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Recently, I picked up my 4-year-old son from school and struck up a conversation with the father of one of his classmates. Before long, we found ourselves talking about this podcast series. The father mentioned that he was also a guitarist and, moreover, the son of a professional musician. “In my opinion, there’s one guitarist who stands head and shoulders above everyone else,” he said. “And that’s Chris Buck.”
“Ha!” I replied. “I actually spoke to him just yesterday.”
Chris truly is a ‘one of a kind’ guitarist. Every note he plays sounds so beautiful, so precise, so charming, and expressive. His phrasing is incredibly delicate, he crafts his solos masterfully, and he never shows everything he’s got—though you know there’s more left in the tank. That always grabs my attention. And it moves me. Just like that father at the schoolyard.
Speaking of fathers: in this candid conversation, we also talk about family and the influences we carry from the environment in which we were raised. Once again, I’m incredibly grateful for this encounter, the conversation, and the lessons I’ve learned by speaking with someone who masters his craft in such an extraordinary way.
Please give me your feedback, comments and suggestions of guitarists who I should invite in this series!
Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction to Chris Buck
0:21 – Chris and Mike Dawes live nearby but rarely meet
0:27 – Starting the conversation
0:42 – Touring with Myles Kennedy
1:13 – Recent tour stops and upcoming shows
1:41 – Life on the road as a musician
2:32 – Chris’s love for live performance
3:05 – How Cardinal Black was formed
3:38 – The early days with Tom Hollister
4:45 – Recording at Steve Winwood’s studio
5:08 – Shared history with bandmates
6:17 – Realizing music was his path
7:07 – Chris’s single-minded approach
8:10 – Traits inherited from his father
8:53 – The story of Chris’s grandfather
10:05 – Reflecting on upbringing and influences
11:09 – Raising a 4-year-old while touring
11:46 – Finding his father’s first guitar
12:32 – How a good guitar inspired Chris to keep playing
13:14 – His father’s love for guitars
14:05 – Growing up with classic rock influences
15:07 – His father’s frustration with career choices
16:41 – Parents’ support for Chris’s music career
17:24 – What happened to the Rosetti guitar
18:05 – Meeting Alan Niven and becoming a fan of Guns N’ Roses
20:47 – Alan Niven’s role in Chris’s career
22:23 – Early lessons in the music industry
24:42 – Managing the band and balancing creativity
25:16 – Flying to Arizona for shows
26:11 – Chris’s confidence in his career
27:06 – Chris’s subconscious approach to playing
28:38 – Playing by ear and closing his eyes on stage
30:33 – Listening to albums with eyes closed
31:54 – The changing way people consume music
33:23 – Front-loading albums in the streaming era
33:34 – Chris’s thoughts on shredding
35:29 – Influences from Thin Lizzy and Van Halen
37:10 – How Chris developed his unique guitar picking technique
39:19 – The role of happy mistakes in his style
40:47 – Keeping his playing instinctive
41:02 – Upcoming tour and record deal
41:48 – Plans for touring Europe and the US
42:49 – The story behind Cardinal Black’s name
43:17 – Closing thoughts and thanks
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