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Sometimes with dedication, persistence and hard work dreams can come true and guitarist Brad Fernquist is living proof of this philosophy. At the young age of 17, Brad left his high school, earned his GED and started regional touring with cover bands. It was during these late nights playing bars that Brad developed and perfected his skills, technique and the unique ability to emulate the style of almost any guitarist he wished.
Over the years, Brad has become one of the most sought after guitarist in pop rock music. He has performed with Lisa Marie Presley, Michelle Branch, Hilary Duff, The New Radicals and Fastball. He has recorded with Carlos Santana and played almost all the lead guitar work on Paul Stanley’s soon to be released solo CD. And when the Goo Goo Dolls decided to hire a new guitarist for their upcoming tour, Brad was their man.
So because of his impressive resume, we decided to hook up with Brad and get the insight on his inspiring and fascinating career. So, without further adieu, here he is - the star behind the guitar - Brad Fernquist.
Brad, first off, I want to congratulate you in hooking up with the Goo Goo Dolls. How did you get involved with them and were you a fan of the band before you joined up with them?
Well, thank you. I first meet up with them in 1998 when I was with the New Radicals and we were touring with the Goo Goo Dolls. And yes, I’m definitely a fan, they are a great rock n’ roll band with great songs and it has been fun so far playing with them.
Did you have to audition first to get in?
No, mainly because of the fact that they knew me from the New Radicals and also from seeing me from time to time with some other artists that I toured with. We would bump into one in other. So they knew me and I didn’t have to audition. I just came down to rehearsal and it worked out well.
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How long have you been with them and did you play on the new CD “Let Love In”?
No, I didn’t play on the CD. I just joined the band within the last month. We’ve been rehearsing for an upcoming tour for the last couple of weeks.
I‘ve seen the Goo Goo Dolls perform many times and they sometimes change or add breaks to their songs. Do you have any input in what you play or are the songs already laid out for you?
It’s kind of a little bit of both actually. We definitely work up stuff together. With the old songs there is definitely a frame work there. They have been playing some of those songs for quite a while now. But some of the stuff they wanted to change up a little bit to keep it fresh for us and the audience. On the new stuff, a lot of it we worked out, it’s going to sound like the CD of course. But on some of the songs, it was like John might sound better playing this and I might sound better playing something, it was kind of like that. But we definitely work it out together as we go along.
How do you view John as a guitarist?
He’s great. He’s very creative, he has good ideas and gets a lot of great sounds.
I think that his guitar playing is vastly overlooked. He uses a lot of alternative tuning. Does that make it difficult for you at all? Do you have to use a lot of guitars to get through a show?
It’s not really a problem. Sometimes while he’s playing in an alternative tuning, I can still use standard tuning, but sometimes I have to use an alternative tuning myself. So yes, between the two of us, there are a lot of guitars.
It must be a bit of a nightmare for the guitar tech, especially at the beginning of a tour.
Yeah, they are definitely busy and have their hands full, that’s for sure. We switch guitars on almost every song.
So when is the band planning on hitting the road again?
Well, a promo tour in which we play theaters and clubs is being planned right now. In summer we are planning to play sheds. (Shortly after the interview it was announced that the Goo Goo Dolls will be co-headlining a tour with the Counting Crows)
The new Goo Goo Dolls CD “Let Love In” is scheduled to come out on April 25. I read that the band really took some chances with it. Can you tell us a little about the CD, is it a little more of a rock CD or is it more of a Soccer mom CD?
It’s definitely a rock record, but it’s moody and has a little more depth to it. The guitars are loud, but they are not in your face. It’s really cool and a little different from what they have done in the past. It sounds like them, but they go a little deeper.
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I can’t wait to hear it. Another one of my favorite artists that you have worked with is Paul Stanley of KISS. You worked with him on his soon-to-be-released solo record, right?
Yes, I did. I played almost all the leads on his record. I also played some rhythm guitar. That was a really great experience. He was totally fun to hang out with and he was funny. I meet him before briefly but never spent any time with him, so I didn’t know what he was like or what to expect. But he turned out to be a great guy to be around. And the music is very cool.
