Lo Moon’s Sam Stewart: “I do session work in LA for producers and artists, and they always want me to bring my Gretsch”
Sam Stewart takes us behind the guitars and tones on Lo Moon’s cinematic new album, A Modern Life, and explains how the Edge invented the spacious guitar rulebook
Lo Moon’s sound is a wide, cinematic, layered soundscape that’s drawing comparisons with Talk Talk, Coldplay and Sigur Rós.
With their latest album, A Modern Life, they’ve honed it into a unique balance of acoustic and electric guitars, drums, bass and synth. “It’s more of a collaborative record,” says guitarist Sam Stewart. “And more of a guitar record as well.”
The range of Stewart’s playing is masterful – one moment counterpointing melodies with delicate, spacey arpeggios, the next propelling a chorus with stadium-sized lead lines.
“When what we’re working on has made me think of a song or a band I like, I’ll grab two or three pedals that will get me in that zone,” he says. “Oftentimes it doesn’t sound like whoever I was trying to emulate, but it yields something interesting.”
Sam relies on a range of effects to get his sound. “Like every guitar player that’s come after The Edge, I’m a big fan of delay and reverb,” he explains.
“I found my way to the Edge much later on; my guitar heroes were Graham Coxon and Jonny Greenwood, people like that. Later on I was like, ‘If everyone else likes U2, then I should probably listen to them.’ And I realised, ‘Oh he invented all this stuff.’ So, I really like delays, reverbs, choruses and weird modulation.”
Sam’s favourite guitars include a unique 1962 Gretsch given to him by his father Dave Stewart, who became famous in 80s pop duo Eurythmics.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
“I think it’s a Country Club,” Sam says, “and the colour, Cadillac Green, is really cool. I used to play that live with my old band, but then I realised that it was a bit risky to keep bringing it to clubs and stuff, because it might get lost or stolen.
“I actually did damage it once, that was horrific. It’s a studio guitar now. I do session work in LA for producers and artists, and they’re always like, ‘Bring your Gretsch.’”
For Lo Moon’s forthcoming tour opening for The War On Drugs, Sam has found a new obsession. “It’s a ’73 Fender Tele Deluxe, with two humbuckers, and it sounds awesome.
“I don’t really know the differences between pickups, but any time I’d watch a live video and there was guitar tone that sounded great going through loads of effects, it tended to be a guitar with humbuckers. So I went into a guitar shop and there was this Tele that looked particularly cool, kind of coffee-coloured, and it just sounded completely different to the other Teles – like, beefy! So that’s what I’m using on this tour.”
- A Modern Life is out now via Strngr Recordings.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
“I haven't used the Big Muff since 1993. I don’t use that many pedals anymore, but I use them live”: Billy Corgan shares his pedalboard secrets, including the $1,000 pedal he stole from his dad
“I bought it off a druggie – which I feel terrible about”: From his beloved '59 Strat to his stable of ultra-delicate steampunk guitars, Rick Springfield discusses his guitar journey, and his mission to buy up every instrument he had to part with