Buckcherry’s new record Hellbound is out June 25th, and being the road warriors they are, the band is already out on the road with a schedule that takes them all over the country until the end of the year.
We caught up with guitarist Stevie D to talk about the record, his vintage Gretsch’s, and sharing their music with the people.
Your new record Hellbound is due out June 25th, and lead single “So Hott” is smoking (if you’ll pardon the pun). What should Buckcherry fans expect from the new record?
A Rock an’ Roll album of the most magnitude, hottest fire, and the highest order.
Hellbound is your first record with Earache – how did that come about?
Simple really.. in 2020 we were looking for a new home in Europe, and our miracle man Larry Mazer connected us with Earache. It’s already been an amazing experience..
How did the band deal with the lockdowns in 2020? Did you guys end up spending more time on the writing or recording record than you might otherwise have?
When we’re off the road we already spend a lot of time writing and recording.. but we we’re definitely more focused..
Billy Rowe joined the band last year – how has it been working with him? Did you guys find a good groove between the two of you?
I’ve known him for quite some time now and already knew that we would get on well.. we run at the same speed
So guitars! What did you guys use on the new record in terms of guitars/amps/pedals?
What’s new about this cycle is that I’m using more newer and vintage Gretsches.. they’re Rn’R machines!
Did you have any reference records going into the studio in terms of how you wanted the finished product to sound?
The usual suspects.. for me its always AC/DC.. also for Sonic qualities I referenced Foo Fighters Wasting Light, and Urge Overkill’s Saturation
You’ve been playing with Buckcherry for 16 years now, has your rig or your tone for Buckcherry changed much over the years?
It went from basic to complicated.. and now we’re back to basics.. guitar into the amp, I use a Dunlop Sugar drive for a boost, and an occasional Dunlop Wah for solos.
Are you a gear head at all? Any pieces of gear you’ve played recently that were a pleasant surprise? Anything you got to play that was disappointing?
Again, the latest is the Gretsch guitars.. right now it’s all about my custom 6120 and my White Falcon.
Is there any one piece of gear that you couldn’t do without? Anything that’s integral to your sound?
My black 6120.. nothing I’ve ever owned plays or sounds like it!
A lot of guitarists are embracing modelling and profiling amps these days, especially due to making fly in gigs much easier. What’s your take on digital amps and effects?
I’m warming up to the idea:) For the last few years I’ve been using Amplitude and more recently Positive Grid in my home studio. UAs are great too.. I’m just not at the place yet where I feel comfortable using them live.
If someone maybe wasn’t familiar with you guys but wanted to learn to play one of your songs, where would you suggest they start? Any riffs/licks/passages in particular that are fun to play, or maybe challenging but rewarding for more advanced players?
All are simple enough riffs.. what you want to do is pay attention to the “swagger” in the right hand.. It’s easy to rock.. you just have to remember to Roll..
You guys will be spending the rest of the year on tour pretty much – are you chomping at the bit to get back on the road?
Yeah.. I can’t wait to share this new music with the people ❤️
