Interview: Guitarist Wes Anderson releases new song, video feat. Taproot's Stephen Richards, discusses aspirations, influences, past
Maryland solo recording, diverse genre-fusing guitarist Wes Anderson has collaborated with many greats, which include Benji Webbe (Skindred), Tye Zamora (Alien Ant Farm), Donald Spangler and Nick Lucera (Ballyhoo!), Jahred Gomes (HED p.e.), P-Nut (311) and most recently he has collaborated with Taproot vocalist Stephen Richards for the song “Goodbye.” The music video was just released.
About “Goodbye,” Anderson shared: “I've been a massive Taproot fan for literally decades, and pretty much grew up on them. Working with Stephen on this is a huge notch on the belt for me, and he absolutely brought his "A" game to this song. I've always loved his ability to seamlessly go from beautiful harmonies to guttural screams in the same phrase, and this song showcases that rare ability. Very rarely do I get a vocalist on a song that is so involved and excited about a project.”
In this interview with OOTB, Anderson discusses the new collab, aspirational collabs, his biggest influence as being a guitarist for thirty years, bouts in the music industry and more.
Watch Video For “Heads Are Gonna Roll”
How did everything come together for your most recent collab with Stephen Richards for “Goodbye.”?
I spent a good amount of time putting together a solid demo, so when I was ready to shop it, the song was in a good place.
I first reached out to Taproot’s manager, who helped facilitate everything, and then worked with Steve for awhile. He had some ideas for the song, so it was cool to see it go in a direction I never would have thought of on my own.
Sometimes when I get artists on my songs it can feel more like a transactional arrangement, but this one felt like a true collaboration, more so than any I've done.
You’ve collaborated with quite a few greats! Who are some musicians you’d still like to collaborate with?
I'd love to make some music with Pharell, he's got some metal in him and I infuse hip-hop into a lot of my music. So I think we'd make some killer music. Some other artists that come to mind are Sonny from POD, Chad Kroeger (not joking), and Chino from Deftones.
What guitarist do you admire the most and why them?
Tim Mahoney from 311 for sure. He's definitely my biggest influence on guitar and the reason I started playing Paul Reed Smith guitars. He's a student of jazz, reggae, funk, and metal, which are basically my favorite genres. His tones are elite and I respect how he can go from ripping metal riffs to pretty, clean melodies. Super nice dude too.
What’s your favorite guitar solo in a song?
I'll say the solo in “The Wind Cries Mary” by Hendrix. I won a guitar competition when I was 14-years-old playing that song, so that has an extra special place for me. I also prefer solos that aren't as flashy and can carry a melody, like that one.
When did you first realize music is what you’d like to do as a career?
It's always kind of been "the dream" since I started playing in 1996. But, I'll say when I got back into playing in a band in 2010 after I graduated college, that reignited the flame for sure. I knew then that I had to make a go of it and go all in.
I have a day job now, so music isn't a "career" by any means, but I'm still in it to win it and would love to keep carving my little niche.
What’s been the toughest thing you’ve dealt with in the music industry or in your personal life and how did you overcome that?
One of the benefits of pursuing music is that if you do it long enough, you'll have your soul crushed time and time again, which turns you into a resilient machine! [laughs]
Half kidding, but in one of my old bands, we signed with a legit manager. I thought we were about to "make it.” I was reading email chains with A&R reps from Sony and Warner Brothers, we got picked up by the same booking agent as Wu Tang and it seemed like everything was finally falling into place. In the end, we got ghosted by the agent and absolutely nothing amounted to anything.
That was super tough to accept, but affirmed that no matter what relationships you have or who you know, ultimately it's on you as an artist to create success. It won't come to you. That's the mindset I have at least.
Outside of music what are some of your general hobbies or interests?
A good portion of my free time goes towards music, which doesn't leave a ton of room for other hobbies. But I like normal stuff—going to the gym, watching movies, traveling when I can, fantasy football. I go to a lot of shows still too.
What are your next plans?
Working on a follow up with Stephen! Before that comes out, I have a heavier punk song I'll release. I'm also sitting on a batch of hip-hop songs, but may wait until next year to release those.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I have a lot more songs in the works and exciting collaborations, so feel free to keep in touch on the socials (@songsbywes).
Follow Wes Anderson
https://m.facebook.com/SongsByWes/
https://www.instagram.com/songsbywes/
https://m.youtube.com/c/WesAndersonMusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/
Artist Photo By J2 Media
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