OUTBREAK / BILLY & BRIAN

Alright guys let's start from the beginning, who got you your first guitar, what was it and what made you choose this instrument?

BRIAN: 1999. I listened to Offspring's "Americana" non- stop that year and i remember wishing i knew how to play the guitar so i could write songs like that. Not long later, i watched Back to the Future 1 and saw Marty McFly on stage playing "Johnny be good" and right then, i was sold on the idea of being a guitarist. My old man bought me my first guitar for christmas that year. It was a Yamaha (Fender strat rip-off) and i probably broke the high E string once a week for the first couple months of playing. 10 years later, i now break the high E string at least twice a week...some would say ive gotten worse at the guitar through out the years...

BILLY: My dad bought me my first guitar which happened to be a B.C. Rich Warlock haha. I started on bass because my best friend at the time could already shred then I realized lead guitar is where its at.

Who were your favorite guitarists back then?

BILLY: Again, my dad brought me up on some of the best. i.e. Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Eddie Van Halen, all of which are still top on the list in my opinion

BRIAN: Tom Delong of blink-182. Because i was so stoked on the idea that i could play songs that a "professional musician" wrote after only playing the guitar for less than a year myself. I then found out that everyone on planet earth could play blink songs after only playing the guitar for a couple months and that i didnt have some special talent...

Self taught or lessons?

BILLY: Self taught.

BRIAN: tabcrawler.com baby.

Tell us about the guitars you own (model, pickups, etc), which one is your favorite and why?

BRIAN: I've been playing the Gibson SG Gothic '99 for the past 8 years. I recently put in EMGs (the 81 and 85). It's been through countless recordings, shows, tours, car accidents, van accidents, and it only has a couple little tiny scratches on it. its my baby. I am also endorsed by sparrow guitars but i have yet to pick up my guitar. They built me a RatRod modeled custom guitar with Dimebucker pick ups, graphite saddle and nuts, and 3 X's hand painted on the back of the bridge. Hopefully one of these days i can get over the the west coast and pick it up.

BILLY: I play a Gibson GK55 with passive EMG pickups and a Fender Fat Strat with Dimarzio Tone Zone pickups on stage. At home I just rock a Takamine electric/acoustic.

Now let's talk about your latest work, Outbreak's new full length. While the first single "work to death" was very well received by the fans, it was clear to most of them that this was a new start for the band, and a very promising one. How would you describe the new material?

BRIAN: The self titled full length thats coming out is fast as shit, epic as fuck, and thrashy as hell. i think that sums it up pretty good. There are songs on there that are just 12 seconds of really intense in your face kind of songs, there are songs with more of a rock and roll vibe to it that have the same pissed off vocals going over it, and there are even some...."heavier"... songs with really catchy mid-tempo break downs. I would also like to add that billy does a 2 minute shredding solo on the last track. it is definitely face melt worthy.

BILLY: We’re definitely taking on new ground with this record. I feel like we’ve tapped into a few places Outbreak hasn’t yet in the best of ways. I think previous listeners to the band will be just as stoked as I am.

Did you feel some pressure during the songwriting process, that this had to sound like Outbreak and it has to be fucking good cause this band has already many fans waiting for new noise?

BRIAN: The only pressure i felt was when we were going into the studio with 14 songs and we realized we might be cutting it super close since the full length had to be at least 20 minutes. I believe we ended up needing a couple more seconds of music to make the cut so perkins (drummer) and i wrote track 1 "a sign of things to follow" in the studio that day. it ruled.
But other than that, we took our sweet ass time writing the record cause we wanted it to be our best work. We would all make it to our drummers place outside of Boston where he has a practice space at his house and lock ourselves in there for a week at a time with our instruments, a lot of coffee, and a dry erase board. Then we would take a couple weeks off to get fresh material and come right back to it.

BILLY: I personally felt no pressure whatsoever because each of the Outbreak records delivered more and more and I knew this one would do the same. Its still sounds like Outbreak and its still fucking good noise.

As a hardcore guitarist, there's not tons of riffs and pattern one is gonna use for a song, what makes it unique is pretty much how you're gonna mix them together and with what level of intensity. How did you manage to tell yourself alright this is too much smartbomb or no trigger, or this would fit much more in a grave maker song?

BRIAN: wow, I see you did your research in seeing what bands we've been in haha. Honestly, i just wrote a shit load of riffs and if i pictured fat dudes moshing when i was playing it, i threw it the fuck out. if i pictured a dude running in circles punching peoples faces in and ending it with a front-flip stage dive, i kept it in the song. And i believe thats why this record ended up how it did, with lots and lots of energy.

BILLY: That’s easier than you think, for me anyways. When I’m writing for a band, none of my other bands really come into play. The focus is on the task at hand so to speak. I love playing in 3 groups because it allows me to spread creativity in a few different ways. Rather than focusing all of my energy on one thing and having to stay close to it, I can sort of base which band would fit the riff I’m writing. I welcome that kind of challenge.

You've recorded the album at The Outpost with Jim Siegel, how did he helped you craft your tone and the overall final mix you wanted?

BILLY: I love working with Jim. I recorded the newest Smartbomb record and a cover with No Trigger at the Outpost so were definitely on the same page as far as my guitar tone goes. He is a master of his craft and Outbreak has recorded there before so I think we all had a feel for where we wanted the record to go.

Which guitars did you record with and what amps/cabinets did you use?

BRIAN: Through out the couple days i spent doing guitars i used my Gibson SG Gothic and a PRS McCarty while playing out of a couple different marshall 1960 cabs with a Peavey Triple X head.

BILLY: I recorded with my Gibson mostly and a few leads with my Fender. The amp I used was a Marshall JCM 900 and a Marshall 1960A cab

Any effects?

BILLY: NOFX

BRIAN: unless you call using metal objects and credit cards to do pick slides as "effects", then yes.

Tuning and strings?

BILLY: We play in standard tuning and Brian and I exclusively use Ernie Ball Strings and Accessories (inside joke...)

Do you still find the time to practice and is there any technique or style you'd like to improve?

BRIAN: I have not touched a guitar since the first week of June when i recorded the feedback track for the record...only cause all my gear is in Boston and I live in NYC. For the past 2 years, Ive been trying to improve on not running out of breath 5 minutes into a set, but it has yet to improve.

BILLY: I do still have time to play in between working and practices and whatnot. I’m always writing songs even if they cant be used in any of the bands, im convinced ill have a solo record someday. There is always room for technique and style improvement. I like to try something I know I cant play and do it over and over.

List some of you favorite riffs ever in hardcore

BRIAN: Allegiance - "another wave" off of their record "Desperation" - best riff ever invented. gives me goose bumps every time.
Inside out - "burning right" - always got the riffs from this song in my head
and probably every other riff in "Spitting headache" by Down to nothing.

The next piece of gear you plan to buy and the guitar you dream to own?

BILLY: Im looking for a guitar head I could play for the rest of my life. If I found a good JCM 800 or an Orange I could tweak with id be a fan of that. Dream guitar is definitely a ’57 Gibson Custom Les Paul Black Beauty.

BRIAN: i'd like to get a super nice road case for my guitar and head. like the kind that costs waaaayy too much, the kind where you can throw it off an airplane and it wont break.
and i guess i would have to say the guitar i dream to own is my sparrow thats been sitting in a warehouse in western canada.


MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/outbreak