Kyle Ciarrocchi
Guam
Brand New Crescent Moon
facebook.com/theguamband
facebook.com/brandnewcrescentmoon
How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?
I started seriously playing guitar when I was 11 years old, then joined School of Rock when I was 14, and have been performing since. I always was exposed to great music that my dad showed me, his favorites (which I grew up on) like The Grateful Dead and The Beatles. The first rock band he really got me hooked on was actually KISS and I wanted to be like Ace Frehley. It’s evolved since then to make me who I am today.
Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?
Like I said, I always knew the Grateful Dead since I was born since my dad was a massive Deadhead, so I always looked up to Jerry Garcia as a massive influence. I also really dig Trey Anastasio, Jimmy Page, Ed Van Halen and George Harrison. I think those players all combine to create the style and tone I have evolved into.
What drew you to using pedals initially? Have you been using them throughout your playing career? How have pedals helped to shape your sound, or influence the style that you’ve created?
I love using pedals to tell musical stories. I use them to give my playing different emotions or feelings. What drew me to give pedals a try was when I heard the wah pedal in ‘Burning of the Midnight Lamp’ by Hendrix – it blew my mind how a guitar made those sounds, and I have been hooked since.
What’s your current setup look like? Take us through your pedal rig (feel free to include amps and instruments as well if you’d like):
My rig is always pretty similar with certain things changing in and out really as I do with the vibe or feeling I’m going for… but at the moment I go whatever guitar I’m using into a custom built buffer, into a Mu-Tron envelope filter (which i got because of my eternal love for Jerry Garcia), into a standard 6 band eq pedal, into another custom built unity gain (stratoblaster) type circuit, into a compressor, a MXR Super Badass Distortion, a Boss Super Overdrive, then a TC Electronic Nova Repeater, then into my reverbs, one being a custom analog reverb pedal that I got from a shop in Toms River, NJ, and then a Danelectro Spring King for my surfy stuff.
After that I have another buffer for some reason at the end – I’m not even sure if it makes a difference, but it makes me feel nice knowing it’s there, making my tone all cool and authentic. And lastly, all that goes into a 1950’s hi-fi tube amp from Boston, into a custom cab (again from the guys in Toms River). Sort of a mess, but I understand it and that’s all that really matters about YOUR rig, you know?
Favorite type of pedal (drive, delay, fuzz, etc. – more than one answer is always acceptable!):
Reverb!!!!! I think reverb can really change the feeling of what your playing and create a sense of being inside the music your playing, which I think is a cool feeling for whoever listening that they don’t even realize.
You’re stranded on a desert island – which three (3) of the following do you want to have?
Instruments: My Phred Dockstar, a 56 strat and any acoustic guitar that works.
Amps: Fender Twin Reverb, Mesa Boogie Mark V, and some weird boutique amp that’s sea foam green, to accent the island!
Pedals: TC Electronic Nova Repeater, a Tube Ccreamer, and the Strymon Big Sky reverb
What’s up next for you/your band(s)?
Well, my band Guam’s first studio effort will be coming out this summer. It was supposed to come out a long while ago but shit happens. Im really excited for people to hear it and I really think its a vibe that people will dig and relate to. At least i hope so! But yeah be on the look for that if you want, it will be here this summer.
The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?
What the hell is a Klon?
Any last comments, promos or anything you’d like to talk about?
I thank you guys for being interested enough in me to read this, I appreciate it and am very humbled. I hope everyone is feeling alright and i hope everyone is finding joy in being themselves and being unique. That’s what life’s all about, just make it whatever you can, because in the end, your mind is YOUR reality. Peace!
Thanks so much to Kyle for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out WEBSITE HERE, and check their tour page to see when they’re headed to a town near you! Cheers!
Check out some of our other interviews here:
Marco Benevento (Marco Benevento Trio, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Benevento/Russo Duo)
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August 7, 2018
NFA! Very cool kid. Me and my wife have seen BNCM a few times, hes always great!