speaker. On that note I just got this new speaker cabinet from Mills Acoustic (www.millsacoustic.com ) called the Afterburner 412B. It's a 4x12 cab and it sounds amazing. It's loaded with Celestion speakers. For some reason the cabinet just sounds better than all my other cabinets. I've just recently became an official Mills endorser and couldn't be happier. I record at very loud volumes.Currently I'm using a Carvin V-3 100 watt tube head. I put the cabinet in our guest bathroom on the other side of the house and I stay in the control room with the amp and play my parts to the monitors. You be surprised how much difference just moving the mic a hair will make to your guitar sound when you're recording. The mic is run through an Aphex Tube Essence Mic Pre into an Alesis Black Face Adat. I usually double my rhythm guitars with two different guitars and sometimes two different amps. Another trick I do when you want super heavy guitar tracks is do two tracks where I split the signal with a Morley ABY box into and amp and run a separate direct signal simultaneously into two different tracks. For the direct signal sometimes I use a Marshall JMP -1 preamp that has speaker emulated outs and sometimes I use a Groovetubes Speaker Emulator. This plugs into my amp just like a speaker cabinet would. I have been doing more and more recordings using the emulator. You really can make it sound like speakers with way more control. Last but not least sometimes I use an Axetrak unit (www.axetrak.com ). This is a small box that has a 6" speaker in it. It has plugs into your amp like a speaker cabinet and has a built in microphone that you plug into your board or as I do into the mic pre. I had Jeff the owner of Axetrak tweak mine and this thing rules and I have been using it forever. It really does sound like a great Marshall cabinet and is my secret weapon. When I combine the signals I'll take two passes. On pass one I'll use say the Carvin V-3 plugged into a 4x12 cabinet on one track and one plugged into the Groove tube speaker emulator.On the second pass I'll run the Carvin into a 4x12 cabinet and into the Axetrak.  That gives you 4 tracks of guitars. You have the 2 tracks of speaker cabinets that give you the air and then you have the various direct signals to give you the bite. This really does fill out the frequencies. When you're mixing you can really taylor the sound how you want it. It never hurts to have options.

14.  How do you mic up drums?

For drums I keep it very simple. I use 4 mics I use a Shure B-52 on the bass drum plugged into this little connector plug thing my friend gave me from Shure. It was made in the 60's and is basically an attenuator that is basically a pad so you can get a good clean recording. I use a Shure 57' mic on top of the snare and two Octava mics for the overheads. The over heads are run into my Aphex Mic pre amp and the others go into a Presonus Blue Tube mic pre amp and to tape. I try to use as little eq as possible. I'll position the overheads while my drummer is playing to get the best blend.

15. Prior to playing a venue, regardless of size, are
there safety checks that you usually pay attention to?
 
When we have a say in the shows and are headlining I usually take a walk around the venue
and see where all the exits are and check out the stage and dressing rooms to make sure everything is cool!!

16. What are your plans for the rest of the year?
 
After just doing the Arlington Guitar Show in Texas on Oct 21-22nd I am done doing trade shows for 2006. I am now going to get to work on finishing up my new CD's and start gearing up for Winter NAMM in January. I will also be doing a few shows in So Cal to finish up the year.I will also have an guitar instructional DVD coming out called PSYKO GUITAR. It will be out in time for Christmas 2006 and will be available online @ www.hothousestudios.com . I'm very excited about it......

17.  Do you own your own record label and publishing company?
 
My publishing company is called Terror Kitty Music and my record label is called Nothing But North Records. I created all this solely to get my music out there. So far it's working.....  

18.  When did you begin to write, record and publish your own music?
 
I have basically always wrote music but never really got credit for it until I went solo. I now have control of everything. I decided to stop waiting around for the record companies and to just do it myself......It's really funny because sometimes when I do get approached by record companies there all well we can do this and this for you. Then I come back with well I'm already doing all that and getting a bigger piece of the profits...The only benefit to being signed to a label at this point would be tour support and distribution. When the right offer comes along I will take it but until then I'm doing all right.  

19.  Have you ever needed legal council regarding your music?  If so which entertainment lawyers have you been happy dealing with?
 
I have consulted with a few legal friends a couple times for some situations with my music and luckily we were able to work it out without me having to go any further. 

20.  Has anyone in your circle ever recommended an entertainment lawyer to you?  If so, who was
recommended?

 To this date I've never really had to get a lawyer but I have got some legal advice on a few occasions. On that note, I do believe in having an Entertainment Lawyer and I will be looking into getting one soon. On that note, my bassist is a lawyer......How cool is that????

21.  Who are the current members in your band?

My current band is Nick Horn on Drums and Jorg Schroeder on Bass. This is definitely the best band I've ever had....

22.  Are you affiliated with any music associations or unions?
 
I am affiliated with BMI.. So far so good!!!!

I'd also like to say that I couldn't do it without my crew. My girlfriend Arlene who takes all my pictures and gives me her support, my assistant Karen Barrezueta for handling a lot of my business stuff and taking care of my website as well as creating all my flyers posters and promo material. My manager Annie Miller for making it happen and last but not least my great band Nick Horn on drums and Jorg Schroeder on Bass. They really do rock . I'm out front but it really is a team effort.....I call it Team North!!!