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Interview: Unlocking The Truth’s Malcolm Brickhouse

Photo by Bennett Raglin

You were very young when you started this band, how did it all come about, and how did you get into this kind of music in the first place?
We got into metal from hearing the background music in anime cartoons like Naruto, and in WWE. Jared was already playing drums at this point, and I had just started having guitar lessons, then Jarad just had the idea of starting a band.

Unlocking the Truth’s first claim to fame was playing in Times Square which gained you a lot of social media attention – who’s idea was it to take the band to the streets?
It was my parents’ idea to take us to Times Square, they knew we had talent and wanted to get us the best exposure, and what’s a better place than being in the center of Times Square with tourists from all around the world? People with cameras and phones taking pictures and recording? It just made sense.

You’ve got some incredible accomplishments for such a young age, is there anything in specific that pops to mind as a highlight, or a ‘pinch me’ moment?
Everything should have been “pinch-me” moment like performing at Coachella, Bonnaroo, opening for Manson, Motörhead, Living Colour and Metallica. I guess we were so young and didn’t know how big of a deal these things were. Now when I look back, I realize most people will never get to say things like they opened for these bands – and we have accomplished all that before high school. It’s really amazing to think about and it keeps me going.

You’ve also had a documentary ‘Breaking a Monster’ made about yourselves, how was the experience of having someone so up and close in your lives, and sharing it all with the world?
I had fun shooting the documentary. The cameras weren’t as personal as you might think. They were pretty much like flies on the wall and sometimes I forgot  they were even there.

Now to the reason we’re both here – Orange Amps! You’re an Orange ambassador, and we’re very excited to have you! What’s your history with the brand?
I’m very excited and proud to be an Orange Ambassador, it’s such a great brand! The first time I heard about Orange was in a tutorial video by Slipknot’s Jim Root, I loved the rawness of Orange, whether it’s the smooth clean or rich and but distorted tones. I also remember skyping Alex Auxier (Orange A&R) back in 2014, where he asked us a bunch of questions about which bands we liked and what sound we were going for to give him a better idea of what we really needed. The next thing I knew, these giant boxes arrived, including the Jim Root amp and speaker cab, and I just screamed! Later I graduated to the Dual Dark 100 and 4 x 12 cabs. My guitar sounded so real, everywhere I perform, I must have an Orange Amp.  It just sounds right – it sounds perfect!

You released your debut album ‘Chaos’ last year, and you recently independently released your single ‘My Chains’, can you tell us a bit about the song?
Yes, we independently released My Chains on August 29th.  This song came about while recording demos at home in my basement, it started out with the main riff and then I built the electronics, verses and chorus around that. After a few days of testing different song structures, we had a solid song idea which was enhanced once again by our producer, Kenta Yonesaka (Germano Studios NY). I love this song because it’s something new and a little different from the stuff we usually do, we’re finding our own sound and I think people can tell, so expect more change and growth from Unlocking The Truth, this is only the beginning.

With the release of this single we have to ask – can we expect a follow up to ‘Chaos’ in the next foreseeable future?
I don’t want to give away too much information as of yet because we are still planning, but we sure will have more music coming in the very near future, so stay tuned.

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Interview – Kelby Ray of The Cadillac Three

Kelby Ray: Hi, I’m Kelby Ray of The Cadillac Three – Proud Orange User. I think Orange Amps – the look, is just so classic. It’s super old school, super Rock N’ Roll and something I always thought just looked so cool. The first time I ever used an Orange Amp was at a festival in Nashville as like a backline situation. I plugged into it and it was so easy to use – not a lot of knobs and it just sounded great. I want something that’s going to work, not too much hustle and fuss and something that’s just Rock N’ Roll. Orange is all those things, so that’s why I’ve always gravitated towards them, they’re something I’ve always loved to play.

My influences are from all over. I used to listen to a lot of 80s country, particularly growing up in Nashville, also learning to play the guitar in high school, things like Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Pantera – little bit of everything. Blues. Influences from all over the place. Hell, I even liked Mariah Carey when I was a kid. The way my set up works in The Cadillac Three, I’m playing lap steel but I split it and play into a guitar amp and a bass amp at the same time. I’m just looking for something that sounds good mixed together. Right now, I’m using the AD30HTC and AD200 and they sound great working together. It’s a cool sound  that you just can’t emulate anyway else. The Orange sound is just well rounded enough it makes MY sound as part of the band something huge and it really adds a lot of depth to what we’re doing.

