TEN QUESTIONS WITH Eric Schenkman of The Spin Doctors
Rob – Here we go Eric! FINALLY, we get to do our Ten Question with you. How have you been?
Eric – I’ve been good thanks
Rob – I have been reading a lot about your Action Sound Band. Are you still playing with the Spin Doctors?
Eric – Yes, I still play with the Spin Doctors
Rob – One of the surprising things, at least for me, is that you are considered a Blues guitarist. If I were to make a playlist of the “90’s” sound, the Doctors would have to be on that list. I wouldn’t consider the band a “Blues” band.
Eric – Spin Doctors is not necessarily a blues band, but we started as a blues band. Blues at the root of a lot of our music. Blues is at the root of improvised music as well. Plus, the fact that the electric guitar owes huge psychic debt to the blues. So yeah, I’m a blues guitarist. And I happen to be part of the 90’s sound.
Rob – The band hasn’t released anything album related since 2013. Not to sound terse, but why?
Eric – We have a record in the can that we recorded last February it’s already to go. But because of some old contract issues, we’ve had trouble getting it out.
Rob – In doing my research, which I am not good at doing, I read that you have a bunch of material that was never released? Are there plans to bring any of that material out?
Eric – It will be out this year I wish it was out already it’s fucking good. Hopefully, we are planning on releasing the new record next year.
Rob – I also looked at your 2023 Spin Doctors tour schedule. First, it said you all were playing an upcoming gig in July in PA and then in August in…Poland?
Eric – Yeah, the schedule this year is a little bit less than ideal at the moment but as I mentioned we’ve had trouble getting a new record out and I think that’s affected our booking for this year…last year was super busy so hopefully it will pick up.
Rob – From all my guitarist friends that I know, any music conversation must include what guitar you are playing, interesting chord progressions, or specific tunings you do. So, just so they don’t chastise me for not asking, can you go into what your set up is like?
Eric – Yeah, so my set up is pretty simple. I use a few pedals as possible. I usually have a couple of boosts a clean one & a dirty one, a Wah Wah, and a phase shifter. I use 2 amplifiers Live, a vox ac30, and a fender bandmaster. With the doctors live I use a Gibson sg.
Rob – We talk at Masters Radio about the differences or changes in how music is treated now compared to the past. All of us talk about the liner notes and reading them whenever a new album came out back when we were young. What album liner notes were you reading when you were young?
Eric – Liner notes? Not really a thing for me. Pictures though, I used to study those records.
Rob – What can you tell me about “Who Shot John”? And, can you share with our readers the link so that they can buy the album?
Eric –’Who Shot John?’ is my solo thing from a couple years back. I play every week in Toronto on Wednesdays at a little dive bar called Grossman’s that’s been there forever. I decided I need some songs that I sing, so I made a record of songs that I’ve written or cowritten that aren’t Spin Doctors related and proceeded to start singing them out live which I love to do.
Occasionally, I will do a spin doctor song here and there but basically, I just save that for the Spin Doctors gigs. ‘Who Shot John?’ Is more a groovin blues rock vibe with some zydeco thrown in.
Rob – My last question is a weird one, if you were to list the best three decades for music, what would they be and why?
Eric – The 40s for bebop, The 50s for cool, and The 70s for platform shoes!