Scott Reeder is the ex-bassist of the legendary stoner band Kyuss! Besides this, he played in the also legendary The Obsessed, almost became the bass player of TOOL and Metallica, and has a studio on his farm in California, where he mixes and produces great records nowadays. His new band, Sun And Sail club has just released its first album Mannequin, which is one of the most interesting records of 2013. We had a lot to talk about.

Rockbook: Hey Scott! Congratulations on your new Sun And Sail Club record! I’m really happy that you’re back with a full length album after so many years. It’s really good stuff, and as I can see, the reviews have been great so far.

Scott Reeder: Thank you! Yes, it's been a long time - it feels good to have new music out!

Rockbook: Is this a real band or a studio project?

Scott Reeder: It's definitely a band, but it will unfold very slowly, which is fine by me. We're planning on recording more stuff soon, and we're throwing around ideas on how to perform it live - it's a bit tricky with the vocoder guitar parts!

Rockbook: I looked at some comments regarding the album, and the vocoder vocals seem to be quite divisive. Some people dig them, some don’t. Why did you decide to apply this effect on the vocals?

Scott Reeder: There was talk of bringing in several singers. I worried that it would be disjointed with different guys on every track. Bob brought in the vocoder to demonstrate the harmonies that he had in mind - he played a clean guitar straight into the vocoder, filtering the formants with his voice, and it sounded amazing! He had words and melodies, so we ran with it! For me, it feels like an instrumental record with words being formed through a guitar part.
 

Sun And Sail Club - Held Down

Rockbook: Are you gonna make any videos for the songs?

Scott Reeder: Yes. There are plans for a shoot in December. I think there will be two videos… not sure.

Rockbook: Could you tell us some words about the lyrics?

Scott Reeder: Well, that's Bob's thing. I listened to the whole record while reading the lyrics that come with the digital album, and I projected my own crazy thoughts into it and asked Bob if I was on track with what he was writing about, but I wasn't even close, haha! There is stuff that really fits the vocoder sound, though - it's like a disembodied voice observing the human race. I think it's much more trippy with the vocoder than it would have been with a stock singer yelling in your face.

Rockbook: What could you tell us about your label? Do you think that nowadays a record label is absolutely necessary? What extra can they give to you?

Scott Reeder: It's an imprint that Bob created for this band. I haven't payed attention to the business side of this thing, but apparently the consensus is that a record label is absolutely NOT necessary!

Rockbook: Your solo record, TunnelVision Brilliance came out in 2006. Are you planning to make other solo records as well?

Scott Reeder: I've been quietly putting out songs since then, one at a time on iTunes. There's another one I put on Soundcloud recently, as well. There's a two song release called "Weaver's Dawn" that includes "As We Become" that I wrote for my wife Renee to mark our twentieth wedding anniversary a few years back. That's definitely my favorite song I've ever done! There will be more, soon...
 

Scott Reeder - Thanks

Rockbook: What types of music do you listen to? Do you have any new favorites? New bands that you would recommend?

Scott Reeder: I'm usually so locked in to what I'm working on in my studio, that I don't hear anything from the outside world very much. I just had dinner with some of my Warwick bass family a few weeks ago - Rob Trujillo was rattling my cage a little, and inspired me to check out Jaco Pastorius for the first time - amazing! Been checking out other Warwick family stuff - I just got a solo record by Divinity Roxx, and delving into death metal a little bit - my friends Evan Brewer and Nick Shendzielos have sick, sick technique - it's been inspiring to hang out with these people and open my head up a bit! As for recording, I just had Crusade here at the ranch - it's an offshoot of Tenacious D. Killer 70's vibe - that one is going to be a great record!

Rockbook: You have been auditioned to such legends like Metallica and Tool. What could you tell us about these auditions? How did they go? How do you think, your life would differ from what it’s like today, if you had been chosen to be the bass player of one of these bands?

Scott Reeder: It was crazy to be asked by both of them! Both went really well - I just think my natural style is loose and noisy - I know I'm a square peg. I can reign it in, but I was being myself at both jams - you figure if they call you, they probably want you for what they've seen you do… I had a blast both times, and made lifelong friends. I don't think my life would be too much different if one of those had stuck. I live exactly where I want, I've got the studio… I think I would have been crabby being on the road too much. I love touring in small doses, but if I were staring at a two year tour itinerary…. ouch. The millions of dollars could have eased the pain a little, though, haha!

Rockbook: What would you change in your life, if you could go 20-25 years back in time?

Scott Reeder: I don't regret any decisions over the years - it's been an awesome trip with lots of side roads and detours. I think of people that my life might have been better without, but they taught me many valuable lessons as well. So, no - lets not change a thing!

Rockbook: How do you remember the KYUSS times? Did you live the ”rockstar”, ”party animal” life? Did you feel how influential your music was?

Scott Reeder: The Kyuss era was exciting! We didn't have any responsibility besides playing music. Yeah, things got a little crazy during those days - it was a
traveling party, and we got a little too good at it, haha! I still don't buy Into the "being an influence" thing. To me it was just a regular three piece band with a singer out front, but it was pretty loose - you never knew how it was going to go on any given night, which kept it exciting. The jams were always a little different - I guess that was a weird thing for a heavy rock band in those days? It blows me away that a few people still listen to it almost twenty years later!
 

Kyuss - One Inch Man

Rockbook: As I could see, you’re still friends with Josh. Has the huge success of Queens Of The Stone Age changed him?

Scott Reeder: Nope. Rapping out with him now feels just like it did twenty years ago, but better - we've grown up just a little bit. It's been great hanging at his gigs, too - the backstage is like a family reunion every time, seeing old friends and family.

Rockbook: Haven’t you ever been considered as a bass player of QOTSA?

Scott Reeder: I was invited to come into the studio when Josh and Alfredo were recording the first record, but my loyalty was with John.

Rockbook: Have you heard the new QOTSA album? What do you think of it?

Scott Reeder: I love the Queens' record - I told Josh it feels like music made by someone who really doesn't give a fuck who likes it - there's a freedom to go anywhere in that music.

Rockbook: Please tell us some words about the place where you live?

Scott Reeder: We live just outside a small town in Southern California, on a ranch in the foothills. We converted a second house here into a recording studio, so I can just walk a few feet to go to work in my pajamas. Perfect! We have many pets, including dogs, cats, horses, goats, parrots, peacocks… it's a lot of work, but they keep us out of trouble!

Rockbook: What message would you send to your Hungarian fans?

Scott Reeder: Well… I would just like to thank anyone who has listened to the music over the years that I've been very lucky to be a part of. There is new music now, and hopefully much more to come before my days are done.

Cheers!

Sun And Sail Club

Interview: M.G.