There was a time when Blackberry Smoke would have been tagged a Southern-rock band, however at the moment they sit on the crossroads of many kinds – fist-pumping rock, nation, blues, soul, and all types of uncooked Americana. Their newest, Be Proper Right here, was produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell) and is rife with tasty guitar, memorable lyrics, and anthems about on a regular basis life.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, in addition to Cobb’s personal Georgia Mae Studio, in Savannah, which guitarist/frontman Charlie Starr describes as “…down within the low nation and delightful,” the album options him, Paul Jackson, and sideman Benji Shanks, the latter dropping slide on the only “Whatcha Know Good.”

“This album has a swagger to it, a deep-in-the-pocket sort of really feel,” Starr says. “The environment helped give it that really feel.”

To study extra, VG checked in with Starr about his band’s newest piece of wax.

How do you seize Blackberry Smoke’s stage vitality within the studio?
Dave Cobb is a real analog man – no click on, no tuning vocals. He’s very passionate and a really quick employee. He additionally will get in there with us, taking part in percussion whereas we’re monitoring. Recording a seven-piece band dwell isn’t any straightforward feat, however Dave makes it look straightforward.

There’s tons of guitar on the album, however the songs and lyrics nonetheless come first. How do you discover that steadiness within the studio?
I don’t really feel it’s troublesome, as a result of most of my songs are born from guitar riffs. We all the time monitor dwell collectively, however this time we had all our amps and drums and every little thing within the room. It’s as pure and as actual as attainable. The final album was very uncooked, too. With this one, at instances I might say, “I believe we must always redo that,” however Dave was like, “No, depart it. That means it’s magical.”

You chop tracks in RCA Studio A. What makes that room particular?
It’s a nice huge area with a number of vibe. This time, we tracked with every little thing within the huge room – drums and all. You undoubtedly hear it.
The studio can also be like a museum. Not a lot has been modified or up to date for the reason that reign of Chet Atkins.

“Dig a Gap” has a fats riff within the custom of Cream, Free, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. What are just a few of the touchstone bands that Blackberry Smoke developed from?
Properly, you simply named three of the large ones! I believe our collective influences are in every single place, however we undoubtedly discover frequent floor in Aerosmith, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, The James Gang, Little Feat, and The Rolling Stones.

Who’re your guitar influences?
My Dad was my first. He performs conventional bluegrass and gospel – acoustic music. However that regularly grew to incorporate Keith Richards and Mick Taylor, Jimmy Web page, Joe Perry, and Brad Whitford, Angus and Malcolm Younger, Skynyrd’s Rossington, Collins, and King, Duane Allman and Dickey Betts – the record is lengthy.

What do you and Paul Jackson play on the album?
I’m unsure learn how to clarify learn how to inform us aside. I simply begin the songs (laughs)! The mighty Benji Shanks performs slide on “Like It Was Yesterday.”

Is that an actual Leslie on “Be So Fortunate” or a stompbox? Such an amazing sound.
Yeah, that’s an actual Leslie. I overdubbed a clear monitor via an outdated Vox Defiant. Each have been performed on Dave’s ’64 Rose Morris Rickenbacker 330.

Which different classic guitars can we hear?
It’s a protracted record: a’64 ES-335, ’64 330, ’58 Telecaster, ’63 Esquire and ’62 Esquire Customized, ’55 Les Paul Junior, ’58 Les Paul Junior, and the ’67 Rick. For acoustics, I’ve a 1950 D-28, ’52 D-18, and a ’55 J-45.

What about amps and pedals?
I had a ’65 Champ, an early-’60s Magnatone Troubadour, a Supro Tremendous, and a late-’60s Vox Defiant, plus the Leslie cab. Pedals have been a ’90s Menatone Pink Snapper, ’70s Echoplex EP-3, Analogman King Of Tone overdrive and SunFace fuzz, and a Klon KTR.

Is there a selected guitar you want composing songs on?
I usually have a guitar or two laying round my home to jot down with – normally an outdated Gibson acoustic or a Martin.

You may have spectacular muttonchops. Any grooming ideas for readers?
Lose your trimmer!

This text initially appeared in VG’s June 2024 subject. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.