Audley Freed: A Closeup Interview, Dec. 2001 http://cool.syntrillium.com/closeups/freed/ from the Crowes Nest: http://qfg.tierranet.com/crowesnest.html Introduction: Audley Freed For this Cool Edit Profile we were quite fortunate to catch up with Audley Freed, guitarist and songwriter. Audley took some time from his world tour with The Black Crowes to share some of his views on writing, recording and philosphy.and of course his uses of Cool Edit Pro. Audley grew up playing guitar in the southeastern US, influenced most heavily by such greats as Billy Gibbons, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and others, all of which have lent to his bluesy, "roots-based" style that lends itself so well to the guitar driven, R&B/rock groves of the Black Crowes. Prior to joining The Black Crowes in mid-1998, Audley headed up the gutsy 4- piece band Cry of Love, paying his dues touring to all corners of the US. Cry of Love's two Columbia Records releases, Brother and Diamonds and Debris are ample evidence of Audley's heartfelt songwriting and guitar craftsmanship. "There are many degrees of success in this business, but I don't think anything tops the feeling of being a part of creating something you are proud of." Audley Freed interview by Steve Fazio, Syntrillium Software Q: We really appreciate you spending some of your well-earned time off from the big tour to talk about music and gear! How do you enjoy being on the road? A: Well, there are plusses and minuses to everything in life, and touring is certainly no exception, but having had the opportunity to see places I never thought I'd visit (or play shows) is by no question priceless. I have played guitar in bands at pretty much all levels from Starkville, Mississippi to Shibuya, Tokyo (and in the words of the Rev. Billy Gibbons, "all points in between"). The thrill of a good live show is an experience that can't be put in to words. Great food out there, too!! Having said that, I do love my wife, couch and grill! [Laughs] Q: This current Black Crowes tour is taking you all over the world. What has been your favorite place so far? A: Two nights in L.A. with Oasis at the Greek Theater was a highlight - the Greek is a beautiful setting and the stage sounds great. Brescia, Italy in a town square with Neil Young was great. Radio City Music Hall in New York City for three nights was a thrill. Got to watch Willie Nelson on the banks of the Mississippi as the sun set just before we went on in Memphis. Q: The previous Crowes tour of course included Jimmy Page with the band, where you performed and recorded Crowes and Led Zeppelin songs. This must have been amazing to play with one of your musical heroes - how was this experience for you? A: Yes, the perpetual adolescent bedroom guitar player in me (looking up at the Jimmy Page poster on his wall) still can't believe it! I found a collage the other day I had made from old Circus and Creem magazines when I was a kid and sure enough, there was Jimmy with the dragon suit and the violin bow, and it stopped me dead in my tracks again. To rehearse those songs with the guy who wrote them, working out parts even he had forgotten was beyond belief (I still don't believe it!). Then we got to play them in front of people! My experience with Jimmy was that he was gracious, forthcoming and having a blast playing. Standing face to face discussing what the parts in a song were and who would play which was something I'll never forget, to say the least! Q: So how would your describe your position within The Black Crowes? A: I am primarily a role player. I get called on to do things that suit my style both live and in the studio. The songs constantly evolve during a tour, and you find improvised ideas weaving their way in and around the recorded arrangements. For example, on a song like "Young Man, Old Man" [from the Lions album] in the studio I play a sort of "Meters" style clean funk part on a Fender Telecaster in the outro, whereas live after that part we extend the vamp and I switch over to a "fuzzed-out" Hendrix/Ernie Isley type of sound for an extended guitar solo. Q: How do you typically approach your songwriting - do you work more from lyrics or melodies in your head, or do you primarily use the guitar as your inspiration? A: It happens a number of ways. Sometimes I'll have a melodic idea in my head, whether it's a vocal part, a guitar line, or something that I might think another instrument should play. I'll always flesh-out at least the instrumental ideas out on guitar. Sometimes ideas come from noodling around on guitar just having fun - these usually are quick and most of the time lead to good songs or at least riffs. Lyrics are usually written after a melody idea is established, although sometimes a chorus hook will come to me bundled with instrumental ideas too, kind of a musical "Happy Meal" if you will. [Laughs]. I also like to write from the drums up - a great beat or groove can inspire lots of cool ideas and that's always a fun way to work. So usually a song either presents itself quickly and concisely, or a seed of an idea gets worked and reworked with a lot of experimentation and crafting. I've found both of these ways can lead to good songs, and both can also lead to the trash can! Q: Obviously the great guitarists of the 60's and 70's and the blues are big influences on your playing and writing style. What other artists and types of music do you find inspiring today? A: I don't typically listen to a lot of newer music, although there are some things out there that I think are great, and it's always a pleasure to stumble across something new that is exciting. One new thing I really like is the new Doyle Bramhall album Welcome. Recorded all live, great songs, great band, great sounds, wonderful singing and killer rock guitar playing. To hear a band that's able to really play and capture a meaningful performance is a rarity today. His 1999 album Jellycream is great also. Lucinda Williams' last two albums are also great for a number of reasons, not the least of which being her stunning vocals and lyrics - a perfect antidote to today's antiseptic "female vocal gymnasts." I quite like Sheryl Crow's records also. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers make outstanding records and are a great live band Los Lobos' records are also great and infused with a spirit rarely heard these days, and the Crowe's drummer Steve Gorman gave me the new Merle Haggard album which is nothing but the real thing. So there's a lot of good stuff for every taste out there, you just have to put forth a little effort to find it. Q: Your music with the Cry of Love seemed to depend heavily on varying guitar tones and textures. Do you spend a lot of time working out guitar parts? A: Since Cry Of Love was a trio instrumentally, we worked hard to make the interplay between the bass and guitar interesting, and I'd complement that with different guitar sounds accordingly, all the while not sacrificing the live band feel. We kind of used the limits of the format to go beyond them! So that's one way to do it, but it really depends on the song and the situation. If a song is based on a riff or hook, I'll spend time crafting the main guitar parts and build the others around that. Sometimes the other parts will be meticulously worked out in advance of recording, others will come to life by trial and error in the studio. One fantastic thing about having Cool Edit Pro is the lines between home and studio are disappearing - I can not only use Cool Edit to work out parts but to record them as keepers right here. A lot of times I will instinctively know what kind of sound I want for the different guitar parts in a song, and usually these prove to work. If a song is not particularly guitar based, I'll construct parts to complement the instrumentation, but sometimes an improvised performance is much better to capture the interplay and vibe between the instruments and players. As for solos, some of them are worked out, particularly in more melodic songs), as in Saving Grace [from the Cry Of Love album Brother ]. I am a big fan of Queen's Brian May when it comes to these "song within a song" types of solos - you can sing them just as easily as the main vocal hook. Most of the solos on the more rockin' Cry Of Love songs were just off the cuff, although some evolved over time by playing the songs a lot at rehearsal and listening back to the tapes. The solos on Greasy Grass River and Ozone Mama [on the Black Crowes Lions ] were just improvised in the moment. So you see, there are all kinds of methods that work for different things. Q: What gear do you use for writing and recording these days? A: Right now I'm using Cool Edit Pro on a PC with a Pentium III processor, 256 MB of RAM and a 30 GB hard drive split into two partitions - one for software and one for music file storage. I've got some great Event PS-5 monitors that are powered and insulated and I'm using Frontier Design's Wavecenter PCI sound card and their Tango 24 converter. I can't say enough good things about the Frontier Design stuff -- NO problems since I started using it, sounds great and the tech. support is fantastic (thanks Charlie!). Most of my guitar tracks are done with a Line 6 POD which sounds great and is convenient. I also use the Line 6 Delay, Modulation and Distortion effects pedals - fantastic for recording and again convenient and don't take up much space in an already overcrowded bedroom! My signal is also routed through a Mackie 1202 mixer that I use for monitoring/recording levels and some EQ, plus for its mic preamps. I use a Shure SM 57 for most miked things, although I just got a Shure KSM 44 and can't wait to try it. For keyboards (and my wife is a keyboard player, so it's very convenient), I use a Hammond XBII for organ sounds along with a [MotionSound] Pro Motion 3 Leslie-type horn. I also use the Pro 3 for guitar. For electric and acoustic pianos, Mellotron, and string sounds, I use a Roland 1010 synth module. This stuff is all very space and neighbor friendly, but I am working toward having a room big that will be insulated enough to record a live band - I get closer with every piece of gear and every new bit of knowledge about the recording process. Q: What role does Cool Edit Pro play in your song writing? A: Like I said earlier, it's extremely convenient in a lot of ways to help flesh-out songs, plus your results sound great. Having access to 64 tracks makes trying out parts fun and uncomplicated, and you can keep as many takes as you like and pick and choose when you mix, not to mention being able to move stuff around and edit. Sometimes the recording process really dictates the direction a song will take. I might start out with an idea on acoustic guitar and watch it grow into something better than I had initially conceived. Also it's easier than ever to put down