Orange Amps are so diverse with many different artists that play them. To be a part of that family is just really a cool thing. I’m getting to do something unique and add my own flair into the musical world through Orange and it’s just super awesome.

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Interview: Gnarwolves’ Charlie

First of all, you’ve got a pretty sweet deal here tonight playing with Bad Religion at the Kentish Town Forum, how did that all come about?
Charlie: Well, we’ve told our agent about a few bands that we really like, and after that I think she must have worked some kind of magic! Previously we’ve played with bands such as NOFX and Alkaline Trio, and it must have gone well as we’ve been allowed to open up for Bad Religion!

You must be pretty stoked! You just got back from Italy, how was that?
Charlie: Yeah, today is the day of us kickstarting touring again, we just got back from Italy a few days ago as we were flown over there to play Curtarock Festival – we’re a three piece so it’s quite easy for us to travel light. We brought a backpack full of merch to sell so we could get some money for beer, and that was pretty much it. It was 31 degrees, we had a pool.

Damn, this is the first time ever touring’s sounded luxurious, normally I’m used to hearing about bands spending 18 hours in a van, that sorta stuff.
Charlie: Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our fair share of 18 hour drives, vans breaking down – this Italy thing isn’t how we normally roll.

Your second album ‘Outsiders’ was released in May, how did you attack that whole process of recording the second time around compared to your debut album?
Charlie: We’ve been very used to overdubbing, so this time we really wanted to focus on getting that live sound and did all the songs as a three piece in the studio. Thom literally only did two guitar tracks, one where we all played together, then another one after in the same live room, followed by vocals. We had plans to go to America and record with Steve Albini, but that would have cost us a lot of money, so we ended up getting our friend to do it and use the same process as Steve would have used, which is to have it as live and raw as possible – it’s more about the vibe than the talent, and I think it flows better than the first one. Punk just sounds better live.

 

Well, let’s get down to business, the reason we’re both here is because of Orange Amps, what’s your history with the brand?
Charlie: On our first ever tour as Gnarwolves, my friend was in a band called ‘As We Sink’ and he had the terror going through an 8×10 or 8×10 cab, and I just knew I needed that tone. The fact that you can just pack the terror away as well and put it over your shoulder is so sick. I ended up getting one, and I’ve had it for three or four years now and it’s just great! I love it, and wouldn’t go anywhere without it. People still ask me what my tone and sound is, and all I’ve got is one pedal and the terror. Tonight, I don’t even have my pedal with me, so I’ll be plugging straight into the terror using the gain and treble. I’d say any bassist who’s just started and wants to learn to play, the terror is perfect as it’s only got five channels and is so easy to use. I was originally a drummer and only started playing bass for Gnarwolves with Thom (guitarist) basically showing me how to do it, so for me, the terror worked out really well as it wasn’t scary and just quite easy and fun to play around with.

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Interview – Jack Garratt

First time I saw an Orange amp would have been when I was, kind of teaching myself to play guitar, I just remember seeing these great big, bright, beautiful things at the back of these stages. To notice the difference in sound, was kind of what first woke me up to Orange amps or at least made me first realise them.

I remember the first time I really genuinely played one and found that it was compatible with the kind of tone I was trying to achieve and the sounds I was trying to make with my fingers. It was a couple of years ago, using the Rockerverb MKII, which then ended up being the amp I toured with for about a year and a half or so. The thing I really like about Orange and the thing I really like about the Rockerverb is, it is quite restrictive, the rest of it is up to you. That is something I resonated with, there wasn’t too much fussing about.

So I recently in the last six months, switched from the Rockerverb MKII up to the Rockerverb MKIII. The thing that really stepped up the amp into a whole new territory was the attenuator on it, being able to know that there is one knob on the end of the chain that will affect the volume of the amp but won’t affect the tone.

