Ice
Age axe-slinger Jimmy Pappas
ThingFish:
First, some Ice Age questions....How did "Ice Age" become
the name of the band?
Jimmy Pappas: We were trying to come up with a name
and finding something original and something that everybody
in the band liked was becoming difficult. We all liked "Ice
Age" already since it was the title of one of our songs and
we decided to make that the band name.
TF: Your
songs seem to have a fresh, unpredictable feel to them. Are
your songs written more on the fly or are they written under
certain guidelines and rituals?
JP: We mostly write songs during rehearsal. I usually
bring in riffs or progressions that I come up with at home
and everybody kind of jams and has fun with them. Sometimes
Josh will come up with an idea for a chorus or a bridge as
we are jamming and we add it to the riffs. We record them
on 8-track and then Josh and I work on the arrangements home.
We pretty much have no set way though, anything goes. Sometimes
we come up with whole song at home. Josh wrote most of "One
Look Away"on piano and then brought it to the band. I
just added the lead progression in the middle of the song.
Josh writes all the vocals and lyrics at home.
TF:
How much of the CD "The
Great Divide" was recorded live in the studio as opposed
to layering tracks?
JP:
Everything was layered. Drums
first, then rhythm guitars, keys and bass and last the vocals
and leads.
TF:
What kind of munchies and drink
could always be found in the studio where Ice Age was working?
Anything special?
JP:
You could probably find tons
of "Dunkin Donuts" empty coffee cups laying around.
I love coffee!
TF:
When will we see a second Ice
Age CD, and what can we expect from it?
JP:
We are currently working on
material for the next CD. Hopefully we could release it sometime
in 2000. We give a lot of importance to songwriting and not
so much to style of music, so you might hear songs you did not
except to hear from a progressive band.
TF:
Being that you guys are from
the Northeast, are you planning a tour in the area? (OK, I'm
from Connecticut, so tell me about the CT dates...)
JP:
We did tour the Northeast this
past summer. We had shows at Danbury Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
New York... There are no plans for touring as of now. We are
in the studio writing the next CD but always check our website.
We will post any tour information there as it becomes available.
TF:
Tell me what the cover of the
CD is all about? Did one of the guys in the band do it?
JP:
I do a lot of work in graphics
arts and I came up with the CD cover. It expands the ideas and
subjects that we talk about in the lyrics. It is meant to have
a different meaning for each person. One has to listen to the
CD, read the lyrics and then form an opinion of what it means
to him or her.
TF:
And now some "Jimmy" questions.....As
a guitar player myself, I am always searching for "my sound".
Have you settled on yours or are you still searching for that
elusive utopia of the perfect sound?
JP:
Like everybody else, I am always
looking to improve my sound but I have to admit that I've come
pretty close to what I think works for me. Obviously, as time
goes by my taste might change, but for the time being I am pretty
happy. The one thing that does need a little work is my rhythm
sound. I am very close to achieving what I want but I still
have to try a few more things. Now, duplicating my live guitar
sound on tape is a whole different ball game.
TF:
Can you tell me something about
your sound as it is now? Like any special gadgets, processors
or amps that cant live without?
JP:
No special gadgets here. I
use a pretty simple set-up and what I think are the best sounding
amps in the market today: Mesa Boogie Tri-Axis and the 290 power
amp. I love their lead sound. It is sweet, warm, very toney
and clean. For effects I still use my 8 year old Alesis Quadraverb.
It is a little noisy but I like the way it sounds. Finally to
quiet the rig down I use a couple of Rocktron Hush units.
TF:
How about your favorite guitars?
JP:
My favorite guitar is an Ibanez
USRG30tp. It is a custom made model back from the days that
the Ibanez US custom shop was still operating. They do not make
them anymore. It is very bright with great tone and has a lot
of midrange punch.
TF:
Do you play different guitars
on different songs to achieve a more unique sound for individual
tracks?
JP:
The Ibanez was the main instrument
used throughout the whole CD. To record parts of "Miles
To Go" I used an old Kramer Baretta I got back in 1986.
It is slightly modified. I added a neck pickup (PAF pro), put
a "Tone Zone" in the bridge and a 3-way Les Paul switch.
It is also fitted with the original Floyd Rose tremolo.
TF:
Do you write your solos after
the song is pretty much completed, or do you write the songs
around a certain riff or something like that?
JP:
Most of the solos are written
after the song is pretty much there.
TF:
What guitarists do you listen
to and get inspired by?
JP:
Richie Blackmore, Tony Iommi,
Trevor Rabin, Michael Schenker (UFO days), SRV and Brian Robertson
from Thin Lizzy.
TF:
We have a section on our site
called "The Hall Of Shame." It's where we post names of a band
or artist who at one point we considered to be a great, shredding
guitarist or rock group, that has recently done something unforgivable
in the eyes of a fan, i.e. Jimmy Page's jam with Puff Daddy.
Is there anybody you would like to nominate and why?
JP:
Any of the last 3 Malmsteen
CDs. He is milking it to the last drop. What a waste of talent!
[Editor's Note: Not sure if Jimmy was
counting Yngwie's concerto album here or not. -Kevin R.]
TF:
OK, here's the question that
we ask everyone we interview here at the House of Shred. It's
a tough one...
If you were marooned on a desert island, and could only have
5 CD's to listen to forever, what would they be?
JP:
Rainbow
"On Stage"; Black Sabbath "Mob Rules"; Yes
"Talk"; Thin Lizzy "Live and Dangerous";
Stevie Ray Vaughan "Couldn't Stand The Weather."
Check out our review of Ice Age's debut CD, "The Great
Divide"
