Scott Gorham

Get a groove first.

I never start writing with the actual riffs or harmonies or lyrics. For me, the start to a song is the groove itself. If I can make myself nod my head in time and make my foot tap I know I’m onto something. You need that base right off the bat so everybody can cling onto it and start adding their parts. I don’t have drum machines or anything in my office, so it’s all in my head.

You don’t need to work face to face anymore.

For the latest Black Star Riders album, , we couldn’t get together to write because we live so far apart. Christian (Martucci, guitarist) was on tour with Stone Sour, and he always carries around a recording system with him on the bus. He said, ‘Listen, why don’t all you guys send me your ideas, your riffs and your chord patterns, and while I’m out on the road I’ll try to glue these things together.’ I was like, ‘That’s not gonna f*ckin’ work! We gotta be eyeballing each other.’ But I sent him over