Welcome to this first article of a series I am calling ‘Guitar Stories’.
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In these articles, I will seek to share some insights about the ‘Guitar Story’ of individuals who have made a living from playing that ever so familiar instrument.
I will draw upon interviews and my research with the aim to inspire you as you develop your Guitar Story.
%20(1).png "Guitar Stories with Chantel McGregor")
First up is UK based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Chantel McGregor.
Chantel kindly agreed to meet with me over Zoom to have a chat about her Guitar Story.
The opening photo of Chantel for this article is courtesy of Laurence Harvey.
Read on to find out more about what we discussed.
The Starting Point of Chantel's Guitar Story.
Chantel started playing guitar at the age of three and was performing publicly by the age of 12.
At an early age Chantel realised that performing was what she always wanted to do. She did consider training to become an English teacher but in her mind, she was always going to be a performing musician and songwriter. It was in her blood and, so, off to The Leeds College of Music she went, to study and to hone her craft.
In our conversation, Chantel recalled how at music college, every weekend, she ensured that she had gigs to perform at, rather than opting for the usual social pursuits that comes from being a student. This set her apart from her peers. Chantel was already on the path of being that musician whilst her friends were only just starting on their own performing journeys.
After a successful time at music college, she developed her sound, put together her band and got an agent to book her gigs who she still uses now to get her bookings.
In 2011, Chantel’s following grew to a level whereby she could play larger venues and sell tickets to her gigs.
This has led to successful tours and accolades across the UK and beyond as well as playing with artists such as Joe Bonamassa and Walter Trout.
Working In The Business Of Making Music.
I remarked that the way that she conducts herself in the music industry is very unconventional. I observed that it appeared that she was doing everything from song writing, to managing the logistics of recording and travel as well as making sure band members were in the right place.
Chantel agreed that she is continues to successfully organise everything ably assisted by her retired accountant father who has supported her from the start of her musical journey. It was his enjoyment of playing guitar himself that led to father and daughter often jamming and listening to music together.
It is clear that Chantel is not only an inspirational guitarist and singer songwriter but is also a shrewd businesswoman too, managing a musical business that, by its nature, comes with all the ups and downs of having to sell enough tickets and albums to fund the costs of providing new music, paying musicians and taking a salary.
When asked about this her place in the music industry and making a sustainable business based on her passion, she said “It is all about keeping everything sensible and making wise decisions rather than being the 'proverbial rock star' who’s lifestyle then results in delivering crap gigs that results in gaining a poor reputation. I have always felt that this business of delivering music has to be as perfect as possible for my fans.”
It is clear that Chantel cares deeply about what her fans experience at her performances and wants to ensure that her business enables her to reach more fans with her music with the release of new material and opportunities to play live.
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| Chantel McGregor and her band by Shaun Hulme |
In my conversation with her she shared some insights into just how meticulous she is in planning her delivery of live music. She leaves nothing to chance.
I remarked on how evident her motivation was but she responded by saying that whilst she is motivated, like anyone else, she has days when she has little motivation but her lists and plans always pull her through thus getting everything done. If there are any gaps in the planning then her Dad often provides timely Whatsapp reminders.
Chantel is an independent musician so what is her experience of record companies?
I asked Chantel about her experience with record labels and about her decision to go independent.
She told me that she has had a number of opportunities with these larger organisations.
At 14, Chantel was visited by representatives from a major music label from London.
The video below is an early glimpse of Chantel's work playing Stormy Monday at the age of 14 at Manchester's The Met.
She recalls how she was sat in her living room in Bradford and she demonstrated her considerable guitar playing skills by playing songs by Steve Vai, Bonnie Rait and Jimi Hendrix.
The response that she experienced from those music execs was less than encouraging for a 14-year-old.
She quotes them as saying “Nah! Men won’t buy that. They are not going to buy music from a 14-year-old girl playing guitar like that. They are simply not going to accept it!”
They told her that for her to be successful working with a record label, she would have to bow to pressure to change from her preferred style of playing, which she describes as ‘widdley, shreddy music like Steve Vai’ to playing an acoustic folk style.
At 14, Chantel was listening to an eclectic mix of music citing Jeff Buckly, Hanson, Spice Girls, Steve Vai, Hendrix and many more. Having a record company getting her to play “acoustic folk and singing about death” was not for her.
Her parents supported her in exploring the music that she wanted to play.
Later on, other music companies would flirt with working with her but always comment on her style of playing and image and seek to change what they saw and heard. Chantel remarked “They didn’t really want me, they didn’t want my band or how I played.”
