Derek Springer
Derek Springer has been playing guitar for over thirty years. He's been writing for almost as long. He is heavily influenced by the music his father listened to, such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and more. He also has a lot of modern influences, including Foo Fighters, Barenaked Ladies, Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
I've known me all my life, and, as a result, I know when I can work with me and when I can't. The plus side of recording by myself is that there are no other egos to deal with.
I've been in the following bands:
Gypsy Moth
Metal Cross
Sidewayz!
Association of Rock
Loaded
Replay
Gun Metal Blue
Lenny & Herb's Funkadelic Blues Explosuon
Damaged Goods
I had fun in all of them, but I prefer writing by myself. Fewer arguments that way.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I haven't played live in a couple of years--I left my old band, Gypsy Moth back in 2012--but I do love to get out and play whenever I can. Picking specific special moments is hard because it's always a blast.
Your musical influences
Edward Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Vai, and Jimi Hendrix. There are more, but, really, it would take way too much time.
What equipment do you use?
I use a custom-made Mean Street Intruder guitar, a Squier Stratocaster, and another custom guitar that is based on a Charvel San Dimas. For recording, I'm all digital.
