Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is back with a brand new album which talks about the constant presence of surveillance in people’s lives and how that affects us each and every day. A very intriguing lyrical concept wonderfully combined with the album’s music. Ron talked to Grande Rock and clarified some aspects of his new album among other things…
Hi Ron… it’s really great to have you on Grande Rock! You new album, “Little Brother is Watching” is captivating indeed… well-done!
R: Thank you so much!
I guess due to your many music collaborations and to Guns n Roses you pushed your own releases a bit back… Is this why there’s that 7-year hiatus between the new album and “Abnormal” or not?
R: Finding time for everything is always a challenge, but the biggest challenge for me was always writing songs while touring, I could never do both. Since “Abnormal” I released the acoustic album “Barefoot”, released nine singles in 2011 that included backing tracks and guitar transcriptions, I laid many guest solos on other albums, made music for TV and indie films, and produced lots of music, worked on albums ranging from rapper Scarface’s “Work Ethic” album to Art Of Anarchy to an acoustic album with Tony Harnell, I’ve put out a lot of music but I haven’t been able to clear the touring schedule and dedicate 9 months of time to being in the studio to make a new album. I forced myself to write on the S. American GNR tour early last year, and the Bumblefoot N. America tour last Summer (“Guitar Gods” tour w/ Yngwie Malmsteen.)
When did the recordings for the new album begin and what did you have in mind to create this time?
R: We recorded drums to half the album in May 2014 between touring, the other half in July. Then I laid the music and vocals for the rest of the year. I never have a plan in mind, I just let everything happen freely, things are most authentic like this.
The album was composed, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by you on your own studio. Apart from drummer Dennis Leeflang (Sun Caged), which other musicians took part? It’s obvious that you prefer to have the whole control of your own work and do things your way huh?
R: You make it sound like a bad thing, lol... please understand, I’m not just a guitar player, that’s not everything I am. I’m a songwriter, I’m a singer, I play other instruments, I’m a producer & engineer, and when I make an album with my name on it, I include all that I am. If not, I’m holding back who I am. And I won’t do that, not in my own music. (i.n.: That’s exactly what I‘m talking about… and no, it definitely ain’t a bad thing – it’s exactly the opposite!)
I’ve seen in the “making of the album” on YouTube that there were numerous fans of yours in the studio recording. How did that occur and how were the lucky ones chosen?
R: We made it very simple, we took the first 100 people that emailed us their info to be included. When the album was nearly finished, we had 100 friends and fans get together at a venue in NYC for a listening party. I’d play each song, we’d talk about the song, then I’d show them parts to sing and everyone would sing together, stomp their feet, group chants, we’d record it and then add it into the song. I’m very happy that they could all be part of the album.
What does the title “Little Brother is Watching” declare? First, we have the “Big Brother”… now the little one… it always has to be a “brother” who’s watching, we cannot escape that right?!
R: “Little Brother is Watching” talks about the constant presence of surveillance and how it affects us. George Orwell’s book “1984” depicted a future world where the Government watched everything you’d do, saying “Big Brother is Watching You”. But in our reality, we as individuals have the power to watch and expose everything and everyone, at their best and worst. The lyrics talk about living with this power, how we react to it...
We see the “Eye of Horus” in each little brother on the cover art. What does that symbolize?
R: A symbol of the omni-present eye that’s upon us all....
Please give us a small hint about each track…
R: “Clots”: Written about doctor visits when they found a tumor in me. Has that Queen-ish punky mix like the “Abnormal” album songs...
“Little Brother is Watching”: A song about the pressures of living in the world where we all watch and expose each other.
“Argentina”: A three-part story of love and regret, and the imbalance when two sides don’t understand each other.
“Don't Know Who to Pray to Anymore”: A song about questioning faith...
“Livin’ the Dream”: A song about life on tour, the amazing experiences, but how you can also miss your own life sometimes, and the trade-off.
“Cuterebra”: A song about gossip, comparing it to a parasite planted under the skin that grows its wings.
“Higher”: A song about enjoying life while you have it, how music is often the soundtrack of the best moments you remember.
“Women Rule the World”: A song about how we men do things to try and impress women...
“Sleepwalking”: A song about not being honest with yourself.
“Eternity”: A song about waking up each morning with the one you love.
“Never Again”: A song about caring too much about something, and when you realize it’s time to move on.
You never cared to be under a major label. Was it due to circumstances or you prefer having your independency when it comes to music?
R: I had experiences with labels that made me feel it was best to be independent. For example, there was a label that owned one of my albums and they stopped printing copies, no one could get the album anymore, I’d see the album on eBay for as much as $600. I couldn’t even get a copy of the album for myself. I offered to license my own album from the label where I’d manufacture, and pay the label a royalty, and they said no. My album was “extinct”. I wasn’t going to let something like that happen ever again, I’ve stayed independent ever since.
What do you prefer the most, playing guitar, singing, producing/mixing or writing music?
