By: Robert Cavuoto
Move over Howard Stern, Bumblefoot, the new “King of All Media” is taking over the throne.
Guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter, and producer, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, released his 10th CD entitled, Little Brother Is Watching, this past February.
The album is an eccentric, upbeat collection of modern epic rock with haunting melodies, huge choruses and witty lyrics about life in the digital age, and beyond.
Through song he shares his own experiences in coming to terms with what we all face – beginnings, endings, and moving on. The CD was composed, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bumblefoot in his New Jersey studio.
To add to this list of outstanding accomplishments, Bumblefoot also has created a line of hot sauces, scored and acted in several indie films, and toured the world with Guns ‘N Roses, and worked on his own solo projects.
I was able to catch up with Bumblefoot while he was at his home studio, multitasking away, to talk about all things Bumblefoot!
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Robert Cavuoto: Your new CD offers a lot musical diversity from Queen to Steve Vai. The songs are well crafted with a tremendous amount of intricate guitar parts and vocal phrasing; tell me about its development?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: It was recorded at an old house in New Jersey that I got 13 years ago where I just go to make music. I don’t live there; I just go there when I need to record. I like to be isolated and focus on the music. It’s a great place for bands to live while they work, so I can produce them.
I had written a few songs and had some song ideas that didn’t have a definite place waiting to be finished. I took what I had and started working on the CD December of 2013, right before going on a European Bumblefoot tour.
After touring in July of 2014, I cleared my scheduled and got back into it.
By January 2015 I had it all wrapped up and released it this February. I did the singing, bass, and guitar. Most people are more familiar with me for playing lead guitar, but what they don’t realize is that I started out wanting to be a bass player. I played bass and sung in different bands, as well growing up. When doing solo CDs, I’m giving as much as I can from my heart. Truly a solo CD!
Robert: There is a tremendous amount of nuances and detail on this CD.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: It’s not what you do, but how you deliver it to people’s ears. You want to not only touch their ears, but try and simulate every sense possible.
You want to hit them with intellectual things. You want them to paint pictures with your songs in their minds.
Robert: Most established bands can’t manage to put out 10 CDs in their 30 year career, how do you manage?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: I’ve been doing this forever. I put out my first CD almost 25 years ago when I signed my first record deal in 1994 with Shrapnel. I then started my own label and putting out CDs and touring Europe.
At the time I started producing and writing for indie films, as well.
In 2006, I added another ball to the juggling act with Guns ‘N Roses. That became such a challenge with so much touring. When I’m not touring I can multi-task and get a lot done.
Right before we started talking I was laying done a guest guitar solo for a project Mike Portnoy is working while scheduling my flight itinerary for a trip to India.
Robert: Do you think people are hungrier for hard rock and heavy metal outside the U.S.?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: Definitely, South American people love metal and really passionate about it. They truly enjoy and celebrate concerts. I found that in Asia too. In the U.S., people are little more reserved about it all. Europe has some amazing festivals and the people have a great time.
Robert: Speaking of South America, my favorite song on the new CD is Argentina. It’s got a catchy hook with interesting lyrics; tell me about its creation?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: It’s a three part epic song. It was inspired from an Argentinean tango with its tempo and chord changes. There were a lot of unfinished pieces of that song floating around and it really came together when I started to focus on the CD.
It’s a story about jumping into something without thinking it through and once you’re in, both sides expected something different. Love turns to tragedy when the two try to hurt each other. It’s not necessarily about a romantic relationship, but it can be.
Robert: Can you give us an update on Art of Anarchy, with Scot Weiland? Have you found a replacement singer for touring?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: Very soon we are going to be releasing a single and music video. There are no touring plans, as of yet; the main focus is on getting the CD out. It will be released in the U.S. on June 2nd and Europe June 8th.
As far as where it will go from there, remains to be seen. It’s a mystery to all of use and in the in the hand’s faith. If the world likes it and wants to see something live then we will have to cross that bridge.
Robert: Let’s talk about some great guitarists and, in a few words, tell us the first thing that comes to minds or how their playing style influenced you in some way. [RBT – responds]
Robert: Do you think things are tougher for the younger generation of guitarists? In order to stand out or become successful they really need to be multi- talented from being a great player to a great shredder to great songwriting and having incredible business savvy.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: It’s a different environment that they have to navigate compared to when we started. For us, it was impossible to get your music out there. You had to put an ad out in the back of a local magazine, “Mail me $2 and I’ll mail you a cassette tape.”
Now anybody can upload files on the Internet for the entire world to hear. They don’t realize how good they have it and what it used to be like. There is good and bad to it.
The good is anyone can make music, but the bad is that now it’s harder to find music as there are so many grains of sand on that beach. It’s not about getting a record deal or distributed, it’s about creating awareness and getting noticed. How do you make that one grain of sand stand out from the other grains? That’s the challenge that I think musicians face nowadays.
Granted the bar got raised in playing. Once Shrapnel Records started putting out the shredders, not only did you have to be a good guitarist, but you had to shred, as well. You can play any song at a bar and people will like it, but to be considered at higher level of proficiently the bar has been raised.
In the ’70s nobody said, “How fast can you play?” In the ’90s it all changed, “It’s great that you can shred, but you’re a dinosaur.” Things come around as you have some great new young bands like Thank You Scientist who are progressive and carrying the torch for quality proficient music.
Robert Cavuoto: Tell me about your acting abilities and your new movie Clean Cut?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: I don’t think being in a movie makes me an actor or at least; not a very good one [Laughing].
It started when I was writing music for films and the people started to ask if I wanted a little role in it. I thought it would be fun and each time the role seemed to get a little bigger.
For Clean Cut, it seems like I had pages and pages of dialogue and interaction. In it, someone hits me on the back of the head with a bottle and I find myself tied up in a basement, then horrible things happen.
My character is a real douche bag and gets what he deserves. It will come out next year I’m just not sure on the distribution at the present time. A film that I did a few years ago is just coming out in July, called Meat Puppet.
Robert: What’s the affinity with rock stars and hot sauce?
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal: I have given that question a lot of thought, why do people who play heavy metal music like hot sauce?
I think it both comes from the same place – with music I love making, listening, and sharing it and with hot sauces, it’s the same. I love making, tasting, and sharing hot sauces.
There is no music as intense as heavy metal and with hot sauces it’s the same. Nothing can be as sweet, sour, salty, or hot.
I would say that hot sauce is the heavy metal of food. I love the rush and energy you get from both and want to share those reactions and intensities with people.