Whether its festivals, whether its venues big or small, I get to turn up with this amp and know the tone is going to be the same every single time and not worry I’m going to leave people with hearing impairment.

The Two-Stroke in particular has been a really fun thing to play around with, as like a post EQ thing. The one thing I have always loved about Stevie Ray Vaughan tone is it sounds like he is tearing paper. For some reason he was able to make this sound, that sounds like it just tears through the air and comes to you, but you hear every note and rips apart the world to get to you. I find that Strats do that and I find that Orange, the amps do that as well and the two of them together, its the closest I’ve found to being able to achieve that tone for myself, in my kind of way. The thing I’m really interested in the Two Stroke is the clarity it brings.

The minute I switched over to Orange there was noticeable difference, the kind of reaction I was getting from the crowd, the comments I was receiving afterwards about the guitar tone. Just two songs in a 1/2 hour, 40 minute set and the one thing people always remembered was the guitar.

To be on a list of people of such iconic names, who also agree with that state of mind or like to play these amps is a crazy thing and I’m happy to be a part of the family. Because even though my tone and inspiration has come from Texas, I’m not. Its important that I can travel the world with an amp that respects the tone I’m trying to play and allows to make it unique if i’m ready to make it unique. It doesn’t do the work for me but gives me the tools necessary to do the best job that I can.

 

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Interview – Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick

Tuk Smith – Rick thanks for meeting.

Rick Nielsen – Happy to be here.

Tuk – We are going to talk about some good shit. In the early days, you guys did 300 shows a year plus, you’ve never quit touring. You tour now more than any other band, what is your secret?

Rick – You got to like what you are doing and people have got to hire you, if we weren’t hired then I don’t know if we would be out quite as much. But about eight years ago we said maybe we shouldn’t tour so much, so we should raise our price and that didn’t stop anything, so we should have raised our prices ten years ago!

Tuk – I’ve heard you have a really special Orange amp? It’s an early one?

Rick – That one right there, right in the middle, I think it is the first one ever made. Basically I bought it from Orange music, in London, I bought it from Cliff Cooper who started Orange.

Tuk – What year was this?

Rick –  It was somewhere between 1968 and 1970, because I bought my Mellotron, my first Mellotron from Cliff Cooper, it was used one over in London and I had it shipped over by boat. It was on the first album of Fuse in 1969, we recorded in 1968 so that would have been in.

Tuk – So you’re a self proclaimed hoarder?

Rick – Ye! So this is number one and the guys at Orange told me they made four of them and they haven’t even seen one, so that’s the very first one, very rare. So I’ve had it for forty or something years. Except for the emblem being bust, its perfect.

Tuk – Do you ever track in the studio with Orange?

Rick – I track in the studio with it yes, its got a punch, its got great punch to it. Then Orange was kind enough to build me another one and they made a chequer board for me. Its a little different configuration, looks a bit different. But then about a month ago I was in Seattle, went guitar and amp shopping with Mike McCready from Pearl Jam and I walk in this store, they were all looking at this and that. Then I go BOOM! I point over and that was down on the floor, that is a direct copy of this same one I already have, so I have got two of the four.

Tuk – Have you ever thrown a pick into an orifice, a mouth or an eye ball and was there a lawsuit?

Rick – A lot of cleavage, that is where it is usually drawn.

Tuk – Tell me about the cameo in the Fat Boys movie, because that was fucking wild.

Rick – See they wanted a really crappy actor and they got it. I can’t act, I can react, I’m a pretty good reactor! But as far as acting…

Tuk – I think your rat tail sold it though, you had a nice one.

Rick – They cut out my best line in that movie because I said “I was only going thirty five” but the other line was “I was only going thirty five” and then I gave him the finger!

Tuk – Well if you need somebody cute, to play rhythm guitar Rick, so you don’t have to do all the duties, I’m right here buddy.

Rick – Well why don’t you play with us tonight?

Tuk -Well I didn’t know you were serious Rick but that is awesome!

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Interview: Brian ‘Head’ Welch from Korn

“There has always been always been an Orange amp in every studio that we have recorded in for the last 23 years”

“Hey, whats up, this Brian ‘Head’ Welch from Korn and I’m with Orange.

The first time I saw Orange was in a recording studio, sometime in the 90’s, that’s when we started mixing the Orange tone into other amps for albums on certain songs. There has always been an Orange amp in every studio that we have recorded in for the last 23 years, every producer respects them. I know a lot of guys out there using them, like Jim Root from Slipknot, I love it as he is like plug in and that is Slipknots tone, pretty cool.

I’m using the Rockerverb on the road, as for now I’m using it for my clean channel because it just has what I call “buttery” clean sound, like drops of water. I use effects with it, this song “falling away from me” is really melodic and needs to sound like, watery and the Orange amp got me that tone amazingly. I’m also messing around with my dirty tone, I haven’t got that far yet but I think a lot of cool things are to come with the Rockerverb.

Just to be added to the roster of incredible musicians, the legends really of music. Being on the Orange amps roster is an honour, what history, its amazing to have history like that in a company and I’m honoured to be on board.”

 

 

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Interview – Troy McLawhorn of Evanescence

Hey whats up, I’m Troy McLawhorn i’m the guitarist for Evanescence, I’m here in the U.K.  at the Hammersmith Apollo and I play Orange Amps.

I saw Orange amps in music stores when I was a kid, its hard to say though the exact first time I saw one, probably in a photo of Jimmy Page or someone when he was playing one on stage.  I was like what are these stupid symbols on the front, what do they mean! How do you control them! But they looked really cool, they looked totally different from most amps you saw back then. Everything was black and everybody was trying to look like 80’s metal but Orange definitely stands out.

I think the first time I played an Orange was probably in the studio, when you’re in the studio you try anything that is around for different textures and stuff. As a matter of fact, I think in Atlanta some friends of mine owned a studio and they had Orange, that was probably the first time I got to try one. The reason I really liked Orange is I’m always looking for something a little different from whatever everybody else is playing at that moment. The fragile high end of some amps, its something you wrestle with and you have to have all these other things to make it sound good. I really like that Orange has got a really nice, smooth high end to it, I was always really attracted to that.

I don’t change my rig in the studio unless i’m asked to but the way I run it live, I like the tone of it. I use a cable, I don’t use wireless and thats part of it because you have to EQ the amp because you are losing some high end through the cable. I also have a buffer that boosts the signal back into the amp, so I try to run exactly like I do live because to me that is my tone.

I didn’t even really try a bunch of amps, a friend of mine suggested the Rockerverbs and I checked into it. I went to the website and saw bands that are kind of heavy with that type of guitar sound which was what I needed to play in this band, I saw Jim Root and people like that were playing them. So I got one and it sounded great, so I got another one as a backup.

I got to say, legends have played Orange and it feels really good to reach a point in my career where to be associated with such a great company and all the artists it represents. Its pretty damn cool, you know Orange has taken really good care of me, I’ve not got that type of treatment from anybody, so thank you!

 

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Interview: Aaran McKenzie from While She Sleeps

“For me their isn’t a better sound.”

The first time I remember seeing an Orange amp must of been 2009 or 2010 when we really started doing our first tours and stuff. You saw a lot of bass players with either an Ampeg SVT or an Orange head. I noticed the Orange AD200 MKIII which is what I used, I actually moved from the Ampeg SVT to that because I felt for me there isn’t a better sound.

I can’t really have a head that I will do two tours with and then its done with or I have to replace the parts in it. You can tell just by the weight of them, its not to be messed with, its a really heavy piece of equipment. Its got a really nice tone about it and I think it is just really user friendly as well. The master, the gain and then the three tone knobs, you can find your sound really quickly with an Orange head and that is what I like about it.

With it being four valve, usually I don’t really have a lot of me in the monitors, I’ll suck most of the mid out and I pair it out with my pedal board. I usually go with not a lot of mid, treble round about 10 o’clock and the bass around about the same 10 oclock to 12 oclock. You have got to be careful because with the guitar tones that Sean and Matt have, it is quite attacky and its got a lot of gain to it. The amp is quite versatile and you can have a lot of attack on it or a rounded off sound as well, so I think you can achieve what you want.