R: I need to do them all to be complete, and to have fulfilling musical life. Teaching as well... I think my favorite of all might be producing, I love collaborating with people and helping to bring out their best.
What are those things that inspire you to write music and which is the wrong procedure to write a songs in general?
R: For me, there has to be a story to tell, something real, from the heart. The wrong reason is for any reason other than art. If you’re writing to be rich or famous, you’re corrupting something that should be pure.
What are your other activities besides music?
R: I like to watch old movies, and eat eat eat, haha. I’m a “foodie”. I love spicy food and have my own line of hot sauces... (i.n.: Click here for more)
What is that thing that you haven’t achieved till now and you wish to do it in the future?
R: There’s a music festival I’ve been wanting to create, that would bring attention to all the fantastic musicians in the local music scenes of other countries.
How the hell does that fretless guitar work?! Is it better for slides or what? Do you prefer the fretless guitar or not?
R: It’s an interesting creature, the fretless guitar. It’s like a slide on every fingertip, like playing a cello. I don’t prefer one over the other, I’m happy having both!
Which was the top moment of your career to date and which was the bitterest one which you want to forget…?
R: Been so many wonderful moments, hard to choose! Those moments where you play a national anthem in a country you’re performing for the first time and having the whole audience sing along, those bonding moments... when you visit an orphanage or hospital and play for the children and they're laughing and having fun, that’s what’s important to me. I’ll say, the top moment is yet to come, and the one I want to forget is already forgotten…
R: Thank you so much!
I guess due to your many music collaborations and to Guns n Roses you pushed your own releases a bit back… Is this why there’s that 7-year hiatus between the new album and “Abnormal” or not?
R: Finding time for everything is always a challenge, but the biggest challenge for me was always writing songs while touring, I could never do both. Since “Abnormal” I released the acoustic album “Barefoot”, released nine singles in 2011 that included backing tracks and guitar transcriptions, I laid many guest solos on other albums, made music for TV and indie films, and produced lots of music, worked on albums ranging from rapper Scarface’s “Work Ethic” album to Art Of Anarchy to an acoustic album with Tony Harnell, I’ve put out a lot of music but I haven’t been able to clear the touring schedule and dedicate 9 months of time to being in the studio to make a new album. I forced myself to write on the S. American GNR tour early last year, and the Bumblefoot N. America tour last Summer (“Guitar Gods” tour w/ Yngwie Malmsteen.)
When did the recordings for the new album begin and what did you have in mind to create this time?
R: We recorded drums to half the album in May 2014 between touring, the other half in July. Then I laid the music and vocals for the rest of the year. I never have a plan in mind, I just let everything happen freely, things are most authentic like this.
The album was composed, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by you on your own studio. Apart from drummer Dennis Leeflang (Sun Caged), which other musicians took part? It’s obvious that you prefer to have the whole control of your own work and do things your way huh?
R: You make it sound like a bad thing, lol... please understand, I’m not just a guitar player, that’s not everything I am. I’m a songwriter, I’m a singer, I play other instruments, I’m a producer & engineer, and when I make an album with my name on it, I include all that I am. If not, I’m holding back who I am. And I won’t do that, not in my own music. (i.n.: That’s exactly what I‘m talking about… and no, it definitely ain’t a bad thing – it’s exactly the opposite!)
I’ve seen in the “making of the album” on YouTube that there were numerous fans of yours in the studio recording. How did that occur and how were the lucky ones chosen?
R: We made it very simple, we took the first 100 people that emailed us their info to be included. When the album was nearly finished, we had 100 friends and fans get together at a venue in NYC for a listening party. I’d play each song, we’d talk about the song, then I’d show them parts to sing and everyone would sing together, stomp their feet, group chants, we’d record it and then add it into the song. I’m very happy that they could all be part of the album.
What does the title “Little Brother is Watching” declare? First, we have the “Big Brother”… now the little one… it always has to be a “brother” who’s watching, we cannot escape that right?!
R: “Little Brother is Watching” talks about the constant presence of surveillance and how it affects us. George Orwell’s book “1984” depicted a future world where the Government watched everything you’d do, saying “Big Brother is Watching You”. But in our reality, we as individuals have the power to watch and expose everything and everyone, at their best and worst. The lyrics talk about living with this power, how we react to it...
We see the “Eye of Horus” in each little brother on the cover art. What does that symbolize?
R: A symbol of the omni-present eye that’s upon us all....
Please give us a small hint about each track…
R: “Clots”: Written about doctor visits when they found a tumor in me. Has that Queen-ish punky mix like the “Abnormal” album songs...
“Little Brother is Watching”: A song about the pressures of living in the world where we all watch and expose each other.
“Argentina”: A three-part story of love and regret, and the imbalance when two sides don’t understand each other.
“Don't Know Who to Pray to Anymore”: A song about questioning faith...
