KICKING CANS WITH TONY KORETZ
by Freddy Metal
Tony Koretz is a musician, singer, songwriter and audio engineer based in New Zealand, with a flair for writing and performing guitar-based melodic rock. Coming from a large family of proficient musicians, he began playing piano at age 10, before picking up the guitar at age 16 years. Tony or (Tone as he is often known by) has had a love of performing in bands and solo, and the recording of his self-penned music since those early days.
Freddy: How did you get so involved in audio engineering & other aspects of music productions?
Tony: It kind of evolved really. After paying lots of money to record in various large studios, sometimes with results that I was not completely happy with, I began to think perhaps I could do better if I engineered things myself. I knew I had a pretty good ear for detail, so I wanted to give it a go. I had done a fair bit of mixing for live sound already. I began to read as much on the subject as I could, analyse many different recordings, and experiment a lot myself. Gradually I picked up more equipment and more work. I really enjoy doing it. I love recording my own music, but I also get a big kick out of doing other people's stuff too.
F: Being so involved does it take time away from your writing?
T: Yeah it does. I go through phases where I really don't write much because I am too busy doing trying to do everything else. I have some ideas in my head for another record at the moment, but I need to find time to get them down. It's a juggling act at times. I have to decide which hat I am going to wear each day!
F: Is the Gibson SG your 1st choice in guitars?
T: That really depends on what sort of song it is, and the sound I am after. I like the raw sound of the SG, and it works really well for a lot of hard rock stuff. I also used an Ibanez 540R , with a floating tremelo on the "Kicking Cans" album. It works well for the cleaner tones, and for wild whammy effects. Also on the album are an Ernie Ball Musicman Van Halen guitar, which I borrowed from my brother Sam. It's got a lovely fat tone. I have a hand crafted Australian Maton acoustic which I love, and it's my pride and joy. I have had it since I was 17. It's starting to get a bit worn, but it sounds fabulous. I don't know how many people over the years have fallen in love with that guitar when they pick it up, but there have been a fair few. It's so easy to record and get an awesome warm, yet bell-like tone. Between me and my brothers there is a great collection of fine instruments, and we tend to borrow each others gear a lot.
F: Your latest CD "Kicking Cans" rocks! Are you happy with the results so far?
T: I am pretty pleased with the album really. I think it has some interesting moments on it. There's a fair bit of variation of styles on it. I tried to create a sort of musical journey from beginning to end. It kind of starts of with a catchy classic hard rock sound, moves through blues rock and also progressive rock. It's certainly not boring. I'm still looking at different promotional options for the album at the moment, it's early days yet. Sales have been moderate so far, but the feedback I have had from people who have got it has been great. Really encouraging actually. I'll keep plugging away at it.
F: How much time was spent on production & recording of "Kicking Cans"?
T: Hate to think how many hours went into the album over the period of about 2 1/2 years that were spent on it, but there were heaps. It's great having most of my own gear, and friends and family have the rest, so it costs me nothing to spend the time I need to get something right. No engineer watching a clock tick and the dollar signs mount, as I tweak an amp setting by a smidge for the 500th time before I record a solo! It's a good feeling to have that freedom.
F: Which do you feel is your strongest track & why?
T: Hmm, that's a hard one. The opening track "If Your Love Was a River" is the track that sticks in people's mind initially. It has catchy riff and chorus. Pretty much everyone comments on that song, whether it's hearing it on the album, or when I play it live. It seems to be the general favourite. For me I think "And The Wind Blows" is probably my strongest vocal performance on the album, while "The Tears" highlights the great vocal harmonies between the Koretz brothers, and some of my most melodious guitar work. Probably those are my two favourites, though two reviewers have thought "I Belong" was the strongest track. I guess it's a personal thing.
F: In your own words describe your sound & influences?
T: I have had many influences on my music. None more so than Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Phil Keaggy. I think my music probably fuses elements of all these influences into something that is uniquely me. The awesome choices of notes and feel in Dave Gilmour's playing, the rawness of Page, the melody of Blackmore and the smootheness of Keaggy, have really shaped my guitar playing and songwriting. These guys are all different, but all brilliant in their own ways. Lyrically I think Kansas and Bob Dylan have had big influences on what I do. My sound is deliberately a bit raw at times, but I always try to make the music tell a story, either through the vocals, or solo instruments, and I lean pretty heavily to the "Classic Rock" sound of the 70s.