Its extremely nice and I feel honoured to be part of such a roster with amazing people on it. I just see myself as a guy from Sheffield, when you’re in a band and you are climbing the ladder of success you keep in your own bubble. Its very hard to get an outsiders perspective, in my eyes we are still this band who are still coming out of Sheffield but its nice to recognised on the same level as those people.

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Interview – Ken Rose of Hero Jr

My first experience with Orange amps was with my band Hero Jr, I had been using vintage Marshalls for pretty much my entire career and I didn’t want to take them on the road. So the guys at Orange said try this one and I got the OR50 with the PPC212 cabinet and the minute I took it out of the box and played it, it was awesome. I had a couple of rehearsals with it and then I was on the road and I have been on the road with this amp for 650 shows over the last 5 years. They have been club shows, festival shows, I have used it in the studio, its been thrown around the van, its been across the country a few times and from the time it came out of the box until our last tour that ended yesterday it has been perfect.

I basically use the same settings in the rehearsal room, in small clubs and larger festivals, the only thing I change sometimes is the volume. But other than that this amp is super consistent and stays really true to the tone that I want, at all settings.

Today we are going to be playing direct, I have my pedal board it is on complete true bypass, so I’m just going from the guitar into the amplifier and this is the way the lead pickup sounds.

This amp just responds to the notes, whether I’m playing really hard, I think I have got a pretty heavy touch, most of the time i am really wacking the guitar.

But even for the softer stuff, its just got a really true sound. I would say I would use that setting more than 50-60% of the show. Sometimes for leads I switch to the middle pick up and it gives me the really nasally sound which with this guitar and this amp its really the classic British sound that fell in love with from the first time I heard it.

And it stays really clear when I go down the neck but its not too clean and I really don’t like that “guitar player clean” sound, I really enjoy this amp because it seems to catch my personality which is awesome.

When I use the neck pick up, its for some solos were I just want it to have a little bit balls and almost get it to break up in low end and the great thing about this amp especially when it is paired with this cabinet, this cabinet can take low end and really not break up, its super bad ass for that.

I really find that right there, with this guitar and this amp its a sweet spot.

The great thing about using this all the time is that, whether I’m on an album or playing live it really sounds the same, wherever I go, whatever mics you put in front of it, its super super reliable. So yeh its been on tour with me for 650 shows, no problems, couple of tube changes, everything else is exactly the same setup as when it came out of the box and its pretty rad.

 

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Interview: Prong’s Tommy Victor

In three days, Prong’s due to release their 12th studio album “Zero Days”, which will be the fifth in five years, and I can assure you it’s pretty damn great. While in London, I had a quick chat to frontman and founder Tommy Victor before their headline set at Camden’s Underworld.

Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you originally started out as a bassist, how does that influence and affect your style of playing, and maybe more than anything, your sound?
I used to think about it more, I’ve always been more of a rhythmic player and never focused on solos that much, although I’ve learned how to do them over the years. I think it might be a simplicity thing, I have a problem writing with guitar players as they seem to go in this tangent where all they want to to is shred, and I don’t fucking give a fuck, I just want to write a song, I’ve got a different mentality, I wanna write a riff, you know? Something that’s memorable. I don’t care how many guitar players are out there watching me do my thing, I’m not out there looking to impress anybody. I’d rather have a guy set his guitar on fire than to be there and sweep all over it, as that just doesn’t do anything for me. I appreciate their talent and it’s great, and it’s all god-given. I mean, you could practice for twenty years, like my older brother who still sucks at the guitar, he’s been playing forever and still can’t play a scale, then there’s me, his younger brother who barely ever practiced but somehow ended up in a band he’s managed to make a living from. I don’t take credit for any of this, it’s all god-given, the whole thing is.

…and I guess, maybe some practice…
Yeah, but being able to practice, is god-given.

Anyway, let’s talk Orange Amps!
I love the cabinets, man! They’re unbelivable, 4×12 is all I use and they sound amazing. Monte Pittman turned me onto them, he plays guitar for Madonna and used to play bass in Prong, and he told me to give them a go and they just sounded really good. Then Alex (Alex Auxier, Orange artists relations) hit me up and asked if I was keen to check out some amps, and I told him I really wanted a cabinet.

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