Brian Tarquin

By: Lori Smerilson Carson  |  Photos: Michael Howard

With all the natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes and fires, it’s nice when several world renowned extraordinarily talented musicians come together to make incredible music for an extremely valuable cause. TYRANNY OF TONE is an album by Songwriter/Producer/Guitarist Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends which consists of artists Joe Satriani, Stu Hamm, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Steve Hackett, Joe Deninzon, Hal Lindes, Doug Rappoport and Gary Hoey, to name a few. The album has already debuted at number thirty-two on the Classic Rock Charts and was created to generate funds for the California Fire Foundation.

Tarquin, a multi-Emmy Award winner, has had hits that have extended over decades with several genres and formats such as scores for television and movies. He also has created previous fundraising-oriented albums with a variety of musicians, many of whom are on this new record as well.

Catching up with Tarquin amid his projects, he revealed some details about the new record TYRANNY OF TONE, how the music was created, a bit about his collaborators, and what fans can look forward to.

SFL Music Magazine: The new record TYRANNY OF TONE you are collaborating with several artists like Joe Satriani with Reggie Pryor playing drums on several tracks. How did this album come together?

Brian Tarquin: I started this project when I saw the fires because I used to live in L.A. for quite a while. Then I saw what happened with the fires, the Palisades fires and the Eaton fires on television and it was devastating. I couldn’t believe what was going on. I guess it was the perfect storm where everybody wasn’t quite prepared yet. Like they ran out of water in certain places. So, I wanted to do something that I could give back. I contacted Joe. Joe was one of the first tracks I wrote. Everybody was gung-ho for it, really wanted to do it. I really felt for them. I used to own a house in Woodland Hills, and I used to go walking on the other side in the Malibu area where the fire was, so it was kind of hitting home for me. Also, years ago I lost a house in a chimney fire in New York. The kids were young and we wound up having to live in the driveway in a rented RV for a month while you go through the rubble and try to figure out what you’re going to do and where you go. So, I knew what it was firsthand. That’s when I started writing the album. I got Joe and Gus G and Stu Hamm and Bumblefoot and all these guys, so it was a labor of love to give back to the California Fire Foundation.

SFL Music Magazine: I remember we briefly discussed this in our last interview that the inspiration was to support the California Fire Foundation, correct?

Tarquin: Yes, that’s right.

SFL Music Magazine: What would you say inspired the song “Tyranny of Tone”?

Tarquin: It’s a fury of a hard rock song and I think watching those fires, I was capturing the fury of the fires in the song. On the album I tried to tell a story, if you will. Take somebody on a journey where you start out with the hard rock fury songs and then end with more of a hope and rebuilding. That’s kind of what I was going for.

SFL Music Magazine: Is that why the last song on the album “Phoenix Rising” is more melodic, like a feel-good song?

Tarquin: Yes.

SFL Music Magazine: It features Carl Verheyen, Brandon Miller and Reggie Pryor.

Tarquin: Right, exactly. The one before that was with Karen Briggs, violinist and that was an uplifting tune as well, “Visions of the Eternal Flame”.

SFL Music Magazine: You also have another song “Out of the Ashes” with Violinist Joe Deninzon, as well as Gary Hoey and Hal Lindes. What would you say inspired this song? It sounds like it may be a turning point?

Tarquin: Yes. I wrote that kind of thinking more melodic and thinking like building out of the ashes and rebuilding lives and landscape of California where the fires were. So, I had that in mind, and I wanted more like an orchestration piece. So, Joe Deninzon, he’s the violinist for Kansas. I had him do all these violin parts through the song, and then his solo and stuff. I thought it was cool to be a little more orchestrated to give it more hope and still at the same time, be emotional.

SFL Music Magazine: For the song” IG-NITE” you featured Steve Hackett. How did that come together?

