Guitar Player
Author(s): Chris Gill
Feb 1996
WE thought it was going to be garage days forever," says Silverchair guitarist Daniel Johns. Little did he know that one of the first songs he ever wrote, the melodic Pearl Jam-meets-Helmet cruncher "Tomorrow," would become a hit not only in his Australian homeland but in the U.S. as well. "Three years ago we were doing Black Sabbath and led Zeppelin covers. We never even expected to get a record contract."
Silverchair's Epic debut Frogstomp is a heavy, dark-sounding record filled with riffs of doom and bitter lyrics. It's a surprisingly mature effort for a band whose three members are still in their mid-teens. "We're into heavy music," explains Johns. "We listen to Tool, the Rollins Band, and Quicksand. On this album we tried to make it louder than Pantera's latest album." However, Silverchair's secret weapon is their sharp sense of melody, which has earned them tons of radio play and a huge fan base.
"I'm not very good at the guitar," Johns apologizes when asked about his playing technique. His strengths are his rhythms and riffs, which he often discovers when experimenting with alternate tunings. Most of Frogstomp was recorded with Johns' green Paul Reed Smith tuned to dropped D, although he currently prefers to tune his D string up to A along with the dropped D.
Johns created the heavy tones on Frogstomp by playing through various amps connected in tandem, including a small Marshall combo. Onstage he prefers to use a 50- and a 100-watt Soldano head pumping four 4x12 cabinets. His only stompbox is an EQ pedal with the treble controls pegged that he uses to generate instant feedback.
Even though Frogstomp has reached double platinum status in Johns' homeland and platinum in the U.S., Daniel isn't overwhelmed by success. In fact, he's investing in vintage Fenders and Gretsches as protection for an uncertain tomorrow. "When I buy guitars, I try to buy older ones in good condition," he explains. "I only get them if I really like them. If I keep them in good condition I can sell them when I'm older if I need money, and I can get more than what I bought them for."