An Interview with Scott Reeder

Interview with Scott Reeder

Written by Ian Gerber for The Soda Shop

There isn’t a lot that I can say about Scott Reeder that hasn’t been said before, so I won’t try to re-invent the wheel.  If you don’t know who he is, and you probably do if you are on this site, here are the cliffnotes.   He has worked with everybody (and by everybody, I mean EVERYBODY) including Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Unida, and Goatsnake.  That is just to name a few.  His band Across the River, which he played in along side fellow stoner rock legend Mario Lalli, might just be the definitive starting point of “Desert Rock” as we know it.  Scott’s dedication to music is evident.  If he isn’t playing it, he is producing it.  He is what you might call “The Real Deal”.  He has a lot of projects that keep him busy, so I feel rather lucky that he gave me some of his time to answer some questions about his career and musical philosophies.  They went like this…

IG:  What was it like trying to play music while growing up in the desert?  Was it hard to find people that were into playing the same music you were into, or was it easier because of the isolation?

SR:  It seems like an easy flow now that I’m years down the road, but back then, I guess it was a lot of work, but there were very natural transitions. I’d been playing drums since I was five, and when my family moved to the desert, I just fell in with a few friends that were into punk, and we threw together some stuff that sticks in my head to this day. My first band, Subservice, morphed into Dead Issue, which morphed into Across The River, and we ended up playing with some SST bands, like Saint Vitus and DC3… which led to me later playing with Wino in The Obsessed, which led to Kyuss, and so on.

IG:  You have been in bands with just about everybody I can think of that played “stoner rock” or “desert rock” in California.  Is there any particular group or line-up that stands out to you for chemistry and camaraderie?  Is there anybody that you would like to work with that you haven’t gotten the chance to work with?  Who would you like to work with again?

SR:  It’s always a treat to work with Mario Lalli. He’s been one of the closest friends of my life. We went through so much in our formative years… Alfredo, too. We had a pretty dark experience with a friend, and all went through an intense experience for someone of any age, and we were really young. Jamming with those two guys sometimes felt… transcendent. There was a lot of frustration we were trying to express. We were on the same page in our heads – it was deep.

IG:  It seems that these days that bands pay as much attention to their gear as they do their performance and songwriting.  Do you feel that the gear you play is important to the creative process?  Is there any piece of gear that you can’t do without or are superstitious about?

SR:  Not at all. The creative process is in your head. I like having some sort of recording device around to jot down ideas – a long time ago I’d call our house phone and sing an idea into the answering machine. Now I can just do it into an iPhone! Playing live… of course you want your tone. It’s like the search for the holy grail. But I think a lot of great musicians would be recognizable no matter what guitar or what amp they were playing through.

IG:  How do you feel about the evolution of the “Stoner Rock” genre?  Did you think it would go the way it has?

SR:  I guess I don’t know which way it’s gone. I never listen to much outside of what I’m working on. I thought Across The River was on a continuum from Sabbath and Mountain combined with the energy of the punk stuff we were into. One thing I loved about Across The River was the sections of improvisation – from bluesy jam sections to abstract noise formations, there was always something, however crude, that felt like it was pouring directly out of your soul at that moment. I’ve tried to bring some of that to every band I’ve been with, but it takes a looseness from everyone involved to really pull it off… I don’t know what the evolution has been – I really don’t.

IG:  You have described the music you played as “heavy hard rock”.  How do you feel about the genre ending up being called “Stoner Rock”?  If you could rename it, what would you call it?

SR:  It didn’t exist when Kyuss was around. We’d check out record stores, and our stuff would sometimes be in the “Metal” section, which felt weird to me – in my heart, I would’ve rather been in the “Punk” section, but it was a weird sound, I guess. It sucks that stuff has to be labeled and stereotyped, but I guess it’s necessary for sorting purposes. Human nature? I’m glad we were tough to pigeon-hole, though.

IG:  What was it like to go from playing generator parties out in the middle of nowhere to being on MTV and playing huge festivals?  Could you talk about what changed for you and what happened  within the desert scene after Kyuss got big.

SR:  We never got big while the band existed, but things were definitely growing at the point we split. We were really lucky to get on some great bills. We’d be playing festivals in Europe for 40 or 50 thousand people, and we’d go home and play a party in someone’s backyard. It felt like whatever success we had was a fluke, like we’d snuck in the back door and we were gonna get kicked out at any minute. As far as how it affected the desert scene… I don’t know. Hopefully it inspired a few people to go for it, and see what they could do, too.

IG:  Do you feel that you were purposefully ignoring trends in the music scene that was popular when you started playing in bands like Across the River?  Did you ever feel as you were “on to something bigger”after you started playing out?

