Guthrie Govan: To Shred or Not to Shred? Premier guitar interview

Photo by Kris Claerhout
Steven says he’s not a fan of shred guitar, yet no one embodies state-of-the-art shredding more than you.
Guthrie Govan: I guess we have slightly different personalities. I’m a skinny, twitchy, coffee-drinking character, and the music I hear in my head sometimes has more notes than other people enjoy. I’m happy to try and do whatever works best for the song, really.

What’s it like for a renowned virtuoso like you to be working in a sideman capacity?
I couldn’t do it all the time. If I were strictly a sideman, I’d be tearing up the furniture. But it’s nice to be part of Steven’s band because he has such a clear vision of what he wants the music to sound like, and he approaches everything with professionalism, so I know I’m involved with something that’s going to sound good.

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