Blues rock know-how runs like water from the minds of guitarists Urn (lead) and Adam (rhythm) of Chronic Soul. Today we pick the guys brains on the tools they use to craft their powerful blues jams and the life of the band from Claremore, OK.

BoyBand 625:What guitars do like to play?

Urn: SG's and Stratocaster's mostly. I love the bluesy tone you can get from the neck pickups in virtually all of those guitars, and the bridge pickups are always really crunchy. I've got a Custom Shop Epiphone SG with EMG 81/85 that I use as a back up for my Epiphone SG-3 Custom. And my number one Stratocaster is a Squire Vintage Vibe 50's reissue. I also use an old hand-painted Telecaster for slide guitar, and a Douglas Flying V for some of the more chorusy stuff.

Adam: Les Pauls and Explorers

BoyBand 625: What effects/amplification do you run your signal through?

Urn: I'm vintage in my tastes. I use a Marshall AVT 50H through a custom made 4X12 with Celestion Rocket 50's. This model of AVT gives me that vintage Clapton and Beck-era Marshall tone, with a little more gain. The only effects I use are the on-board Reverb, and a Vox Wah for my Hendrix solo's, a DigiTech Bad Monkey Tube Overdrive to boost my signal when I solo, and a Danelectro Chicken Salad Vibrato for some chording parts, all running through the Marshall's effect loop. Occasionally, I run a DigiTech Synth Wah in the chain, using the Marshall as the dry output, and a Carvin SX300H with a Marshall Cabinet as the effect signal.

Adam: A Sovtech Mig-100 tube amp and a DigiTech Death Metal pedal

BoyBand 625: How did you arrive at your arrangement of effects?

Urn: I love those great 60's blues-rock albums, like "Wheels of Fire" and "Electric Ladyland" and even stuff like the Allman Brothers "Live at Filmore East" album. Those guitar tones are what I strive for, but with a little more bite. I use the "Texas Tone" setting on my Bad Monkey, as a way of trying to capture those deep electric blues tones, with my own feel.

Adam: a search for a precise sound

BoyBand 625: What were some of the guitar effects used on your latest recordings?

Urn: The only thing I didn't already mention might have been a little chorusing on my leads for "Out the House" other than that, nothing outside my life rig.

Adam: same gear

BoyBand 625: How does your live setup differ from your studio gear?

Urn: It really doesn't. I just mike up the Marshall and do my own switching live during the takes.

Adam: It doesn't.

BoyBand 625: What attracted you to the amp/cabinet combination you run?

Urn: Well Marshall's are legendary in the Rock cannon, so I gravitated toward that out of a desire to mimic my idols. The AVT give off a lot better tone than the MG's for not to much more if you get a used one. I like the 50 Watt versions cause they usually have barebones controls, and breakup earlier. The cabinet was really out of necessity. I had an amp head but no cab, so I found a guy on ebay that makes them custom. The speakers we're the only Celestion's in my price range.

Adam: the price and vintage quality

BoyBand 625: If you were sent to a desert island (that somehow had electricity) with one guitar and one effect, which would they be?

Urn: My Epi SG Custom and my Wah Wah.

Adam: My Ibanez S Series and my half stack

BoyBand 625: What can you recall about the first time you played guitar through distortion?

Urn: I was raised around country. Anything that wasn't gospel or country was wrong. I went to a friends house one day and heard "Welcome to the Jungle" and got knocked to the floor by that sound. I went home and hooked up my strat knock off, into a crappy little bass amp, turned it all they way up, and rocked out.

Adam: It was one of the greatest feelings ever

BoyBand 625: How do you feel about distortion?

Urn: It has to be tasteful. A lot of this new music is too distorted. I love everything from gnarly, gain blasted, old punk and everything up to Metallica style metal, but they never let distortion hurt their melody. I'm not sure some of these newer acts can say that.

Adam: Well distortion is good but not always needed.

BoyBand 625: Where does your distortion come from primarily?

Urn: the Marshall. The Bad Monkey is a tone shifter, and a boost.

Adam: The Death Metal Pedal

BoyBand 625: When you're composing, do you do it exclusively on guitar?

Urn: Yeah, I'm musically retarded out side of guitar, bass, and drums. I just find it to be easier to sit down and play a few chords on the guitar and write a song than to do it with anything else.

Adam: Yes.

BoyBand 625: Is the guitar always your first choice or did you try another instrument before switching to the guitar?