Tarquin: This was great because Steve, he’s such a progressive guy, and I kind of wrote this song for Steve. It was a little out of his wheelhouse, but I thought he could nail it, and he really did. It was great! I was thinking more of his solo material than actually Genesis. So, I thought he could turn on the aggressive side and do it. He surprised me on that one. He did really well! I think that it was lovely. I met him a couple times when he was in town touring through, him and his wife, and they’re great people. So, I felt like this is a perfect song for him and luckily, he had time to do it in between tours, and I think he really enjoyed it.

SFL Music Magazine: It has some cool elements. A little psycho funky.

Tarquin: Yeah. I put a little kind of electronic elements in there along with the rock. Texture was what I was going for on that one.

SFL Music Magazine: All of the songs seem to pick up each musician’s style. “Atom Smasher” has a heavier sound. Were you going for an impact song with Bumblefoot and Stu Hamm?

Tarquin: Yeah, I wrote that with Stu Hamm in mind. I was going for a hard rock fusion type song like taking something that Al Di Meola had done back in the seventies. I basically wanted a little more impact. So, I came up with this lick and this groove and the track. We worked a lot to get it to feel right and to be right. Then I had Bumblefoot come in because I knew he’d be perfect for this, and he doesn’t disappoint. So, it was a fun track to do.

SFL Music Magazine: The bass solo is amazing as well as the intro and outro done by Bumblefoot, right?

Tarquin: Yeah, he did, and I did all the melodies and the middle solos. I like to bring other players in. That’s a perfect example of getting a whole team and they bring something else to the song. Then you get inspired by that and you move forward, and the song takes shape and kind of blossoms.

SFL Music Magazine: What would you say inspires you when you write your music because you have such a variety?

Tarquin: When I do these records with all these guests, that’s the way I approach it because I like a collaboration effort. So, I give them space and kind of an outline of direction, but not really a lot of direction because I’m getting them because I like their style and I want it to be on the track, to bring their style on to it. Yeah, I like for these types of records, just the whole collaboration feel.

SFL Music Magazine: You’ve worked with so many musicians and all types of music for films and T.V. which you’ve won Emmy’s for. What was it like working with these musicians who all have their own styles and sounds? How does that work when you are in the studio with them? Does it take a minute to blend, or does it happen quickly?

Tarquin: When I start out writing these songs, I kind of have a vision of who is going to be the best for the song and tailor it to their style. It’s kind of a trick and a challenge, but I love a challenge. One thing that helps is knowing each player’s distinctive style and their song catalogue. So, with those various styles, it starts to take shape once we get going and I get them their section and where they’re going to play and give them enough elbow room to be able to interpret the song in the way that they can feel comfortable on recording a solo. I like it because I feel like the guests and I are painting this picture of a narration of emotions.

SFL Music Magazine: Is that something you would recommend to a new musician working with other musicians?

Tarquin: It depends. Like if you get a drummer in, usually what I do for the drummers is I’ll have a temp track, a drum temp track in there just to give the song shape and the BPM and the groove and all of that. Then I’ll put like a temp bass track in there. Then I send it to the respective drummers or the bass player, and I tell them, this is the song, but you can elaborate from it. You don’t’ have to do verbatim from what’s put down there because it’s just a demo for right now. When we’re in the studio for the basic tracks, I’ll tell them, ok, maybe a little more of this or a little less of that. For the guest artists, that’s different because usually the guest artists, a lot of them are out on tour and they’re doing it in between gigs and all of that. I give them the song and really tell them go for it! Do what you do because that’s why I’m getting you anyway.

SFL Music Magazine: We’ve talked in the past about how you record analog style in your Jungle Room Studios. Do you feel that these musicians are more comfortable with that type of recording? Do they feel more in their element?

Tarquin: When I do the drum tracks and the bass tracks, I do them on tape and then what I wound up doing is putting all the rhythm guitars and everything as much as I can on tape. Then I transfer it over digitally into the computer and I’ll send the sessions to the various guests. Then they can work in their element because everybody’s got their own computer and digital DAW and all that, and workstations. Then that way, that enables me to be able to fly in their tracks digitally. It’s kind of the best of both worlds.