What does it sound like?
Well, I’m younger, so I think that he brought me in because he wanted it to sound more like modern rock. If it does sound like Kiss, it’s because it’s Paul Stanley. But it’s modern rock, it does have some heavy tunes and a couple of laid back ballads. But overall it sounds very modern.
Did you co-write any of the material with him?
No, no definitely not. Basically what happened is I worked for an artist that Doc McGee managed and he called me in and Paul liked my playing and from there it just worked out.
Wow, what a great gig that must have been. There are probably 30 million guitarists out there that would have killed for the chance to play on Paul Stanley’s new upcoming release.
Yeah, it was pretty cool. To be honest because I’m younger, I kind of missed out on the whole Kiss thing. I knew the obvious songs and hits and stuff like that, but I kind of missed the whole big Kiss thing. But even so, I still knew who Kiss and Paul Stanley were, but I didn’t grow up learning Ace Frehley riffs or anything like that. But don’t get me wrong, it was definitely cool working with him, I had to pinch myself a few times to prove that I wasn’t dreaming. It was fun. He was a very cool guy to work with.
Do you consider yourself a Kiss fan now after working with him?
Definitely. I actually had a chance, because I was out on the road touring, and got a chance to see my first Kiss show a couple summers ago in either Houston or Dallas. And I totally got it. I was like WOW, this is like the biggest show I’ve ever seen. And I’ve been to a lot of big shows. It had you interested from the beginning to the end. The guys in the Goo Goo Dolls are big Kiss fans as well and I’ve learned a lot about Kiss through those guys. But, after seeing their show, I would buy tickets in a second to watch them play again.
In addition to playing with the Goo Goo Dolls and Paul Stanley, you’ve also toured with the biggest rockstar of all time’s daughter -Lisa Marie Presley’s band. You really have a very impressive resume.
Oh, thank you, thanks.
What was it like playing in a band with Lisa Marie? I know her records have not sold as well as many expected. But, in her defense, she does put out good material, it just doesn’t sell for some reason.
Yeah, I don’t get it. It is kind of puzzling to me. I thought the music was really good. I think she has some amazing songs. She’s Elvis’ daughter and she obviously doesn’t need to do this to make money. She does it because she enjoys it. She doesn’t have to do it, but she still goes out on tour, and touring with her was actually one of my favorite experiences period. She was really, really cool and very down to earth. Touring with her was surreal and I really enjoyed the whole experience.
I think her problem in obtaining commercial success is that she is just too high profile. People just don’t give her a chance.
Yeah, you’re right. But she’s a great person to hang out with, the tour was really a lot of fun. She was really good to everybody. A lot of times after the shows she would rent out a club and invite the fans and just hang out and talk to them for hours. It was really amazing, I’ve never seem anyone do that before.
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You have been writing with all these other artists, have you had any time to write material for yourself?
I will release a solo CD at some point, hopefully within the year. I’ve been working on it on and off for years. It’s just that I’ve been so busy working with other artists that it pulls me away from doing that. But my CD will be more guitar oriented, I’m not trying to get a record deal or anything like that. It will be for people interested in hearing me play guitar for me, not guitar for other people.
I can’t wait to hear it. The final question I have for you before you hit the rehearsal studio is, what advice do you have for a musician interested in having a career like yours, playing with the big stars?
Work hard, practice hard, keep your ears open. Learn how people are getting sounds. Get your time, touch and tone down. I played in cover bands for years, and that helped me a lot. I was playing in bar bands when I was 15, I never had a regular job, I was able to squeak by playing out. It was playing in cover bands were I learned how to get my sound down.
Well Brad, thanks again for your time, I’m looking forward to seeing you on the road with the Goo Goo Dolls.
Thank you, Thomas.
www.bradfernquist.com www.googoodolls.com BUY GOO GOO DOLLS MERCH HERE
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