Urn: It was guitar from the beginning. I've been playing for 10 years and I'm only 16, so my affection for it is pretty clear.

Adam: I first learned drums and a bit of keyboard

BoyBand 625: In your opinion what makes the guitar stand out compared to other instruments?

Urn: It's just so versatile. I've yet to see another instrument that can be applied so many ways to so many

Adam: I love arpeggiating chords.

BoyBand 625: What is your advice for those learning to play the guitar?

Urn: Find a guitarist you like and learn everything by them. I suggest Eric Clapton or Angus Young.

Adam: Don't buy the most expensive guitar on the lot. Most people forget that.

BoyBand 625: How did you get started on guitar, and who were your influences?

Urn: I started on country, but I had no real influences in that department. When I finally got to the Blues and Rock, I pickup a lot from Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, and Slash. I also learned a lot from Alvin Lee from Ten Years After.

Adam: I had a friends dad who owned guitars and my influences were Slash, Zakk Wylde, and Jimmy Page.

BoyBand 625: Did you take any formal lessons on your instrument(s)?

Urn: For about a week when I was 6. I gave up because the teacher could barley play himself.

Adam: Yes, I did drum and guitar lessons.

BoyBand 625:What's the history of Chronic Soul?

Urn: We started after Robert, I, and our former drummer split from our old group "From the Dust." FTD was a good band but we had an individual with "Lead Singers Disease" so we split and formed Chronic Soul. It's been about nine months now since we got started. We've gone through tons of different members but right now we're pretty stable.

BoyBand 625:How would you describe your music?

Urn: Blues based rock and roll. Everything I've every played since I got real serious about guitar has more or less been that.

Adam: A mix of blues, rock, and awesomeness.

BoyBand 625:How is the music scene in Claremore, OK?

Urn: Crap. Hardcore, Deathcore, Metalcore, Mathcore! The only other band out there similar to us is Sugar Tree. Those guys are badass Blues Rock Machines! We also meet the occasional Ska band, like The Last Slice, and some good punk like Kick Tree, but other than that its all crap.

Adam: I don't like the mainstream local music scene but the underground indie, electronic stuff is nice.

BoyBand 625: What process do you go through to compose and record your original music?

Urn: I compose the entire piece myself, and write all the lyrics. Everyone else just plays what fits. Adam wrote the rhythm part to "Out the House" after getting smoked in a guitar duel, other than that, it's always me. When I write, I usually get a title or line of the chorus first, and then build on that, and add guitar that fits later.

Adam: Composing isn't as hard as trying to record.

BoyBand 625: Where does the band's name come from?

Adam: I'm not really sure...

Urn: ...an online generator...I trademarked the first thing that looked good, and that was it.

BoyBand 625: Do you record together live or take a more track-by-track approach?

Urn: Everything you'll hear by us on our website is a live, first take.

Adam: Live

BoyBand 625: What can fans expect to see at a gig?

Urn: Just a good, old school rock show. Great music, a few jokes, pretty girls, and my ventures into the crowd during my extended solos. Robert will wail on the sax on some songs, Rena plays some Lead Tambourine and Adam is always throwing something new into the mix. I've been known to even Duck Walk occasionally.

Adam: New songs!

BoyBand 625: Are there any other artists out there with whom you would like to collaborate someday?

Urn: in the realm of possibility: Kick Tree, Sugar Tree, The Last Slice, and The Move. In the area of unlikely things: Clapton, Jeff Beck, AC/DC, the Stones, and Jimmy Page.

Adam: Sugar Tree and if possible Death Cab, Bright Eyes, and The Brian Jones Town Massacre.

BoyBand 625:In this day and age, how do you get your music/band noticed?

Urn: Play as loudly, and as old school as possible, and someone will eventually realize your not playing drop tuned, soulless slush.

Adam: Promos!!!

BoyBand 625: What are some of the upcoming projects you'll be involved with?

Urn: Well, trying to get our demo recorded in a decent manner, gigging, and I'm also part of a power trio called Anything a Squirrel Can Do.

Adam: My Techno Projects!

BoyBand 625:Any plans to tour in the near-future?

Urn: We hope to go on tour for spring break. Other than that, none as of right now.

Adam: Road trip?

BoyBand 625: What releases do you guys have planned?

Adam: None so far...

Urn: We're hoping to get a four track demo recorded soon. After that hopefully we'll get signed.

You can check out the latest from the Chronic Soul on their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/chronicsoul.