A long time member of the Wallflowers,
Greg Richling
has also written, played and/or produced on a wide
range of albums with many great artists including
Fiona Apple, Joe Henry, Michael Penn and Macy Gray.
The most recent Wallflowers album "Rebel,
Sweetheart" was produced by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl
Jam, Bruce Springsteen) and released on Interscope
in 2005.
1) First off, thanks for doing this. You were
the first bass player I had
worked with
that really
impressed me with your musicality and attention to
detail (something
that I think perfectly compliments your migration to
producing). Tell
me about your humble beginnings and
evolution.
Thanks for the generous
compliment and great
questions. I think I've always been interested in the
bigger picture of a song. The credit goes to my
childhood music teacher Mike Ferenci who made me
program my own drum parts and think in terms of
arrangements early on in my development. His greatest
accomplishment as a teacher is that he found a way to
make learning fun. That's something most people in
education need to focus on more.
Honestly, the attention to detail is probably just a
product of my character. I'm a textbook virgo.
Although, I'll say, I'm more interested in things
being organized than clean. I think that applies to my
musical tastes, as well. I like a clear musical idea,
but I don't mind some dirt on it.
Things progressed for me when Andy Slater, now
president of Capitol Records, began hiring me to play
on a lot of his records. Years later, I gradually
moved into the producer chair myself when I realized
the job suited me well and that I enjoyed the role.
But, I had to build a decent resume before I could
drum up any interest on that front.
2) What are you presently working on?
I'm producing a record for an artist named Kenneth
Dolman. He's in the vein of Iron and Wine, Jose
Gonzalez, and M. Ward. I think it's a good time for
this style of music. There seems to be a resurgence
in fresh, folk based material. Devendra Banhart is
doing well, Bert Jansch is experiencing a huge
comeback. There's always going to be room for great
songwriting, even when it appears that style over
substance is king. People are always writing great
songs in some neck of the woods!
3) You have worked with a veritable who's who
in the
music business.
Who sticks out in your mind and why? Albums you're
proud of, etc...
Jakob Dylan, Fiona
Apple, Macy Gray, Joe Henry and
Michael Penn are the most talented songwriters I've
been blessed to work with.
Macy's debut and the last Wallflowers CD "Rebel,
Sweetheart" stand out as favorites. I wouldn't want to
change anything about those records, which is a rare
outcome for me!
4) Another thing I've always respected about
you is
your incredible
enthusiasm for listening and studying other people's
music (no matter
the genre). I'm continuously dismayed by the
prevalence of musicians
who DON'T actually listen to music. Who/what are some
of your
influences and what have you been listening to
lately?
I can't imagine wanting to be in music while not being
much of a fan of music. It doesn't make much sense
to me. My music collection is my encyclopedia. it's
my best resource. If I'm looking for a sound, an
arrangement idea, whatever, I can reference a CD that
I think best represents what I'm going for. It's a
concrete example that helps get you to the next step.
Other than that, I just love listening to good music,
no matter what style it is.
As far as influences go, Echo & The Bunnymen were my
first obsession. Those first 4 records have it all.
Mystery, one of a kind songs, captivating artwork,
amazing production. They were "it" for me.
However, there are many more strong influences: Randy
Newman, Charles Mingus, Tom Waits, The Fall, Black
Flag and Minutemen have probably been given the most
attention through the years.
Lately, I've been loving Bert Jansch, Bill Withers,
D'Angelo,
Talking Heads and oddly, Robert Plant's early solo
records....ie...I'm going through a nostalgic phase at
the moment.
I'm also addicted to VHI Classics. I record/Tivo many
shows from that channel.
5) I know you are very particular about
tone. What
are your current,
primary tools of the trade?
I've always been a fan of quality over quantity. I
have a '57 p bass, a '59 p bass, a '65 jazz bass and a
custom p bass from the Fender custom shop. These are
my favorites. Also, I use a GK 800 RB head and a GK
4x10 RBX 800 watt cabinet. I think this amp/speaker
setup sounds great with passive basses. It gives a
little extra punch without making it too hi-fi
sounding.
In the studio I use the same basses, but I usually go
direct into a great mic pre and very little
compression. Sometimes I use a B-15 flip-top for
extra body and grind, if desired.
