Currie : In The Sheepdogs , keyboards are often one of the last elements added to a song . I frequently use the analogy of adding seasoning to a dish once it ’ s near completion to spice it up . It depends on the song , but if I ’ m called upon to add organ or keyboard accents , I ’ ll listen closely to the bones of the song , its hooks / melodic content , and find ways to complement or accentuate what ’ s already there . Hammond parts , in particular , require a certain measure of restraint . The instrument ’ s capable of taking up a ton of sonic space , which is great if you ’ re playing an all-out rocker , but more often , all that ’ s needed is a thin-sounding drone or simple chord .
Davis : I ’ m usually inspired by a piece of music , an idea , or concept . With that inspiration in mind , I start writing . The seed of the piece is usually filtered through a second or third element of inspiration . I find blending multiple forms of inspiration usually gives way to a composition that takes on its own unique personality and obscures any direct references .
Dourado : I ’ m a huge fan of large ensembles – Duke , Basie , Dizzy , Thad Jones , etc . My practice covers the piano and saxophone primarily , and much of my pianism is informed by the limitations of the monophonic instruments and vice versa , where I ’ m interested in the capacity of monophonic instruments to create a harmonic environment . Many master musicians I ’ ve worked for , especially Jerry Granelli and Beverly Glenn-Copeland , believe music doesn ’ t come from us , our minds , our authorship , but from listening or tuning in … Sound . Reaction . Knowing . These are what we ’ re working with when we listen .
CM : How much does genre impact your choice of sounds and the parts you write ?
Bliss : Monster Truck is obviously cut-anddried , classic rock and roll , so that informs all of our tones and sounds . Luckily , being a keyboard player , I have many classic options that sound great straight out of the box . It ’ s amazing how much variation you can get within those sounds with simple distortion or overdrive , but other effects are fun , too .
Comeau : The sounds I gravitate towards are the types found in ‘ 70s and ‘ 80s progressive rock – Minimoogs , Taurus pedals , Hammond B3 , Mellotrons , Oberheim polysynths , Rhodes , and Wurlies ; sounds that people like Rick Wakeman popularized are what capture my imagination the most . My favourite instrument of all time is the Minimoog . I own a 1973 model but don ’ t use it in the studio much . It is too big sonically for most of our mixes , but wherever I can sneak it in , I make the most of it .
Copeland : Mashing sounds together that aren ’ t true to the time they were invented or made popular is my favourite thing to do because you never know what ’ ll happen . I ’ m happiest when mixing genres . I ’ m always on the hunt for the perfect weird combo of synths , samples , and live orchestra / band instruments .
Currie : Almost entirely . I play in the rock and R & B genres a lot , so I ’ m very into having the right retro gear . I ’ ve spent a lot of time around Hammonds , Wurlys , Rhodes , and other ‘ 60s and ‘ 70s gear . There ’ s always room for other sounds , and sometimes a song might need a crazy random sound , but I usually find myself coming back to the classics .
Davis : Staying within the guardrails of a genre has never been my goal . I draw inspiration from a variety of musical traditions I ’ ve studied . The goal is always to take elements of those to develop a uniquely personal sound . Artists like Cecil Taylor and Paul Bley inspire me to strive for innovation , not imitation . One of the greatest compliments an audience will say is that they aren ’ t sure what category / genre they would place my music in .
CM : What are your go-to sounds or instruments , and why ?
Bliss : My main keyboard is a custom dual manual MAG Organ from the Czech Republic . I met the builder , Max [ Ghirardi ], through Don [ Airey ] from Deep Purple when we were on tour with them in 2017 . It ’ s built around the H3 algorithm – widely accepted by experts as the best digital B3 simulation , and I agree as I ’ ve owned pretty much all of the major ones over the last 10 to 15 years . I run that through a Fractal AxeFx for
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