Fueling The Flame

Robin Zander on his playing dynamic with Rick Nielsen

What’s the secret behind your songwriting chemistry?

“When it comes to Rick’s songs, I try to be part of it – almost like an actor playing a part in a movie. You read the lyrics and hear the melody, if certain things don’t fit me, then we change them round until they do. We try to stay to the core of that story and confess things the way they should be done. Over the years, I’ve gotten pretty good at doing it! And the same goes for Rick. If there’s a part that doesn’t ring a bell within him, he’ll tweak it until it does. Rick is a prolific songwriter, so for me it’s hard to get a word in edgeways. I have to fight twice as hard!”

Working with such a wildly unpredictable guitarist must sure keep you on your toes…

“I think Rick has a knack for his personality coming through his fingers! He really has all this emotion and can express it in his guitar playing like no other. Anyone that’s seen him or met him will know there’s a wild craziness about him that comes through how he plays. You have to remember he comes from a musical family, his dad had a guitar shop… in fact, the first guitar I ever bought was from his dad! So he’s been around musical instruments his whole life and that helps when you’re young and being exposed to all this stuff. His dad was a genius: an orchestra leader, an opera singer, a wonderful guy that I knew well. That’s one of the reasons music ended up seeping into his soul.”

How do your guitar heroes differ to his?

“Mine would probably be more rhythm-oriented guitar players like Keith Richards or George Harrison. That’s more in my vein, because I really don’t solo the way most guitar hero types do. I prefer the more basic stuff because I’ve got a good rhythm – and I think that makes up for my inabilities.”

And as for longevity – any tips on safeguarding musical relationships?

“I’ll tell you one thing that’s worked well for us – we stay out of each other’s way. You don’t shit in someone else’s backyard! We don’t even go to each other’s homes, let alone messing with each other’s friends. It’s a good idea to keep it based on the music you make together and not your personal life. It’s that musical super glue that keeps us together, after all! With the Christmas record we just finished up before this tour, we’ll have made three albums in the last 18 months.”