SFL Music Magazine: Is that a big feature of Jungle Room Studios?

Tarquin: Yeah, pretty much because a lot of people don’t do analog anymore because everybody’s kind of in the digital world. I use both of them because I think it’s the best of both worlds and you can use the digital world, but you can still use the analog world as well. Like for instance, I’ll mix everything out of a computer. Once it’s done, I’ll do the final mix through my mixing consol and all my analog outboard gear and so forth, and I’ll mix it down to a quarter inch tape. From there I send the reels off to Airshow Mastering in Boulder and they master it right off of tape. I try to keep that tape element as much as I can with these types of records.

SFL Music Magazine: Is there anything else new coming out for fans to know?

Tarquin: Yeah. I’m working on a completely different project, a new age project, actually. It’s acoustic guitars I’m working on with Hal Lindes from Dire Straits and we’re working with a singer from Ireland and a local violinist. So, it’s going to be like this cool, new age type acoustic album that we’re actually working on right now. That will probably be released next year. We’re going to encompass, kind of like the way Enya does her vocals. This is the way this vocalist is. So, it’s not per say like lyrics, but voice textures and things. She’s (Enya) a little more synth oriented, but we’re going to have guitar and violin elements.

SFL Music Magazine: Will there be any live performances?

Tarquin: I’m not sure yet if we will do anything. Maybe possibly some podcasts, like live at some radio stations and things like that, but nothing that I know of yet.

SFL Music Magazine: Is there anything you want to add about TYRANNY OF TONE?

Tarquin: Just the California Fire Foundation. What’s great about that is that they supply aid to victims with immediate aid through short term relief and to survivors in California. Also, they work together with the fire fighters throughout California, and they distribute gift cards for an amount of like $250.00 for them to purchase necessities, medicine, food and clothing. So, I just thought that was a very important thing.

Guest Artists’ Quotes:

• “Brian is a killer guitarist, a world-class artist and a true visionary who has produced a beautiful album. He has assembled an unparalleled cast of guest artists. I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be a part of this project.” 

Joe Deninzon (Kansas)

• “Brian is a righteous dude. It’s cool track, I had fun playing to it … he is a very prolific writer, cheers to him!” - Joe Satriani
• “Brian Tarquin invited me to contribute to his release Tyranny of Tone, on a track called ‘Intergalactic Burn.’ It’s an awesome throwback to the ’70s, with a fusion-inspired instrumental sound and plenty of melodic lead guitar work. Think of the kind of music Jeff Beck did so brilliantly back in the ’70s. I had a blast contributing to this track! Highly recommended, so take it for a ride around your local planet!” 

Bruce Kulick (KISS)

• “Phoenix Rising" was my first effort at home recording, and I really enjoyed the challenge! I believe it’s a fitting song to end the album and as a Los Angeles born native, I hope the California Fire Foundation truly benefits from this noble project. 

Carl Verheyen (Supertramp)

• “Bath in the sonic splendor of a landscape chock full of sublime virtuosic guitaring while at the same time supporting the California Fire Foundation.”  

Hal Lindes (Dire Straits)

• “Always a pleasure to play on Brian's songs - great music and a great cause!” - Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses)
• “I was glad to play on this song, as part of an important cause.”
  Steve Hackett (Genesis)

• “It was a blast playing a solo on Ubermensch! The chord progression inspired me to explore melodic choices I don’t usually make, and I was very happy with how it turned out. It was great to be a part of the project! Thank you!”
  Doug Rappoport (The Edgar Winter Band)

• “It was great to be a part of Brian Taquin’s latest release “Tyranny of Tone” and to help a great cause after the devastating California fires. It was truly an honor to be next to all these legendary musicians.”

Gary Hoey (Lou Gramm)