__________________________________________________________________________________ September 2011: Ax Facts & Stats with Chris Traynor

By Dave B. Roberts (Photo copyright courtesy Joseph Llanes). Check out this interview in its entirety featured in the forthcoming Ax Facts & Stats Volume 2 book due for release SOON, featuring Q&As not featured in the online interviews!

My name is:
Chris Traynor

My current job is:
playing lead guitar in the band Bush.

My hometown:
Topanga, CA.

My current album or project is:
Bush’s new album, The Sea of Memories.

Former bands:
Helmet, Orange 9mm, Rival Schools, Institute, Gavin Rossdale’s solo work.

My guitar influences growing up were:
Jimmy Page, Robert Fripp, Richard Lloyd.

The guitars I use are:
Gibson Les Pauls, Cobra Guitars, Asher Guitars.

The strings and tunings I use are:
Ernie Ball 10-52, Standard, Drop d, drop c#, open G.

My current rig setup consists of:
Fractal Axe-fx, Atomic power amp, Atomic custom shop cabinets, Jim dunlop Wah, Ernie Ball Vp Jr., boss tu-2 tuner, Voodoo Labs switcher.

The greatest invention for guitars is:
the pickup of course. That changed everything.

My normal songwriting process consists of:
keeping a guitar in every room of the house, playing ideas that come into my head.

My favorite guitar solo from our band:
"The Sound of Winter" solo, or the "All My Life" solo.

My favorite all-time guitar solo (from another guitarist):
Neil Young "Down by the River."

Favorite all-time song (any artist) is:
Donny Hathaway-Live "Jealous Guy"; Cornell Dupree kills it on this track.

Favorite song by our band:
Changes from show to show, but I love playing slide on "Everything Zen."

Favorite song to perform in front of a live audience:
"Turned Out"-Helmet.

My Career highlight thus far is:
Hanging out with Neil Young at his house the night before Gavin and I performed for the Bridge School Benefit.

My most embarrassing moment on stage:
Frank Bello tripping me on stage and the footage ending up in a Helmet video.

Other than my guitar and amps, the one piece of my gear that I cannot live without is:
My maxxon od-808.

The first song I ever mastered on guitar:
Led Zeppelin "Living Loving Maid."

My first guitar was:
My great grandfather's pre Gibson, Epiphone "devon" arch-top. I still have that guitar and I play it daily when I'm at home.

The first time I ever heard our band on the radio was (when and where):
First Warped tour, Orange9mm in the back of a stranger’s car in Cleveland.

If I am only sure of one thing in life, It's:
It goes on with or without you.

The one ritual I always perform prior to going on stage is:
My superstitions aren't that consistent.

The exact moment I knew I would pursue a career in music was:
I had an epiphany dream of performing on a festival stage as a teenager. It felt so real, I knew it would come true.

The one thing most fans don't know about me is:
I'm a fan too.

The best advice I could give beginning guitarists:
Practice like the devil. You never know what kind of gig you are going to get offered and you have to be prepared for anything.

CD(s) I'm listening to right now:
SBTRKT, Trojan records Instrumental Box Set, Little Dragon.

My 3 all-time favorite albums:
Led Zeppelin Presence, My Bloody Valentine-Loveless, The Pupils (discord 131).

Best gig:
is always the next one.

Favorite junk food:
That gnarly soft pretzel with cheese wiz you get at movie theaters.

My biggest pet peeve:
When people tell me I did something that I know I didn't.

The word or catch phrase I say too much is:
Amazeballs!

The hardest part of my job:
Endless hours in airports, trying to figure out ways of using public restrooms without touching anything with my hands. (I’m pretty good at it;)

What I like to do in my "off" time (hobbies):
Run with the coyotes in the mountains.

The first thing I do when I come home from touring is:
Hug my family, pet my dog, kick my shoes off and play acoustic guitar on the couch.

Previous or first day job:
picker for a vintage instruments/art store in Manhattan. I bought some really bizarre shit for them.

Right after this interview I'm going to:
Pack for tomorrow morning’s flight to somewhere

I couldn't imagine being on the road without:
noise canceling headphones and my ipod, how did we ever do it before?

If I wasn't doing the musician thing, I could really see myself working as:
Chef, cult leader or both.

Favorite movie:
"Powers of Ten" by Ray and Charles Eames.

My mission in life:
Get back to the source.

My guilty pleasure band or artist:
I never feel guilty about liking anyone’s music, except maybe my own.

My next goal is:
Guitar wise? Finding a nice 1976 Gibson Explorer.

The greatest contribution guitars/music have brought into my life is:
It's given me a practice that continues to challenge and inspire me daily.

Check out our Website at:
Bushofficial.com

The one musician I would love to work with that I have not yet had the chance would be:
Daniel Higgs.

If I could be granted three wishes, they would be:
I think it's best to keep your wishes a secret.

When it's all said and done, I want the world to remember me for:
Being a good father.