Get Yer Pedals Out: Starring Shana Falana

I couldn't quite tell you why, but for the longest time I've been somewhat moderately obsessed with pedals. Since I'm no guitarist I don't really have a valid reason for this, other than the fact that they both make pretty noises and are rather nice to look at. Much, really, like the folks who use them. I've decided to turn my inexplicable pedal fancy into Fuzzy Logic fodder, and I do hope you'll enjoy my foray into the ins and outs of pedal worship.

It's pretty hard not to be entranced by the music of Shana Falana. After all, this super sweet lady has a knack for making some ferociously feel-good, warm fuzzy fuzz with serious noisemaking capacity. The lovely Miss Falana also happens to have one heck of an impressive pedalboard, making her an ideal candidate to have a chinwag about pedals with. Enjoy, fellow pedal heads!   

Fuzzy Logic: Which pedal is your very favorite and why?
Shana Falana: Catalinbread Echorec (my gold one), it has the most amazing delay and shimmery swelling sounds, it's also probably my most "shoegazing" pedal, I used it on all my 2nd guitar parts for this record we just made (along with a tone booster).

FL: Favorite chord?
SF: I play in a weird open tuning, DADFAD...play that open and that's my favorite chord!

FL: Who's your guitarist icon?
SF: PJ Harvey, all her earlier records (anything pre-White Chalk) are so mind blowing, she is why I started playing electric guitar (vs. acoustic) I was trying to learn all the songs off of her 4-track demo album, her timing, her tone, blues vibe. But if I could squeeze in one more, I'd also have to say that the Cramps guitarist Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace) was a major influence. They turned me onto reverb!

FL: With all the pedals out there, how do you decide which ones to procure?
SF: Oh man RIIIIGHT?!!! It's so true...honestly, I try and find a pedal nerd working in a music store to set me up with their favorite pedals and then I just lock myself in a room, and like you would with trying on clothes, I bring pedals in and out of the room..."yes, no," then I also go online and listen to some cheeseball play on these pedal websites on yYoutube... I discovered the Afterneath pedal by Earthquaker by listening to the Marc Maron podcast!! I literally pulled over to write down the name of the pedal because it was so authentic. I also learn when I'm recording with Dan Goodwin, our producer, he has more pedals then anyone I know, and knows how to use them. I watch him tweak stuff when we are recording, that's how I came to love my POG 2 (which Mike got me last year for Xmas). My friend Matthew Cullen has a Ravish Sitar Guitar pedal, and everytime I wanted that sound I would need him to come over and record, he's so busy recording other bands so I just had to get one off Ebay. Those things are crazy, I still haven't figured it out and still want him to come and play it!

FL: What's your dream pedal?
SF: Honestly, I had my dream pedal and stupidly sold it years ago when I needed the money...thank God to a friend, but I'm never getting it back from him. It's the Sovtek, green Big Muff fuzz pedal, they go for $300 and up, and knock-offs or variations aren't the same, they are such a specific sound. I used to use that as my ONLY pedal back in the day...I see them on Ebay but I just haven't gotten myself one, I don't know why...I almost spent that much on my Earthquaker Hoof Reaper, it's a great fuzz pedal too, not like the Muff though, nothing is like it. It's like I'm punishing myself for selling it in the first place!



[posted 4.19.16]

[photo copyright Megan Petty]