I have a good, basic studio at home. Pro-Tools, an M
Box, some great plug-ins, a few basic mics like the
RE-20 for bass, some drums, and some vocals. 57's,
58's, 421's, an Avalon 737 compressor/limiter....The
usual suspects.
6) You have been making the transition from bass
player to producer...
What are the differences and how do they compliment
each other?
Producing comprises so many different aspects of life.
It's a long walk on a tightrope. But, at the end of
the day, I want to make the artist happy. That's my
main goal. A lot has been said on this subject. I
know producers that feel they know best and that
certain artists need to be pushed and prodded and
guided etc....and while this may be true, ultimately,
it can't be at the expense of the artists happiness
with the work. Brendan O'Brien said to me that he can
tell someone what he thinks should be done and argue
it to the hilt, but at the end of the day, he goes on
to another project and the band/artist has to live
with their record forever.....and he wants them to
like it. I totally agree with his viewpoint. When
it's all said and done, I want the artist to love the
completed work. What's the point in doing it if the
band is not happy?
That being said, you have to deal with constructing a
full length, coherent project and keep your eye on
it's continuity from a musical standpoint as well as
staying within a given budget and dealing with all the
bumps along the way...ie...juggling the labels wishes
while staying true to the artist's vision. The
label/artist issue is probably the most important
piece of the puzzle and how you handle it can make or
break the project. You have to respect both sides and
this is where a psychology degree would really come in
handy!! But, you just have to have good instincts and
have a healthy amount of diplomacy.
7) You are a working musician... how do you feel
about
music
downloads, digital copies, etc? Is it destroying your
livelihood or
just changing the game?
Well said. At first I saw it as destroying my
livelihood, but, soon after, I saw it as just a change
in the game. It's a bit of a shock when you see your
sales drop drastically, but that's the way it goes
when technology advances and consumers have more
options. Personally, I found it much more healthy to
get on board with the times and adapt. I sold all of
my CDs about 2 years ago after transfering them to my
Seagate 300 hard drive. I have an iTunes account and
I'm really enjoying the digital age. My house, studio,
and car are all iPod friendly. And you save so much
space! It's good for the Virgo in me!
8) A lot of people have a romantized view of the life
of a touring
musician... having spent a good deal of your career on
the road, how
do you jungle your family life with the grueling
schedules and
infamous post tour blues?
I've spent
roughly 15 years on and off the road. It's
been an incredible experience that I still can't
believe came true. As a kid I always wondered what it
would be like to tour in a band. Well, I found out in
spades and it's so much fun. Being on a bus with your
friends, cruising around playing your music to people
who want to hear it. Amazing. A real blessing.
The only drawback....you do miss your family and your
comfortable bed. I can also say the bunks we're more
manageable when I was 22. Now I'm 36. I'm officially
the old guy with the bad back!
9) Ok, obvious, stereotypical question (I swear
there's only one!):
What's on the horizon for the
Wallflowers?
Another good question. I
spoke to Jakob the other day
and we both expressed regret that we didn't tour the
last record more. However, you have to understand that
the band worked from 1990 until 2005 with no real
break. It's been demo, record, tour, demo, record,
tour for a really long time. We needed to stop for a
while. Plus, the day after our last show in Austin, TX
, my first child was born. So, I can't say I was
too upset about the time off! It couldn't have come
at a better time.
The press always asks us why it takes so long between
records, but they never factor in the writing and
touring process for each album. For example, when we
went to Europe to promote Breach they kept asking "why
a 4 year break?" Well, we toured the previous album
for 2 and a half years, came home, wrote a record in 6
months, recorded it in 6 months and then waited 6
months for them to put it out.
I use to experience the post tour blues. So much
constant motion, city to city, it's a bit strange when
it all comes to a halt. You wake up in the same bed
for a few days and you wonder when the tour manager
is going to say, "Ok Greg, 5 minutes 'til showtime,
coop's full."
10) What's next for you?
In a few
weeks, after I wrap up Ken's record, I'll be
playing on a soul record in Los Angeles. The
producer, Keith Gattis, hired me, but I don't know
anything about the artist. I trust his taste, though.
Keith was Dwight Yoakam's guitarist on his most recent
album "Blame The Vain" and we've been working together
lately.