F: What's are your long & short term goals as far as touring, recording, writeing ect ?
T: Well I have a video coming out shortly for the song "If Your Love Was a River". It's in the final edit stage, so I will be seeing that pushed out there soon. We am starting to record another album shortly, as well as working on a couple of other people's records over the next while. I hope to spend a bit of time writing new material as I get time. As for live playing, there are very few weeks where I am not playing somewhere at least once at the moment. But I would love to get the opportunity to play outside New Zealand where I live. The cost of travel and touring offshore would require a bigger budget than what I currently have available. NZ is a fair distance from most countries other than Australia. But it is something I would like to do in the long term.
F: What would you say is your biggest gripe about the music industry?
T: The internet has opened opportunities for independent musicians that weren't there before. But it is a double edged sword. There is such a glut of music out there, that I don't think people know where to start when looking for new stuff. There is some great music around, but there is also a heap of poorly recorded rubbish that is being sold as well. How do people know how to find the jewels amongst the garbage? It's a daunting task, and frankly I think many people just give up trying to sort through it all, and settle for whatever the big companies are serving up, and the music with the big budgets that we are constantly told we "Must have" by advertisers. I feel someone needs to start an organisation that only sells high quality music with some sort of yardstick or bench mark to measure it by, to help narrow down the field a bit. Another thing I find hard is the fickleness of venue owners and managers when it comes to booking and paying. There are some really great people out there doing that job, but there are also those who would sell their grandmothers for a profit if they had the chance. I tip my hat to the good honest ones who support us musicians, and hope to run a mile from the unscrupulous ones. But I have been bitten, and it ain't fun. It's hard enough to make a living in this industry without being ripped off by people with no conscience.
F: Are you happy with where you stand today in the Int'l underground Hard music scene?
T: I would love to get more exposure than what I currently geT: but it is gradually picking up momentum as people are discovering my music. I am passionate about making music, and want to get it heard far and wide. I know my stuff is not to suit everyone's taste, but I would love more of the right people to hear it. There's got to be many Joe Public around who will enjoy it if only they get to hear it. So it's about getting it into the right hands, and finding the right people within the industry to promote it.
F: What do you feel sets you apart from other guitarist?
T: You know I think in every city there are probably a hundred guitarists that can play faster, know more scales, can copy more riffs of other guitarists, play "Stairway to Heaven" in a shop better than I ever could, and do more fancy tricks to boot. There are hundreds of great vocalists, a few less great songwriters, an even narrower field of engineers that can get a good guitar sound from an amp or instrument onto tape. What I have that I think is a little rarer, is the ability to write good songs, sing them, play them and record them well. My strength I believe is the knack of being able to weave all of those things into a finished product with a unique sound.As a guitarist I aim for three things in my playing: Tone, feel and melody. If I am not singing vocally, I want my guitar to sing a melody and to tell a story. Music without feel is irritating, and achieving a fabulous tone is the difference between a good guitar part, and a great guitar part in my opinion. I think I roll these things together. I am long past having to prove that I am better than anyone else. I don't try and compete. I just try and be the best ME that I can, and enjoy the ride.
F: So what do you do when your're not making music?
T: Watch sport, hang out at the beach, walk in the country or just chill out.
F: Any thing new in the works?
T: A music video, and hopefully another album before too long.
F: Parting shot?
T: I am probably going aginst the grain somewhat, but to me what I do is more than just about making music. I aim to try and use whatever influence I have to work for the positive. We live in a world of tragedy and hurt, and if I can help to encourage people to pursue their dreams, or to give them hope or some sort of direction in life, then I feel I am acheiving something. To me the greatness of a person's character is more important than just pulling out the chops as a musician. I admire guys like Bono of U2 for his outspokenness on important issues, and people who are generous in helping others less fortunate. Music can be a good voice to express all kinds of ideas, and I want mine to be ones that make a difference for good in some way. So there you have it, and thanks Freddy for the opportunity to do this interview.