SR:  Nah, we weren’t trying to be anyone but ourselves – we totally accepted each other and just worked on expressing ourselves. It wasn’t about being conscious of what other people were doing – it was about reaching our unconscious parts and bringing it out. I think that my thoughts on us being “on to something” didn’t have to do with wanting to be famous or anything like that – I definitely thought we were on to learning how to express ourselves in a unique way that I hadn’t heard before…

IG:  If you didn’t play music as a career, what do you think you would be doing now?

SR:  I’d be lost. I got into UCLA when I was 18, and had every possible career path laid at my feet for a second, there, but I just didn’t have any passion for anything besides being around and in music.

IG:  Most people don’t realize that playing in a band, even one that makes records and tours, is not a real good way to become rich and famous.  What sort of advice and guidance would you give to someone who is trying to pursue music as a career?

SR:  I don’t consider music a “career” – to me it’s an art, and artists do whatever they have to do because they have no choice but to express what’s burning inside, whether it makes a profit, or not. Learn as much about as much as you can, and be prepared to suffer! Haha!

IG:  Was there any particular moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician?  What / who inspired you when you were developing your style?

SR:  I loved The Beatles when I was 3 – I think I was really drawn into the harmonies in their voices – that was the most mysterious, ethereal part for me – those voices intertwining. Anyone can beat on some drums or strum a guitar, but those harmonies were otherworldly for me. Also, I was always around my Grandpa, a great jazz guitarist, playing with his friends. I remember being really little, and laying on the floor in front of the bass amp… feeling it. Pink Floyd. They opened up a whole mental picture, and the possibilities of expression there. And then the energy of punk rock blew open a whole new door that made self expression immediately possible without being a virtuoso. Which I wasn’t. I was hooked! Those were the big ones.

IG:  When you produce an album for a band, do you use a different set of musical skills or mindset than when you are performing the music personally?

SR:  Either way, I’m still drawing on my experiences and how I perceive things should sound, but recording someone else, I try to get inside how they want to sound, and try to bring that out the best I can, while trying to bring out the best performance in the band, too. I try to stay out of the way sometimes, but I jump in when I think something can be better. I actually spend a lot more attention on other people’s mixes than my own. When I’m doing my stuff I lay it down pretty fast and just want it to be done, like it’s something I’m trying to wash off of me! Yeah, a lot more care goes into the details for other people… I should try having someone else mix my stuff one of these days!

IG:  Are there any new projects in currently in the works (musical or otherwise)?

SR:  I just put out a new song on iTunes called “I Never Wanted” that I’m pretty happy with, and I’ve got records in the works with Mario Lalli’s new thing called Auto Modown, another band from 29 Palms called A’rk that is the heaviest band I’ve ever worked with, and The Willing, also from the desert. Otherwise? Lots of fencing being built at the ranch. We just built around 2000 feet, and sealed up around 20 acres and let our 4 mustangs go out there yesterday. One of the best things I’ve ever done in my life – I’m stoked!

IG:  Are there any new or current bands that stand out to you and why?

SR:  Well, the newest record done here is that Auto Modown thing with Mario. His son Dino, at age 14,  makes his recording debut, along with their drummer Benny, who’s 16. It rips! I think a lot of people are gonna love this one!

IG:  I read that you would have been happy to be part of the Kyuss reunion that panned out to be Kyuss Lives!  Is there any reason why you aren’t apart of it instead of Nick Oliveri?

SR:I declined a couple of things in the past that came up, and even though one of the offers included a huge star and one of my favorite guitarists, there would have been only one original member… just didn’t seem right.  I’d do it in a heartbeat if Josh were in. Crazy, though – just woke up this morning to my news show on TV, and there was a ticker on the bottom of the screen saying that Nick was arrested last night after a two hour standoff with a SWAT team at his home in LA….  People have been asking all day if I’m gonna finish the tour in his place, but so far haven’t heard from those guys…

A note from Ian…

I wanted to point out that these questions are really similar to the ones I got to ask Mario Lalli.  There is a reason for this.  I am a huge fan of stoner rock and I am also a huge critic.  As the genre grows, so do the cliches.  I go to shows just like you guys and I hear the same conversations over and over again.  I came up with these questions, while basic, so that maybe the people who read them can take the topics to heart.  You don’t need the “right” gear to rock hard.  You don’t have to become super huge to make awesome music.  It is all art and this is what has made guys like Mario Lallit and Scott Reeder who they are.  I really hope to see a lot more imagination come through the Doom and Stoner rock scene in the next few years, otherwise it will fizzle and fade.  Thanks for taking the time to read my rant.  Back to the riffage….