Sick Riffs #99: Scottish rockers Cold Years look set to release their eagerly anticipated debut album Paradise on September 4, but like many other bands, their subsequent touring schedule has been thrown into disarray as a result of COVID-19.
Fortunately however, the pandemic hit in an age where digital communication is easier than ever, and for today's episode of Sick Riffs, guitarist Finlay Urquhart has filmed a full playthrough of one of the record's tracks, Too Far Gone. So sit back, and watch him rip through the song's refreshingly upbeat guitar lines.
He plays a Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster electric guitar with Monty's 'Full Monty' pickups through an amp modeler emulating a Blackstar HT Club 50. He also runs through an EarthQuaker Devices Arrows boost pedal.
"Coronavirus has had a big effect on Cold Years and our plans for the year," Urquhart says. "As our debut album, Paradise, is being released this year, we had some pretty major touring plans in the pipeline to promote the album which, like all bands, we’ve had to postpone until the crisis is over. But in the grand scheme of things, there’s a lot more important stuff going on right now than a band’s record.
"On a personal level, I was fortunate enough to live with a friend who plays music, so we've shipped my entire guitar rig here (sorry, neighbors) and set up a studio space here which is keeping me occupied (along with an unhealthy amount of Netflix).
"Creatively, the past few months have been an opportunity to explore a lot of different styles and ideas that otherwise I may not have been able to. So I'm looking at the experience with a positive outlook, and I'm excited for the new material we've got on the table for Cold Years."
Support Cold Years
https://www.facebook.com/coldyearsband/
https://twitter.com/coldyearsband?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/coldyearsband/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZtJEUhGRi4jqpbhdNcmqnw
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zJB2KYIylCM6uPtl9R9yp
https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/cold-years/992883130
Sick Riffs is a Guitar World video series designed to help guitarists affected by the coronavirus. Self-isolating players around the world have each filmed a lesson where they teach you one of their own guitar riffs, up close and personal. If you dig the lesson, we encourage you to buy music and merch from the artist or stream their music.