ideas when they strike. It's like a microcassette, 4-track and professional studio all in one - plus the clock isn't running and you don't have to count hours. Q: What aspects of Cool Edit do you find most useful? A: Being a late-comer to personal recording, and also not a very "tech" minded person, I have to say that the ease of use is my favorite thing about Cool Edit. The results you can get without having to be a computer genius or a great engineer are astounding. It allows me to do things musically that were unthinkable a few years ago. I am still a big believer in playing my instrument, so I use it as a tool and not a crutch. I don't believe in "creating" a good performance - I like to use CEP to help me realize one. Like I said, I'm working on having the space to use it with a whole band. Its editing features are extremely helpful arrangement-wise, and the effects sound great. I use the compressors right now more than anything else. Since I don't have the space to record live drums, the editing window is also great when it comes to making drum loops from records to use as inspirations for grooves and riffs, or sometimes even whole songs. Finally, you guys at Tech. Support and everyone at Syntrillium are super - you really seem to care about "the Peoples" ! Q: Do you have any tips for recording guitars you would like to share? A: Since I am making demos here my approach to guitar recording is limited by the amount of space I have. I am using the POD for just about everything, although I also use an old Airline amp sometimes -- put it in my bathroom and put a Shure SM57 on it and it sounds cool. The biggest thing for me when recording guitars, direct with the POD or otherwise, is to not overdo it distortion or effects-wise. I find the guitars will always sit in the mix better, especially if there are two or more, when you think moderately on these fronts. I like the "Tweed Blues" and "Black Panel" settings on the POD, and "Small Tweed" for extra gnarly, mid-rangey sounds. I like to use the Airline with a Reverend Drivetrain distortion pedal in front of it for playing solos - nice and smooth without being over-compressed and buzzy. Once again, I try to trust my ears ahead of time when trying to match a tone with a part I'm hearing in my head. For the most part, I've found the sound will be dictated by the part, although sometimes trying a different tone will make a part come alive. Cool Edit makes it easy to do all this stuff. The best advice I have is use your ears - I'm certainly no engineer but can get in the ballpark by doing this. Q: What are some of the songs or musical recordings you are most proud of? A: Most everything really. I think both of the Cry Of Love records are special for the amount of work that went into them, the music we made, and the experience of creating something other people find joy and inspiration in. With the Crowes I'm glad to be able to make a contribution that adds some spice to the overall mix. Q: It sounds like all these aspects of your music keep you very busy indeed. Are there any specific projects you are working on now, or plan on releasing in the future? A: I have so much fun playing, writing and recording music with different people that I always hope to stay active doing that. I probably will get around to doing something on my own sooner than later, and because of programs like Cool Edit the possibilities are becoming more wide open for that sort of thing every day. I'm now able to make really good sounding demos for all kinds of purposes. I recently gave an instrumental track I recorded here to my buddy Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule. He wrote a melody and some lyrics and next thing you know I'm in the studio cutting the track with Gov't Mule with Larry Graham on bass!! I feel like the quality of the demo I was able to give him really made a difference - the song idea was pretty much fully fleshed out so Warren could hear really hear what the tune was all about. Now it's gonna be the first single from their new album titled The Deep End out this fall! The single is titled Life on the Outside. I recently got a laptop and a Roland UA-30 interface, so I am going to try Cool Edit, along with Acid and a POD, on the road this fall as well. Q: Any advice you would care to offer for those considering a career in music or recording? A: If you really love it the same rules apply here as elsewhere - define your goals, work hard, be prepared to sacrifice, and even though there are ups and downs, try do it all with a positive attitude. In order to be "at the right place at the right time" you have to figure out which place works for you and keep going there until "the right time" comes along. There are many degrees of success in this business, but I don't think anything tops the feeling of being a part of creating something you are proud of. Discography of Audley Freed With the Black Crowes: Lions, 2001 BMG/V2 records Live at the Greek (with Jimmy Page), 2000 TVT Records With Cry of Love: Brother, 1993 Sony/Columbia Records Diamonds and Debris, 1997 Sony/Columbia Records Audley also lent his skills to these recordings: James McMurtry Where'd You Hide The Body, 1995 Sony/Columbia Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise Live!, 1999, BMG/RCA Records .And be sure to listen for Audley's work with Gov't Mule's upcoming The Deep End ! from the Crowes Nest: http://qfg.tierranet.com/crowesnest.html