Guy Freedom English interview for Sail Away

If you want to read the Spanish version, go here.

Si quieren leer la versión en español, vayan para acá. 

Guy Freedom English is a very interesting reminder of what old school Rock ‘N’ Roll music is all about. A self-made family man, he is also a self-made musician who has released multiple bands independently and recorded all vocals and instruments by himself. One can’t deny his dedication and his 2019 album, American Made, is a big testament to the determination that is necessary to make music happen.

I had the opportunity of talking to Guy and we discussed multiple aspects about what it takes to make Hard Rock music these days as an independent musician. I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for doing this, Guy. If people wanted to know what your music project is all about, what would you say to them?

You're very welcome Kevin, and thank you as well! Old school guitar driven rock n' roll. I love the sounds of all those old school rock albums and work to do my best to write new songs with that old feel. I like to crank it up loud and keep it about as pretty as the dog’s balls on a rainy day.

What do you think are the aspects that are not discussed enough about making albums all on your own?

The amount of time that goes into making an album. The recording techniques you use to produce the sound. Taking the time to work through all the sounds, tones and levels for all the instruments, and then play them all to a click track. The first track is the toughest, because I have to pay attention to the arrangement very carefully. I write out my arrangement and follow along with the click track to get the first rhythm guitar laid so I can start working on everything else. The more I add the easier it gets to follow along. With American Made I had 8 parts and only 4 tracks to work with. I really had to do some planning to pull it off, it was a lot of fun though.

Does playing with multiple instruments give you a different perspective on your writing process?

It hasn't for me yet really. I always hear music in my head and then go downstairs and figure out how to play what I keep hearing. For me it's been more of how am I going to record this with a 4 track. Playing multiple instruments has given me a bigger perspective on recording though. Once I know what I want to play I've had to figure out how to pull it off. For American Made I thought a lot of how I was going to record it as I wrote the songs.

Your last album, American Made, was released last year. What can you tell us about the making of that album?

It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. It was the most challenging one to record yet and the one where I fell like things finally came together for me. It was also the first time I went into a project focusing more on how I was going to record it, oppose to what I was going to play. I had a good idea of what I wanted to do going into it but with a 4 track I was very limited with the space I had to work with. I really planned out the bounce mix in order to get all the vocals, lead guitar and drum fills on 2 tracks.

Which bands, musicians and albums influenced you the most?

There are so many that it's difficult to narrow it down. I'm always aspiring to play as good as guys like Malcolm Young, Cliff Burton and Neil Pert. There are some many bands and albums that I enjoy listening to over and over. Off the top of my head here are some albums that come to mind as having a big effect on me when I was a teenager.

AC/DC - Highway to Hell & Back in Black

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Metallica - Kill em' All

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

Rush - Fly by Night

What can you say about the making of your next work? Do you have anything in store right now?

I have upgraded my recording equipment to an 8 track and am currently recording the next album. I got all the scratch tracks done, just finished the bass and am working on the drums. I'm able to bounce the mix and use 14 tracks oppose the 6 I had to work with before, so it's exciting. I'm using 3 tracks just to record the drums. It's a longer process but it's going to be well worth it. I am finally able to have a little studio polish on my recordings. Once I finish the drums I'll go back and clean up the rhythm guitar. Then it's lead guitar and vocals. I just produced the single Chin Nuts for the rapper Dirty Dante. It was my test run with the 8 track and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Considering that you already have a very decent output, do you have any interesting anecdote of your career?

When I was working on Tie Your Mother Down, a cover of the old Queen classic. I changed my guitar sound by sheer accident. I remember playing my guitar and thinking, "wow, my guitar sounds amazing". But I had no idea what I did to make it sound that way. I was checking my amp settings, pedal settings, recording settings and then I checked my guitar knobs. I accidentally bumped my volume knob and it was down to about 8 opposed to full on. It gave my guitar more of that rhythm tone that I've always heard on those classic AC/CD albums. I've used that knob setting for everything since.

Do you have any special training as a singer? Did you take singing lessons?

I've never taking a singing lesson a day in my life. I just try to emulate all those great rock n' roll singers. I only sing now because I don't have a singer and I really wish I only had to do backing vocals and let a singer handle the main vocals. I never feel very comfortable with my voice but I always know what I'm looking to get out of it. Singing over the past few years I've been able to understand how I can create sounds with my voice and feel when my voice is coming from my throat or my diaphragm. I'm old school rock n' roll though, I just want it to sound powerful.

What are you planning with this music project at long term?

To have no regrets when I'm older and looking back on my life. I am having the time of my life playing music again. It's hard now to believe I had a period of seven years where I barely touched my guitar. My wonderful wife is the one who got me playing again and now I can't stop. I'm gonna keep rockin' out in my basement and continually work to improve.

Would you consider staying as a studio band? Or do you want to form a band as a whole and tour?

I would love to take the songs I've been writing and recording live with a band. I'm not really sure how I can make that happen right now though. I work night shift at a factory and do everything out of my basement in a small town in South Dakota. I'll really need to build up quite an audience yet before I can think of touring. Taking care of family is the most important thing to me and I feel blessed to live in an age where I can make music in my basement and release it all over the world.

What have you learned about promotion since you created this project?

Social media is a great outlet to use. You can people to spread the word through in internet. Playlists are another great outlet if you can get on one. People like you who will interview and review albums for someone like me are great also, thank you again! I've improved more on my producing than I have on marketing so I'm still really learning this part of the game.

What are the lessons that you have learned about the music business since you got started?

I haven't made it too far in the business yet so I still feel I have a lot to learn. Definitely do your homework. I like to watch documentaries, read articles and listen to stories from musicians of all genres. I would also tell someone follow their passion. You should be practicing, writing, recording, performing all the time. If you love doing something then it's easy to put the time in because you enjoy doing it. It's kinda funny because there are things I've done the past few years that I kinda stumbled into. I didn't know anything about licensing, publishing, streaming, copyrighting and digital promotion a few years. But I keep writing and recording songs and along the way I keep learning more about the business. I've managed to do my copywriting, publishing and setup distribution, as well release a single with Sonorous Records out of Toronto, CA right from my basement in South Dakota.

Heck, when I submitted the single to Sonorous I thought for sure they were gonna shoot me down because I recorded it on a 4 track, but they didn't. I couldn't believe it, and next thing I knew I released a single through a label.

What would you advise to the people that want to start their own bands?

If you’re gonna play in a band don't compromise. Make sure everyone wants to go in the same direction. I feel the biggest mistake I ever made playing in bands was that we always compromised to make everyone happy. And I do feel that's the biggest reason why it never went anywhere. What makes a great team isn't having the best players. It's having the right players that can come together and work as a cohesive unit. Everyone has to know their role and play it to best of their ability. No egos, just passion and determination.

Thank you for taking the time to do this, Guy. Any last words for our readers? Where can we follow you on social media and where can we buy your albums?

I'm not a big social media guy but you can find me on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/guyfreedomenglish/?hl=en

You can also find my music on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer. My music has been very raw and I always appreciate it someone gives me half and a chance and listens to a song, thank you again and take care!