PHOTO : STÉPHANE BOURGEOIS
JULIAN TAYLOR
On his custom Alistair Miller Barncaster Tele guitar
I ’ d have to say that my favourite instrument is my custom-made Barncaster Tele guitar . It ’ s by far my most prized musical possession . Not only is it one-of-a-kind , but the sentimental meaning behind it is crazy beautiful .
About 10 years ago , myself and some of my band mates ( Jeremy Elliott , Ben Spivak , and David Engle ) were setting up to perform at a friend ’ s wedding ( actually , it was Saam Hashemi ’ s wedding — he ’ s been in the producer chair for my albums Tech Noir , parts of Desert Star , The Ridge , and now Beyond the Reservoir ). While we were setting up , I received a phone call from my friend , Geoff Morgan , who I went to high school with . It was such a touching conversation . He ’ d called because he and some other friends had decided to do something incredibly kind for me . He said that they all wanted to thank me for the music over the years and my dedication to creating art . So , they ’ d all decided to chip in and hired another friend from high school named Alistair Miller to build me my very own custom guitar .
I was floored , humbled , and honoured by their gesture . I was completely taken by surprised and in shock . I started to cry .
A few days later I met up with Alistair , who makes his very own signature Barncaster guitars , to nail down all the specs . A few months later , they all presented me with the guitar at the open stage that I use to run on the Danforth at Dora Keogh Irish Pub , which is now called Noonan ’ s . I named the guitar Esmerelda Anne Wilder and play it every chance I get . It has an old Charlie Christian pick in it as well . He was one of my grandfather ’ s favourite jazz guitarists .
IAN FRASER OF CLEOPATRICK
On his Zildjian New Beat hi-hats
My current favourite instrument is the hi-hat — more specifically , a pair of Zildjian New Beat hi-hats I own . I ’ ve had this pair of hats for maybe seven years now and , truthfully , when I got them , I really wasn ’ t sure of what I was looking for beyond something with the name “ Zildjian ” on it . Around that time , I made the decision to only play Zildjian cymbals , which I still do to this day .
It wasn ’ t until recently that I realized how much I loved this pair of hi-hats . They are incredibly versatile while maintaining a very strong identity . This is something that has really clicked with me recently . Within the band and other musical endeavors , I have really been leaning into a lot more drum influences beyond rock music . This is something I ’ ve always intended to do , but it hasn ’ t been until recently that I have truly felt that door opening up , which has been beyond exciting for me . Maybe it has something to do with getting older , but I have found myself being more open to new ideas and connecting dots in ways that I never have before . I think that ’ s why these New Beat hihats have resonated with me so much recently . It ’ s almost as if they ’ ve been growing with me on this campaign of creating art .
I ’ ve felt a new appreciation for hi-hats within music . They support movement and dance within whatever foundation or feeling you ’ re trying to capture — house music , hip-hop , hyperpop , country , folk , guitar music , and so on . Whatever you love , the hi-hats can and will almost always be a fundamental piece of the puzzle that creates that feeling you love . From buying a pair of cymbals because they are what Taylor Hawkins played , to really loving and appreciating the intricacies of the instrument , these Zildjian New Beat hi-hats have been with me for the entirety of this band ’ s life , waiting to shine . These hats have actually never been used on a single cleopatrick song , but I can say that they will definitely be heard on new music .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 51