Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "Failure" by Oregon-based rocker Sallie Ford. The track is from her new album, Soul Sick, which will be released February 10 via Vanguard Records.
“I've always been labeled as out of control," says Ford of the song's roots. "Sometimes I felt as if I was destined to be crazy. It’s how it can feel to imagine the worst-case scenario in my head, so I prepare myself. Because ultimately the worst things probably won't happen, but it's how I cope to feel safe.
"I can still relate to the way I felt when I was a kid and a teenager. My mind will flash back to those memories, and I’ll feel the same stuff I've been dealing with all these years."
Back in 2011, Ford broke through with the retro-rocking (and simply awesome) "I Swear." Like "Failure," it relied on a simple but effective guitar part.
"The main guitar melody of 'Failure' is inspired by the Sixties songs I love," Ford says. "I love playing simple parts and focusing on the awesome tone rather than playing something complicated. I love the simple guitar parts on Etta James' 'I'd Rather Go Blind,' Link Wray's 'Ace of Spades' and Mickey & Sylvia's 'Love Is Strange'."
In terms of the gear heard on "Failure," Ford employed a Fender Jaguar through an Orange Little Terror amp.
"I also love pedals that have a classic sound, like my Boss FRV-1 Fender Reverb pedal, which replicates the sound of a Fender '63 Tube Reverb tank. I've heard the comparison to a real one, and it's pretty darn close. I also love my Portland-made Malekko delay pedal. It turns any guitar solo into a wacky psychedelic dream."
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Soul Sick was produced by Mike Coykendall (M. Ward, She & Him) and is laced with nostalgic feeling and produced to enhance that essence.
“[Mike] loves old rock and roll and always records on tape, but he’s also an experimenter, exploring new things with his music," Ford says.
Sallie Ford 2017 Tour Dates 2/15/17 Spokane WA The Bartlett 2/16/17 Bellingham WA Wild Buffalo 2/17/17 Seattle WA Sunset Tavern 2/18/17 Portland OR Mississippi Studios …with more to be announced soon.
You can check out the Soul Sick cover art below, plus another new song, "Get Out."
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
