Slough Feg interview

(Originally from 5/10/07)

Slough Feg is an interesting metal band that plays a style kin to the gods of old such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Their music also has some Celtic themes in both the lyrics and riffs. Guitarist/vocalist Michael Scalzi provides us with a few ideas of the work that goes into their material and his thoughts on the past, present and future...

For those who may be unfamiliar with the band and music of Slough Feg, can you give us a brief history and description?

Michael Scalzi: Not really. There are many places to find this info, and I'm sick of answering this question. Let's just say we've been around for 16 years and we've been through hell. We're putting out our sixth album and have been through hell, blah blah blah, you can probabaly guess the rest.

The band's full formal name is actually "The Lord Weird Slough Feg"; where does this come from and who came up with the idea for using it?

A comic book based on Celtic Mythology.

What types of guitar equipment do you like to use in your live set-up?

I use a Gold Top Les Paul and a '77 Marshall four input JMP through a newer Marshall cabinet with four celestion vintage 30 (60 watt) speakers. The amp has no master volume and I won't get it modified cause that would sound like shit, so I use an old DS! Boss distorion pedal. That's it.

Who are some of the musicians/bands that have inspired you?

Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, St. Vitus, Queen, Black Flag, Thin Lizzy.

Can you give us an idea of the songwriting process Slough Feg usually goes through when crafting a new tune?

I just write songs in my room on my guitar into a boom box. I write a riff, or some times I think of a melody in my head. Then I play it on guitar into a boom box and record it, and then I show it to the band and we play it over and over and add things. That's about it. Then I write lyrics and usually come up with th vocal melody later, over the guitar melody. Its really simple. Alot of other ideas come out later, in the studio or in the practice space. There's no theory to it. I play guitar and come up with riffs, like Tony Iommi did, and then it turns into a song.

Do you have a personal favorite Slough Feg song?

NO. But I really like "Wickerman" and "Agony Slalom" and, well a bunch of them. I like them all, otherwise I wouldn't have writen them.

Are there any specific techniques or practice routines you like to use to improve your playing? 

No. Maybe that's why my playing doesnt improve much. I've pretty much been the same kind of guitar player since I was like sixteen, or maybe twenty. I play alot, but I don't really consider it practicing. I'm more interested in songwriting. I spend all my time writing songs, plus I'm not really trying to get better at playing fast or anytthing, I just want to write better songs and solos. I guess I practice solos quite a bit, but there's no real technique to it, I just play them over and over until I have it down. The best practice is live practice though.

Is there any advice you would give to aspiring musicians or bands?

Yeah, give it up and go to college. Haha!! Actually, I have no idea what its like to start a band right now, and I am still an aspiring musician, so I think I'm the one who needs advice!! What the hell should I do? If you're in a band, you probabaly have to have a job or something, and what you do everyday for the most of the day has got to be enjoyable, or you'll be miserable. So I suppose if you have a job to support your musical career, or hobby or whatever, you better enjoy it, cause you only live once and you don't want to go through the whole thing miserable. So get a good job, or sell out and play nu-metal so you can enjoy a life of making shitty music, or something. I don't know, go to college!!

Finally, can you think of an interview question you've always wanted to answer but that no one has ever asked?

Oh, wow. How about, "Do you think that the music scene has changed so much in the last 15 years that being in a band is nothing like it was 15 years ago?" and my answer is yes, I think so. Being in a band back then was totally different, for me at least. Right now I can't see the forest for the tree, I mean, I'm so steeped in this life of making records and having toured, and touring in the future, and just having to do it along with the rest of my life that I don't really see outside of it. I'm going to continue to do it, I can't imagine life without it, but that's alot different than bands that started now, or even three years ago.

I can't see outside of my own little bubble, my own experiences. I guess no one can, so I can tell all sorts of stuff about what to do in a band or how to create music or whatever, but really you have to come up with it yourself, cause I'm trapped over here in my little mind. If you're trying to make money you're in the wrong business, I guess that's clear to everyone at this point. Just find something you do well and do it, people are kind of scared to do things well sometimes, because they feel like they'll be trying too hard or something and its not cool. I think alot of musicians are too shy about this, they want to say something but they hold it back because they're afriad of what everyone might think. That's silly, because the truth is no one is really thinking about them, they're too busy thinking about themselves and being shy about something else!! So you have to realize that none of this stuff really matters because no one's really looking at you anyway, and if they are, they'll forget about you soon enough and start thinking about themselves. So play some good music and stop worrying. In the end you're really just trying to entertain yourslef, that's what you have to remember, so just have fun with it.

I would like to thank Michael Scalzi for taking time to participate in this interview. You can visit the official Slough Feg website at www.sloughfeg.com and their official MySpace page at www.myspace.com/sloughfeg.