Troy talks gear, collaborations, and explains why it might be a cliche that the Beatles are her biggest influence – but so what?
(Image credit: C Brandon/Redferns)
Deap Vally’s third full-length record, Marriage, sees the duo collaborating with KT Tunstall, Peaches and Warpaint’s Jennylee. Here, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Troy discusses her “sonic journey” and love of vintage gear.
What can people expect from Marriage?
“For fans of rock or guitar music, there’s a little bit for everyone. There’s definitely songs that hold down our OG Deap Vally sound which is tongue-in-cheek, really fuzzy '70s rock. Then it takes a sonic journey. We definitely explored more territories on this record.”
Who are your biggest guitar influences?
“My biggest influence – it’s so cliche but I don’t care – is The Beatles. I’ve been a massive Beatles fan all my life. I love melody so much and, sometimes when I write guitar solos, I’m definitely doing a George Harrison thing.”
Is there a solo on the album you’re particularly proud of?
“I do very simple, tasty, minimal solos – it’s all very melody-heavy, but simple, hooky and with great tone. I love the solos on Where Do We Go and Tsunami.”
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How did collaborating change your approach?
“I love collaborating with people, but I definitely have a bit of an identity crisis because my whole approach to writing on guitar shifts. Traditionally, with Deap Vally, the guitar part needs to hold its own, and it needs to be full and beefy and well-rounded, and hold down rhythm and lead. When I play with a bass player, I can experiment and do beautiful melodic stuff.”
Did you experiment with new gear in the studio?
“Yeah. Working with Jennylee from Warpaint – her bass tone is so tasty. It’s that chorus pedal she uses and also the delay. I think this album was the first where there was an introduction of chorus pedals, which I kind of fell in love with.”
Is your top guitar still the vintage Mustang?
“That’s my favourite guitar, for sure. I’m so used to playing it and it’s total second nature, like an extension of my body. But half of our repertoire now is in Eb. I hate playing with a capo and I don’t want to have to tune on stage, so I have another guitar – an Ovation Viper. There’s this really cool vintage shop called Future Music in my neighbourhood. It was just there and it was super-cool. It’s from the mid-'70s and was just adorable.”
Since graduating university with a degree in English, Ellie has spent the last decade working in a variety of media, marketing and live events roles. As well as being a regular contributor to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and GuitarWorld.com, she currently heads up the marketing team of a mid-scale venue in the south-west of England. She started dabbling with guitars around the age of seven and has been borderline obsessed ever since. She has a particular fascination with alternate tunings, is forever hunting for the perfect slide for the smaller-handed guitarist, and derives a sadistic pleasure from bothering her drummer mates with a preference for “f**king wonky” time signatures.
