The Polydor recording artists consist of vocalist/guitarist Emerson Hart, bassist/vocalist Dan Rothchild, drummer/vocalist Kevin Shepard and lead guitarist/vocalist Jeff Russo. Of the four, Russo is most responsible for the swirling guitarscapes evident on Lemon Parade, Tonic's major label debut.

The Amplifier hooked up with Russo via email for a quick Q&A about his unique guitar approach. Writing from his tour bus, he covered everything from the definition of musicianship to the amp settings that shape the sound of his Gibsons.

AMP: Bands like No Doubt and Tonic seem to be at the forefront of a movement where more "serious" musicianship is playing a role in rock/pop/alternative music. In other words, it's not so cool to suck anymore. In terms of your band's collective approach to music (as well as your own personal approach to playing) what are your feelings about the above statement?

JR: I think that the music is the most important thing. That includes musicianship. I, actually, have never studied guitar properly. I think that having a knowledge of music is what "musicianship" means. I think that since that has become more important, the music has shown it. I think that the public's ear has become more refined.

AMP: On the track 'Thick' in particular, there's a definite Led Zeppelin influence, or at least an awareness of classic hard rock. Where do you guys draw your various inspirations from? How do you incorporate these influences to create Tonic's distinctive sound?

JR: I think that everyone is influenced by what they listen to. We listen to so much music and we are influenced by it all. On that particular song, I think it was a sort of 'tip of the hat' to Zep. The most important thing to us is songwriting. I think that is where our 'sound' comes from.

AMP: Try applying question #2 to your own personal playing style. I'm also curious as to what formal training you've had, guitar teachers who had an impact on your playing. Maybe even a special moment of some sort that truly enlightened you or inspired you to play. (an example of a "special moment" would be the story of 8-year old Kenny Wayne Sheppard getting to sit on Stevie Ray Vaughan's amp during an SRV concert)

JR: Well, I've never had any formal guitar training. I learned by ear, listening to a shitload of records when I was 19 and 20. I did have an enlightening experience though. When I was 17, I was listening to The Wall for the first time. When the guitar solo in the song 'Mother' came on I was floored. At that moment I knew that's what I wanted to do. So I switched from drums to guitar.

AMP: Since this is a Gibson piece, how 'bout we talk gear for a minute. What tools enable you to get your sound? Maybe be specific in terms of preference of single coils vs. humbuckers, pedals vs. amp distortion. For the benefit of the readers (guitar players), maybe even disclose some tips or secrets, like amp settings or order of effects.

JR: Well, I use two guitars in our set, but a lot more on our record. I'll tell you about the live sound rather than the record, since what we did on the record really varied from song to song. I use a Les Paul standard with an original '59 PAF in the bridge position and a switchable humbucking/single coil pickup at the neck, and a Les Paul Special with a P-90 at the bridge and P-100 at the neck. I use Matchless amplifiers (which rule!!!!). I get all of my rhythm distortion from the amp. For solos I use a TS-9 and a DOD delay set at 250ms. The TS-9 is usually set with the Level cranked and the Tone all the way off. The Gain is set at about 1:00.... This allows for great distortion and a good gain boost, so I can hear it a little better during solos... I've always been a huge fan of distortion at the amp as opposed to distortion at a pedal for overall distortion. It sounds much more natural that way.

AMP: Emerson plays a Chet, I'm told, but through a distorted amp as if it were electric. After hearing Lemon Parade, I'm not sure if I can tell a difference. It sounds like good ol' rock guitar tone to me. But in your opinion, what does this unorthodox approach enable you guys to do? Please also comment about Emerson's use of alternate tunings.

JR: We found that Emerson's tone was unmatchable with any other guitar. We went through a lot of other combos but his guitar style leans very heavily on playing an acoustic guitar and the Chet is the closest thing to an acoustic feeling guitar that can get a cool rock tone. Eventually, I know that Emerson will start playing a standard electric guitar, but who knows when?

AMP: If there's stuff you want to talk about, i.e., songs on the record that are especially meaningful to you, playing live vs. recording, or anything, please feel free to do so.

JR: All of the songs on our record are like our children, so it's hard to say which is our favorite. I know that I go through phases. Right now I'm in a "Mountain/Lemon Parade" phase. Last week I was into "My Old Man" and "If You Could Only See." I'm a really big fan of being in the studio. It's like being in the womb. It's a very controlled environment. On the other hand, since we've been touring, I've been finding that I love the spontaneity. Not knowing what might happen next is a great feeling.

AMP: Lastly, what's Tonic's follow-up album going to sound like? I can say with confidence that Lemon Parade is awesome and a lot to live up to. Do you think album #2 will be building on that same platform, or will you go in a totally new direction?

JR: You never can tell. So much of making a record is capturing that moment in time. I know that since we write all of the songs, it will still sound like us.

For more info on Tonic, check out The Unofficial Tonic Web Site and the Tonic Vial.