around. I originally wrote that part, then
Jeff altered it and said we should have more
Middle Eastern parts. Dirty hippy. [Laughs]
After hearing it, I was like, “OK, you’re right
man! I totally get it now.”
Apart from a small amount of delay here and there, provided by an MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay (above, left), most of Pike’s guitar tones come from his amplifiers and hands. The footswitches at right
cycle between different amp configurations. Photos by Chris Kies
That’s kind of another example of how bands
in this scene have achieved notoriety on their
own terms—they tour on their own and live
out of their vans. A lot of players think they
need a huge record deal to get them going.
Yeah, I know. Record companies wash
those people up and eat them alive. You’re
doing alright one day, then the next thing
you know you’re homeless and some guy
is beating on you for money. If that’s what
you want, then fine. It’s not like I’m gonna
quit or something. But man, that’s what
happens. And if anybody wants to fool
themselves that this is all about being
on the job…you fucking walk in front of
that many people when you feel like shit,
you’re hung over, you haven’t done yoga
in a month [Laughs], and you’re gonna tell
me how you’re going to perform all of the
stupid songs you made up for yourself and
that make everybody else happy It’s not
an easy task. Suck it up, because there’s no
calling into work sick. I had to play with a
103-degree fever and just had throat sur-
gery, and played an instrumental set. I was
on, like, 20 Norcos! [Laughs]
Well, you care about making it, but in the
sense of living in the moment. I get in a van,
I don’t want a girlfriend bitching at me, and
I don’t want a boss bitching at me that I
have to be somewhere at 5 a.m. I just want
to be in the van, heading to a stage, and
then ruling! And if I want to wake up some-
one in the band at one in the afternoon to
party, then, goddamn, you better wake up
and play some guitar. It’s the way it should
be! And as far as the underground rock
thing goes, everybody bringing it now is
over 30. It’s the new 20.
will be down there recording, and then play
it back later for everyone who wasn’t there.
There’s a lot of “Hey, that sounded good,
play that again—I have something for it.”
At the same time, I can’t deal with record
companies that want to give you a deadline.
There is no deadline for High on Fire. We
don’t put out shit—we haven’t put out a
crappy riff on a record yet—and I do not have
any plans to do that. If it takes time, it takes
time. We couldn’t write an album in a month
and be happy with it. If you could do that,
fine. But that’s just not how it is with us.
You guys have worked really hard to get
this far, and a lot of people don’t realize
just how hard it is out there sometimes.
Are you shocked at all the exposure you
guys are suddenly getting?
We all worked our asses off. And you know,
it’s also great to be in a band where all three
of us are really part of the creative process.
No one wastes any time. We have a studio
and we pretty much live down there. But
even with that, the times that we can all play
together don’t always line up. So, one of us
No, I deserve it! I hate to be an asshole, but
I really do think we deserve everything we
can get. I mean, I don’t know one band that’s
been in the trenches this long. We earned
it, and we’re good. And we’re going to con-
tinue to get better. It’s just a matter of…well,
I’m 37 years old now—how much longer am I
gonna survive? [Laughs]
Matt Pike’s Gearbox
There doesn’t seem to be this preconception of “making it” in this scene.
• First Act Custom Shop nine-string
• Soldano SLO head
• Marshall Kerry King JCM800 head
• Emperor 4x12 cabinets with Jensen JC12-70EL
Electric Lightning and 80-watt Weber Ceramic
Thames speakers
• MXR Carbon Copy delay
• Boss TU- 3 Tuner
