MARTY FRIEDMAN: The Response To 'Inferno' Has Blown My Mind

Alissa Ordabai of HardrockHaven.net recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

HardrockHaven.net: What inspired you to tour again in the U.S. after such a long break?

Friedman: Pretty much the same thing that inspired me to do "Inferno". It's been a very natural progression. The record company that released "Inferno" made me aware of the interest in America in what I was doing, because I was oblivious to the fact. And they made me aware that it's possible to do a tour. I don't really know the climate of the U.S. like I probably should — it's just impossible to keep my finger on every different continent in the world, because I was so locked into what I've been doing in Japan. But with everything coming in order really nicely in America, there is no time like the present to do it. I couldn't have been happier, because this is something that I always wanted to do, but it's never been the type of thing that presented itself in such a way that it looked like it was going to be done properly, so I kind of never given it serious thought. But look what happened — it's been a very pleasant experience — the response to "Inferno" has blown my mind so far beyond what I've ever expected. I never thought I would get to this point outside of Japan. [Laughs] So now I am going to make it happen and I am really excited.

HardrockHaven.net: How do you manage on the one hand to maintain your amazing chops and at the same time be a composer and a songwriter? Are there enough hours in the day to maintain all of these skills?

Friedman: I don't think that the answer to your question is in maintaining. The answer is in stretching them out. As long as you continue to do work that is challenging, that is not what people expect of you. If you do that all the time, and make a habit of it, not only do you maintain, but you grow in a huge way. It's natural for me. It's something that I forced myself to do ever since I was a kid. But, to this day, I am constantly doing this. Quick example: last week I did two shows in Japan with a group called DCPRG which is probably by far the most difficult music I've ever tried to play for anybody, and I did two shows with them. The prep for that and the actual shows was just such a brain extender that it's already influenced the next music that I'm writing myself, just from things that I've learned from them. And why it is so difficult? It's not the stuff that I would normally listen to, as it is very progressive. It has odd timings — that I'm cool with — but odd timings played all in polyrhythms. I'm cool with polyrhythms and I'm cool with odd timings, but I've never ever done an entire set with both together at the same time. So, musically, it was completely insane and very, very difficult. And I'm sure I did a pretty poor job of it. I did my best, and even the little parts that I did get well, that already influenced the next thing that I've written. So it's one grain of sand at a time, but doing things that I would normally say, "Fuck that, it's too difficult, I don't want to do that!" Making sure that you always accept those challenges and don't turn them down — that's the secret. That's what I've done forever and it makes things good.

Read the entire interview at HardrockHaven.net.