FEATURES Glam Bam Reboot THE STRUTS’ ADAM SLACK PAYS HOMAGE TO A GUITAR HERO BY MICHAEL MOLENDA THE STRUTS LOVE OF QUEEN GOES DEEP. YOU can hear it in the epic glam-like grandeur of the songs, and it’s beamed front and center by vocalist Luke Spiller’s uncanny resemblance to Queen’s late and legendary frontperson Freddie Mercury. The cherry on top is the Brian May-influenced fretwork of Strut’s guitarist Adam Slack. Yet, despite the reverential tribute to a beloved band, the Struts are not a pack of clone-worthy renegades from the Queen musical We Will Rock You. A mere tribute act probably wouldn’t be asked to open arena shows for Guns N’ Roses, the Who, Foo Fighters, and the Rolling Stones, and fan interest is wildly impressive. The Struts have logged millions of You- Tube views, with their latest single for “One Night Only”—a full album is expected this year—charting upwards of 300,000 views. While the band itself may not be above accentuating certain musical similarities to Queen, the full package includes a ton of energy, great songwriting, and, at least in Slack’s case, a desire to pay homage to a hero, while simultaneously striving to develop a personal style. We’ve only heard the premiere single “One Night Only,” but can you reveal what gear you used for the new-album sessions? I bought [Pearl Jam guitarist] Mike McCready’s Gibson Les Paul earlier this year from Chicago Music Exchange, and it’s the best f**king guitar I’ve ever played in my life. It never goes out of tune, it sounds amazing, and it really sustains. I used it for everything I played on “One Night Only,” but for the rest of the album, I used loads of things. I have some models from this Japanese company called KZ1 that make guitars inspired by Brian May’s Red Special. I used one of them on a few songs on the album. It’s really cool, and you can get some really bizarre sounds out of it, because of all the switches and pickups. It also has a great nasal-like tone for solos. It’s a little tougher to remember the amps, because we wrote and recorded about 40 songs over eight months in different studios in the U.S. and the U.K. I’m certain there were some Vox, Marshall, Friedman, and 3 Monkeys amps in the mix. My favorite pedals were a SoloDallas Schaffer Replica and a J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer overdrive, and I use DR Strings, gauged .010-.053. For live performances, I’ve been using a Divided By 13 BTR 23 and a Friedman Small Box running simultaneously—one a bit clean, and the other a little overdriven. I’m getting a Vox AC30 for the road, as well. For guitars, I may take the McCready, or my ’68 Les Paul Junior—which has been my dream guitar since I was a kid. Wait. What? Did you say that the band actually recorded 40 songs for this album? Well, the second album is a big thing, isn’t it? It makes or breaks your career, really, and we just want to make sure we get it right. It’s all about searching for the right songs. We currently have 11 songs we’re all really proud of, and we’re still trying for one or two “big single” productions. Sometimes, I don’t think we’ll stop writing until right before the record has to come out. In the interim, it was nice to release “One Night Only,” because it had been a while since we had released something out for the fans. What players most influenced your style? My two idols are Keith Richards and Brian May— completely different players. I love the swagger and rhythm of Keith Richards’ playing. You know who it is when you hear it, and his parts give so much sex appeal to the songs. Brian May is an absolute genius. His guitar is like an orchestra. Queen was huge for me. I think that, individually and collectively, they’re one of the most talented bands ever. On “One Night Only,” you did a nice solo that was obviously inspired by Brian May. Yeah. “One Night Only” has probably the most Brian May-style playing I’ve ever done. There’s one bit in particular that’s a little like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but the rest of it is just me messing around. I try to do my thing, but if something sounds good—even if you could say it has harmonies that sound too “Brian”— I just let it sound good. I try not to think about it too much. But I always try to avoid being just a copycat. Do you tend to work out your solos to the song, or do you sit in the studio and improvise until you get something you like? It’s kind of both, really. I like noodling—unless the band gets pissed off, because it has been an hour, and I’m still coming up with something. Sometimes, it will 38 GUITARPLAYER.COM/JANUARY<strong>2018</strong>
BRAD HEATON JANUARY<strong>2018</strong>/ GUITARPLAYER.COM 39
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