We talked about image and music and she went on to say “For me, my work is always about the music, I know that the music industry will always focus on image, because at the end of the day, you are there to entertain, to stand on a stage and look good and that is what people want to see, but if the music is not good in the first place or if you can’t play guitar then what good is that. Being told to be something that I am not is not for me.”
I remarked on how her image as a female musician often does not mirror the styles of other successful female singer/guitarists. She responded “At the end of the day, I believe that life is too short and so I want to be happy. I don’t want to work to other people’s criteria. If I am not happy then I will change what I do until I am happy. For example, I like wearing dresses and that is a part of me and that is my image and so I wear those on stage as well as in my day to day. I just like floaty dresses!”
Certainly, Chantel has developed her own image and that has resulted in a loyal fan base who respect her for celebrating who she is, a strong woman who knows what she wants and is good at what she does.
Let’s go back to talking about guitars.
I asked Chantel about her choice of instrument and how playing guitar works to form a basis of her music.
Chantel told me, “My main guitar is the Ernie Ball Music Man JP6. The John Petrucci signature model. The first one was a white one which I got when I was 14 but I have a number of them now that are different colours.”
Chantel is referring to the model developed by John Petrucci (from Dream Theatre) which is a six string dual humbucker/piezo electric guitar with a bolt on neck. In the video below, John Petrucci talks about how it came about and the reasoning behind the design.
Chantel went onto say “The JP6 is a lovely guitar and so comfortable. The neck is thin and comfortable and works with my small hands. I use a set of nines.”
“My Fender Stratocaster is a Strat Deluxe which had Lace Sensors on it but my Dad replaced them with Seymour Duncan humbuckers. With the Jeff Beck Junior in the bridge, a Little 59 in the neck and a hot rails in the middle. I mostly use this guitar with drop D tunings. I also use a PRS Custom 24 which I used when I jammed with Walter Trout recently. I got the PRS because I wanted to explore different tunings as well as slide. The JP6 has a floating bridge and so I am unable to use those tunings with that guitar.”
Chantel jamming with Joe Bonemassa
In terms of amplifiers, Chantel has opted to use Victory Amps with her preference being the Duchess V4 having switched from the Steve Vai signature by Carvin. The switch was prompted by a need for a portable but powerful amp for when on the road as well as being able to easily line out for recording and for listening via headphones.
Chantel really likes the tone and the Duchess meets with all her different usage requirements. One feature that she clearly loves is the flexibility to use the Duchess with different cabs on stage as the amp automatically converts output according to the ratings of the cab that she is using (180W at 4 ohms, approx. 90W at 8 ohms, 45W at 16 ohms). Venues often can provide a cab thus she only needs to bring the tiny V4 with her, plug in and then start playing.
How does Chantel achieve her sound?
I asked her about her strategy for achieving tone. She said “It is all about the song and the tonality comes as a result of what the song needs.” She goes onto explain how she intuitively develops the tone and a lot of her tone is crafted in post-production on her albums. Out on tour, her songs will differ in sound depending upon who is in the band, the energy of the audience or how she feels.
In terms of her band, she relies on having a group of different musicians who can step in and play citing having two drummers and four bass players many of whom she has sourced from connections within the Leeds Conservatoire.
How does Chantel go about writing songs?
“I don’t find it easy writing songs. I write songs about books and films that I have read or watched.” Chantel chooses to write from an observational perspective of other people’s life experiences. The song “Anaesthetise”, for example, was written about her observation of other people’s experience of drug addiction.
What is next for Chantel?
“I am working on writing songs for my next album. As I write songs I then drip them out into live performances and see how they are received. Eventually I will get those songs together and record my next album. Currently I am on my tour which is running into March next year.”
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed interviewing Chantel.
She was fun to chat with, generous with her time and open to talking about the realities of making music. She is a passionate song writer and knows what she wants to deliver as well as being a shrewd business owner. She loves her work and travels all over the country and beyond to deliver the best possible performances, but she isn’t going to sacrifice her craft for the commercial objectives of large music labels.
To illustrate what a great person she is, during the interview I mentioned that I was gigging with my Blues band that evening at a local pub and to my surprise she came along!
That meant a lot! Thanks Chantel!
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| John Hicks interviewing Chantel McGregor |
When playing her music, she expertly wields her guitar to elevate the songs that she writes because whilst she is an awesome guitarist, for her, it is all about the song writing and if you don’t like what she does then, well, you don’t need to be on her journey because there are already many fans who are.
Thanks for your time Chantel!
If you would like to watch Chantel perform then you can find out when and where her next performance is at https://www.chantelmcgregor.com/tour
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