Gibson Interview: Jet’s Cameron Muncey Talks Guitars, Riffs, and New Album
It takes nerve to name yourself after a Paul McCartney song (and a great one, at that), but Jet has proven more than worthy of its ballsy moniker.
With its acclaimed Dirty Sweet EP and the multi-platinum Get Born album, both released in 2003, the Melbourne, Australia-based band injected new life into guitar-driven pop-rock infused with an alternative slant. The group’s second effort, 2006’s Shine On, further solidified Jet’s reputation as one of the genre’s brightest newcomers.
The band’s latest release, Shaka Rock, will no doubt push Jet higher into the heady rock stratosphere. Rife with snappy hooks, infectious melodies, and memorable guitar riffs, the disc occupies a sweet spot where classic rock tradition and youthful energy collide.
Highlights on the album include the vintage Alice Cooper-like “Black Hearts (On Fire),” the anthemic “Start the Show,” and a song titled “She’s a Genius” (the first single) that sounds like “My Sharona” on steroids.
In the following interview, Jet guitarist Cameron Muncey talks about the new disc, his main guitar influences, and what makes the “Australian guitar sound” unique.
A lot of bands say each album they make is a reaction to the album they made before. Were you trying to do some things differently on Shaka Rocks?
Yes. When we went into the studio to make the previous album, we hadn't really written the tunes. The ideas were still being worked through. The lyrics hadn't been written, and that ended up being a nightmare, when it came to finishing up the tracks. For this record, we wrote the songs in such a way that we could all sit and play them, in a room, before putting them to tape. We got back to basics.
Was there one song that set the tone for the rest of the album?
"Walk" sort of did that. That song was a great launching point for the rest of the record, in the sense that it had passion and lots of enthusiasm. Taking greater control, and co-producing, was great for us as well. We had a blast making the record. When we first got to Austin, where we recorded, I couldn’t believe how hot it was. It puts you in a different mindset. And the people in Austin are so carefree. Everyone's either playing music or working in a bar where music is being played. We were in comfortable surroundings.
The album is loaded with great riffs. Do really good riffs come easily to you?
Often they do. It's funny. I tend to think in that way, going back to when I first started playing music. A great guitar just sounds righteous, when you're playing a great riff.
Who are your main influences as a guitarist?
A lot of guys from the '60s … a lot of bluesy stuff. Hendrix was really a God-like figure to me when I was starting to play. I would stand in the room with the amp turned up full blast, trying to create feedback and trying to emulate something along the lines of people like Hendrix. Later on I discovered bands like Grand Funk Railroad. When I heard them I thought, why the hell haven't I heard this before? It's right up my alley … riff after riff after riff.
What was your first real guitar?
The first guitar I really cared about was a Flying V, which also became my touring guitar for our first record. It was big and heavy.
Do you have two or three go-to guitars for studio work?
I picked up a couple of them in Austin, actually. I got an ES 137 while we were recording there. We ended up using it a lot on the new record. We nicknamed it "Smokes," as in "it smokes every other guitar." There's always a thing you go through in the beginning of making an album, where you mike up an amp and say, "Okay, let's try a few guitars." In the end, "Smokes" blew everything else away. It’s going to be my main touring guitar as well.
What features specifically do you like about the ES-137?
It has a great, in-your-face, vibrant, "hot" sound. But at the same time it sounds sort of "old school." It's not an "'80s metal" type of guitar; it’s more rooted in that '70s sound. Plus, we were using a lot of vintage amps, and Neve preamps, and old boards and so forth.
Are you still playing SGs and Les Pauls as well?
I have a VOS Custom Shop Les Paul, with a big fat 1958 neck. It's a real beauty, a very cool guitar. I got it toward the end of making this record, and ended up playing it on some songs. It's not as loud as the 137, but it's beefier. It plays really nicely. Every Les Paul has its own unique character.
The riff on "Black Hearts (On Fire)” sounds like something ex-Clash guitarist Mick Jones might have come up with. Also, “La Di Da” is an example of how a simple riff can work beautifully.
[Drummer] Chris [Cester] wrote that riff for “Black Hearts,” and the second one was written by Nic [Cester]. Chris is a drummer but he writes a lot on the guitar, and on bass guitar. Writing on bass tends to lead to a different kind of riff. And I really like that melodic riff on "La Di Da.” It sounds slightly Eastern, or maybe like gypsy music.
The guitar on “Black Hearts” is actually a Melody Maker, with P-90s, that I got in Austin as well. It's so light you can practically hold it with your index finger. I ended up getting two amazing guitar tracks out of it. One was the slide in the last song, "She Holds a Grudge," and the other was "Black Heart." The sound of that guitar is really cool.
You’ve talked elsewhere about a guitar sound that’s specific to Australian guitarists. How would you describe that?
I think it can be quite raw. It’s not so much in the guitars or in the amps, but in the way it's played. There’s a certain raggedness. There's an Australian band called the Angels who did a song called "Take a Long Line," that has some of the most vicious guitar-playing I've ever heard. But it's not dark; it’s fun, and alive. That's a good example of the Australian guitar sound. I like to think we've got something new to offer from our continent.
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