Progressive rock guitarist Thomas Polychuck recently released his first self-titled album which features contributions from some big names including world-renowned drummers Virgil Donati and Simon Phillips as well as legendary keyboardist Derek Sherinian. We caught up with Thomas about the new album and more below.
TPR- You just released your new self-titled album. How long did it take you to write and record these songs?
THOMAS: It is my very first LP so it took a while. I did a lot of the work myself (mixing, producing, mastering) other than writing and playing guitar. All in all from start to finish, I’d say about 2 years which, in this day and age, is a long time to create an album. I didn’t use any AI or pre-programmed loops or even drum samples as a matter of fact. It’s all organic and a lot of it is recorded the old fashioned way, using analog technology from the 70s. I drew inspiration from a lot of different genres. This is a variety of styles under one CD but what ties everything together is my phrasing and my improvisation ideas because a lot of It is in fact, improvised and very spontaneous.
TPR- How do you get ideas for songs?
All the names of the songs have a reason to be. For example, the opening track ‘Genèse’ (which is French for Genesis) was inspired by the band Genesis. Even though it ended up sounding nothing like them, what initiated the creative mental process was listening to ‘Selling England by the Pound’. Also, Derek helped a lot with the producing aspect. He gave me a lot of tips and his keyboard parts sometimes made me rethink some of my original ideas. ‘The Cyclone’ for example, was directly inspired by the opening track of Simon Phillips latest solo album, Protocol V.
TPR- How did you hook up with Derek Sherinian and Simon Phillips?
I first reached out to Derek via social media and because I had a good musical connection with him and felt like he was really bringing my songs to a higher level, we ended up working together for those two years and as our partnership developed, he introduced me to Simon, Virgil and Brian Tichy.
TPR- Who are your influences? What guitarists do you enjoy today?
I can say that the most influential guitarist in my life was definitely Kirk Hammet. He blew me away on ‘Kill Em All’ when I was 11 years old. Alexi Laiho has also been a huge influence in my teens but today, If I had to pick one guy, it would be John McLaughlin. I’m more drawn to jazz and fusion than ever before. The list is goes on and on. Allan Holdsworth is a big one, Johnny Hiland (suprisingly) is also another big influence.
TPR- You give lessons online through your Guitar Academy. How did you get that started?
I had been teaching a bit locally as a side hustle for a few years before COVID but everything really exploded when, at the beginning of the lockdowns, I had a ton of time to post videos and guitar tips on TikTok and IG. I then started to get hundreds of people reach out to me for private lessons via Zoom, from all over the world. I also have a dozen pre-recorded lessons for all the style I play on my album, available on my website www.polychuck.com. I’ve even taught personally some of my own favorite artists from when I was in junior high, which is an absolute honor for me!! Something I would’ve never believed possible.
TPR- You also do a lot on social media. Is that fun for you a musician?
Like everything there’s good things about it, sometimes it feels a bit like a chore but what I’m the most grateful for is the connections I’ve made with people, well known or not. I’d also be very happy to know if I’ve inspired kids to play or get better or even start playing guitar in the first place. I’ll never know for sure but it would be a very fulfilling accomplishment for me.
You can check out Thomas Polychuck’s music on these links.
Physical: https://www.dekoentertainment.com/inthesquare/thomas-polychuck
Streaming:https://push.fm/fl/DauSDOGv
For more info: https://linktr.ee/Thomaspolychuck
‘POLYCHUCK’ TRACKLISTING:
1. Genèse
2. The Cyclone (feat Simon Phillips & Derek Sherinian)
3. DièZe 11
4. 1316 (feat Virgil Donati & Derek Sherinian)
5. Construct (feat Derek Sherinian)
6. They Carry On
7. Reality (feat Derek Sherinian)
8. Sign from Beyond the Veil
9. Retold Story (feat Derek Sherinian & Brian Tichy)
Add comment