Shaped 5 years in the past in Gillingham, Kent, the Zac Schulze Gang is an influence trio whose roar harkens to Cream, early Led Zeppelin, and Rory Gallagher. The three have received the U.Ok. Blues Rising Band of the Yr award and Younger Artist of the Yr. They have been additionally invited to play at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Pageant and headlined the Rory Gallagher Tribute Pageant in Ballyshannon, Eire.

Onstage, guitarist Zac Schulze, bassist Ant Greenwell, and drummer Ben Schulze are a fireball of vitality, with Schulze ripping blues solos with abandon. The band has captured that fury on its debut album, Straight To It, and it’s a barnburner from finish to finish.

The Zac Schulze Gang evokes the whole lot from The Who to AC/DC to Dr. Feelgood – and plenty of British pub rock.
Dr. Feelgood, for positive, and we love the pub-rock bands of the late ’70s. We’re massively influenced by 9 Under Zero and Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Extra just lately, we’ve been listening to Wunderhorse and Turnstile – bands that ship energetic performances.

Who’re your particular guitar influences? Rory Gallagher should be within the combine.
Rory is unquestionably one in all my predominant influences; his depth and vitality was unbelievable, and he was a incredible songwriter. The primary individual that impressed me to play blues was Joe Bonamassa, specifically his Reside at Royal Albert Corridor album from 2009. Additionally, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Greg Koch, and Steve Lukather, to call just a few.

The album is guitar intensive, however not on the expense of vocals, lyrics, and a hook.
We needed to ensure it had songs and wasn’t simply constructed round my guitar solos. Ben and Ant have such diversified music tastes, which actually helps when writing collectively. As you stated, the music comes first.

However, “Broken Man” and “Betterland” have the sort of rippin’ rock-and-roll solos we not often hear any extra.
“Broken Man” is unquestionably going for the extra straight-up blues-rock solo – quick and in your face. For “Betterland,” I used to be impressed on the buildup from Paul Kossoff’s solo in “All Proper Now.” I preferred having a strong bass groove within the again and constructing the solo in a extra melodic sense. I hope our followers will take pleasure in each.

You play loads of meticulous rhythm riffs, like on “I Gained’t Do This Anymore” and “Excessive Curler.” Given that you simply’re so tight, does the Zac Schulze Gang observe?
We don’t observe a lot in any respect, however we play 250 gigs a 12 months. We wish to strive new issues out onstage, which retains it recent for us and the viewers.

Which guitars did you employ on Straight To It?
My predominant guitar, which is a ’78 Strat neck on a ’93 Squier Silver Collection physique with customized pickups. It’s a fantastic workhorse. I additionally used an outdated Guild Aristocrat and a 2003 Gibson SG Traditional, which has P-90 pickups and is a contemporary spin on a ’60s “batwing” SG Particular.

The Strat and an SG Particular provide such several types of single-coil sounds. Do they make you method your riffs and solos in another way?
Completely. I’m primarily a Strat participant today, however enjoying with P-90s has been quite a lot of enjoyable, and positively one thing I’ll be coming again to sooner or later. You play a sure means on a Gibson, and it brings me again to once I was beginning on guitar, enjoying an Epiphone Les Paul and making an attempt to be taught Joe Bonamassa riffs.

You utilize a choose and play together with your fingers. Did that evolve naturally?
One other factor I stole off Bonamassa. I actually take pleasure in enjoying fingerstyle, and discover having the choose beneath my finger permits me to seize it again once I want it.

What about amps and pedals?
In my rig, I attempt to maintain issues so simple as doable. I exploit a Roland Blues Dice Artist, an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9, and Boss TU3 tuner pedal. That’s it.

Do you personal any classic guitars?
Simply that ’54 Aristocrat. I obtained that in a loopy take care of the Gibson SG Traditional and an Eric Clapton signature Strat. I really like shopping for and promoting guitars, however that Guild is absolutely cool and I’ll maintain it ceaselessly. I assume you possibly can additionally rely my ’78 Strat as classic … effectively, perhaps (laughs)! – Pete Prown

This text initially appeared in VG’s November 2025 problem. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.