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Conrad Simon is a guitarist from New Brunswick, Canada who I first heard very recently. His playing was so fast, fluid, and incredibly clean, and his music so emotional and - simply put – freakin’ awesome, that I immediately purchased his 2005 release, “ Wrath of Con”, and requested that he do this interview – to which he kindly accepted.
An Interview with Conrad Simon IC: Let's start with the most important question, Conrad… what kind of picks do you use?
Con: I use the Big Stubby Jim Dunlop picks (2.0 mm). I’ve tried a few different brands and alternative gauges but in end, the Big Stubby purple monsters do the job just fine.
IC: Last year you participated in Troy Grady’s in-development documentary, “Cracking the Code: The Secrets of Shred Guitar”. How did that meeting come about, and how was the trip to New York?
Con: I was particularly inspired by the physical magnitude and architectural beauty of New York City. Brooklyn is an amazing part of town!
Troy Grady goes beyond the usual, regular, customary approach when it comes down to filming an instructional video/documentary. A few days before my first phone conversation with Troy, I was surfing the web using key words like “Shred Guitar” and discovered Troy Grady. The video of him playing a solo to “Now Your Ships Are Burned” caught my attention, and I immediately told my friends about this new cat. It’s strange how occurrences and events that happen at the same time by accident seem to have some connection. Apparently Troy had heard a bit of my music a few years back and thought I’d make a good candidate for the film. I have to be honest though, I wasn’t gonna go for it at first. I hadn’t practiced for a whole year due to the false realization that I was going to be a fisherman instead of a rock star. My experience with “Cracking the Code” gave me a wake-up call, Troy Grady is a hell of a guitarist himself and I believe this documentary will have an exalting influence on both new and old school players.
IC: From the look of the film’s new trailer, Troy filmed you with his infamous 100+ frames per second “ShredCam”. Did you have the opportunity to view the slow-motion footage afterwards, and did the experience grant you any new insights into your own technique? Con: First off, being filmed and placed under a microscope is an intimidating factor on its own. Having a strange looking contraption mounted on your guitar doesn’t make it less stressful either. For my own development, Troy did show me some clips and I couldn’t believe how bizarre my picking technique looked. I couldn’t stand it so I tried different ways of holding my pick. As oppose to most players, I hold my pick pointing upwards much like Marty Friedman; but not as extreme. It’s somewhat neat though. Since the film, I’ve been exploring different picking techniques but I tend to go back to my old persisting way of picking when I mute fast runs.
IC: [Laughs] Sounds like you might have been better off not knowing! So, do you have any Secrets of Shred that you’d like to impart to the readers? (And please don’t say “practice!”)
Con: If you already have great chops, but you feel that it’s necessary to work on your melodic phrasing, set aside about an hour a day and jam over Vivaldi or Mozart. Improvising over classical music will inspire dynamics in your playing; your presentation will improve overall! If you’re a player that’s looking to benefit more from a lesson, or even if you’re an accomplished guitarist; Troy Grady’s “Cracking the Code” will definitely tweak your performance.
IC: Okay, let’s backtrack a little bit… How old were you when you first started playing the guitar?
Con: I was 14 years old when I started. I’m one of 17 children, 11 boys and 6 girls. My dad was a construction supervisor and a boat builder, so as any sane teenager would do, I’d go boating with my brothers just about every chance I got during the summers. I had friends to hang out with and things to do so you can imagine how much practice time I put in. The coolest thing about growing up in a huge family was the fact my brothers and sisters were always buying albums. The music varied from Frank Zappa to The Dixie Dregs, Country to Heavy Metal, and Classical to Pop Rock. While going through the household music collection, I stumbled across on an Al Di Meola (Splendido Hotel) record. Being notably impressed by his playing, Al Di Meola’s passion, grace, and fire ignited an explosive transparent matter that had been flowing discreetly through my fingers for the past 19 years.
(Conrad Simon unleashes for the ShredCam)
IC: Who are your main instrumental guitar influences? Did certain players inspire you to focus on particular techniques?
Con: Steve Morse is amazing. When I first started doing guitar clinics, I didn’t have enough material to host a show for 2 hours so I decided to learn a few Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse songs note for note and incorporate them in the analysis. Scary stuff! Al Di Meola is a genius and master of the fret board. I actually had to stop listening to his music at one point, because I found myself trying to imitate his style way too much. I would practice all his licks; I’d even exercise the same attack! My perception of Al Di Meola’s technique enabled me to become a true “balls to the wall” alternate picker. I also listen to Eddie Van Halen for the creativity, and Frank Marino because he’s such a great player with a great voice! I learned a lot about phrasing from Elliott Easton of The Cars, and of course I really dig Nuno Bettencourt’s colorful funkiness and quality technique. Michael Schenker, Gary Moore and Steve Vai also inspired me for the sake of playing. Other notable shredders worth mentioning are: Michael Angelo Batio, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, and many more.
IC: Well, you’ve definitely established your own unique style, tone, and songwriting.
I’ve seen your Chops From Hell guest column... Do you plan on doing any instructional material?
Con: I’m not sure yet. I teach serious students from time to time and I really do enjoy interacting with them. I also take my students very seriously, I never underestimate them, nor do I take them for granted. The thought of creating and producing an instructional video series has entered my mind for sure! I wouldn’t be too sure about the success rate though, only a handful of people have heard of me.
IC: News travels fast though. I for one would definitely buy it and promote the hell out of it! I’m sure a lot of young players could benefit from your advice. You should try contacting Chops From Hell if you’re ever up for doing one. A lot of lesser-known players do great instructional videos through C.F.H. Many of them look as if they were filmed with cheap webcams, and some probably actually were! So are you making a follow-up to your last album, “Wrath of Con”?
Con: See the funny thing is, I haven’t recorded nor released a full length album since “Instrumezzo” back in 1996. Actually that’s not entirely true, I did record a follow-up in 1999 entitled “Electric Mysteries of the Sky”, but I was going trough a transitional phase in my life and decided not to release it. “The Wrath of Con” is a wake-up call for the modest cult following I have with a message that states, “I’m back”. It’s also an effective smoke signal and not just a pipe dream. The success of the demo has definitely rubbed out any reconsideration of pulling the plug and backing down. The new album will feature some of the finest Canadian musicians around today, guys like: Mike Machine, Byron Simon, and the vocal talent of Daemus Simon. It’ll be a sense of accomplishment for Conrad’s comrades. The format will be a combination of operatic fantasy metal blended with some cool Eddie Van Halen-ish rhythms and outrages guitar solos!
IC: Sounds great, so keep us posted on that! Next question... Since it’s practically impossible to play instrumental guitar music professionally and have enough money to eat at least once a day, what do you do other than music? What’s an average day like for Conrad Simon?
Con: I’m a lobster fisherman and oyster cultivator. I run the risk of jamming my hand in the hydraulic hauler everyday I work. Although I’m very careful, I’ve gotten into some threatening accidents on the boat during hurricane season. During the winter, I’ll take some time for my hands to heal and start writing ideas with a sequencer. I do eventually take on some students for my own sake of practicing.
(Conrad Simon and Troy Grady in "Cracking the Code")
IC: For someone at your level of musicianship, what are your technical and musical aspirations?
Con: I sometimes fantasize and even dream I acquired the genius level of Mozart in composition. I’ll wake up to reality, only to realize two things I’m not: … The first is a guitar prodigy, and the second is Mozart. I don’t like to produce music for the sake of producing music. I don’t want to be obligated to write three albums in one year because my contract requires it. I want to earn a rank the honest way and compose music I’ll still be proud of years from now.
IC: I’m sure I’ll still be listening for many years! Your music covers so many different styles and moods that it will undoubtedly stand the test of time.
And finally, what’s the one thing you want people to know about you?
Con: I’m a tad bit crazy with a happy-go-lucky attitude!
IC: [Laughs] Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Conrad!
Con: My pleasure, you’re welcome!
Essential Conrad Simon links: |
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