“Livin’ the Dream”: A song about life on tour, the amazing experiences, but how you can also miss your own life sometimes, and the trade-off.
“Cuterebra”: A song about gossip, comparing it to a parasite planted under the skin that grows its wings.
“Higher”: A song about enjoying life while you have it, how music is often the soundtrack of the best moments you remember.
“Women Rule the World”: A song about how we men do things to try and impress women...
“Sleepwalking”: A song about not being honest with yourself.
“Eternity”: A song about waking up each morning with the one you love.
“Never Again”: A song about caring too much about something, and when you realize it’s time to move on.
You never cared to be under a major label. Was it due to circumstances or you prefer having your independency when it comes to music?
R: I had experiences with labels that made me feel it was best to be independent. For example, there was a label that owned one of my albums and they stopped printing copies, no one could get the album anymore, I’d see the album on eBay for as much as $600. I couldn’t even get a copy of the album for myself. I offered to license my own album from the label where I’d manufacture, and pay the label a royalty, and they said no. My album was “extinct”. I wasn’t going to let something like that happen ever again, I’ve stayed independent ever since.
What do you prefer the most, playing guitar, singing, producing/mixing or writing music?
R: I need to do them all to be complete, and to have fulfilling musical life. Teaching as well... I think my favorite of all might be producing, I love collaborating with people and helping to bring out their best.
What are those things that inspire you to write music and which is the wrong procedure to write a songs in general?
R: For me, there has to be a story to tell, something real, from the heart. The wrong reason is for any reason other than art. If you’re writing to be rich or famous, you’re corrupting something that should be pure.
What are your other activities besides music?
R: I like to watch old movies, and eat eat eat, haha. I’m a “foodie”. I love spicy food and have my own line of hot sauces... (i.n.: Click here for more)
What is that thing that you haven’t achieved till now and you wish to do it in the future?
R: There’s a music festival I’ve been wanting to create, that would bring attention to all the fantastic musicians in the local music scenes of other countries.
How the hell does that fretless guitar work?! Is it better for slides or what? Do you prefer the fretless guitar or not?
R: It’s an interesting creature, the fretless guitar. It’s like a slide on every fingertip, like playing a cello. I don’t prefer one over the other, I’m happy having both!
Which was the top moment of your career to date and which was the bitterest one which you want to forget…?
R: Been so many wonderful moments, hard to choose! Those moments where you play a national anthem in a country you’re performing for the first time and having the whole audience sing along, those bonding moments... when you visit an orphanage or hospital and play for the children and they're laughing and having fun, that’s what’s important to me. I’ll say, the top moment is yet to come, and the one I want to forget is already forgotten…
Which are you future live appearances? I know that you’ll be in Greece from August 1st – 8th to appear at Corfu Rock School in Corfu. Tells us a few things about it…
R: Corfu Rock School, yes! We spend a week together on a beautiful Greek island, we do workshops during the day, take a break for lunch, enjoy the beach, have dinner and work on songs in the evening, then at night we go out and play shows together at different pubs around the island. It’s a wonderful time, really looking forward to it! I’m just returning from shows in Thailand, have a bunch of shows in the UK coming up, then end of March I’ll be a counselor at Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas. I keep touring info updated here)...
Time for our “weird questions”!!! What’s the story behind the Bumblefoot name?
R: It’s a band name that became a nickname, that started as a song name which became an album name 20 years ago... (it’s actually an animal disease...)
Are there any funny incidents from the recording days that you’d like to share with us?
R: I remember 15 years ago, recording a song called “Girl Like You”, current Blue Oyster Cult guitarist/keyboardist Richie Castellano was hitting the record button for me while I sang in the other room, and he was laughing so hard while I was doing these lunatic rants at the end of the song, he was crouched down below the mixing board trying not to let me see him laugh so that I wouldn’t laugh, so many funny moments when recording...
What’s your opinion about the “free downloading issue” of today?
R: Ancient history, it’s all about free streaming now, lol...
Best 3 rock albums of all time?
R: Beatles “Abbey Road”, Led Zeppelin “II”, Manowar “Battle Hymns” (this list could really go on and on....)
Top 3 instrumental tracks according to you?
R: Any three with singing on them...
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
R: Yes – “Going for the One”…
Which is the most overrated band of all time?
R: Your band. God you guys are f’n terrible...
Best pick-up line that has worked for you several times in the past?
R: Get the fuck away from me.
What’s the worst thing you can say right after sex?
R: OK son, get your pants on, it’s time for school.
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
R: Gluttony. Will go to Hell for eating so much sushi that it screws up the ecosystem and ends life on Earth.
Imagine that your wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
R: I have the “coolest” wife, couldn’t even imagine such a thing, would never happen, lol...
Thx so much for talking to Grande Rock Ron! Wish you the best for your solo work and for your future endeavors in general. Thx for the music all these years! Close this interview your own way… take care!
R: Thank you, thank you to your readers, hope to see some of you in Corfu! – Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal…