An Interview: Steve Molitz

J-man: You’ve shared the stage with some of the biggest names on the scene, who specifically have you played with that completely blew you away?

Steve: That's a tough question to answer because I've been fortunate to play with so many amazing musicians. One player that comes to mind is John Scofield. We played together at Mountain Jam 2007 with Phil Lesh & Friends (feat. Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, John Molo, and myself). I remember Sco took a guitar solo just by playing the harmonics of his strings, and I remember thinking that was such a classy move. I think it's really a challenge to have an original voice as a guitar player, and he's one of those players that you recognize after hearing just one note of his guitar.

J-man: Wow, how would you describe your playing?

Steve: Honest.

J-man: I see. Particle was hitting it hard around the early part of the decade, what happened at the end that slowed the group down to the few dates we currently see scheduled?

Steve: That's a tough question, because you'd probably get a different answer from each band member you asked! I suppose the simple answer is that we hit the road really hard for about six or seven years, and we wanted to allow ourselves the opportunity to explore other things in life. We all love Particle and will always want to play together, but right now we're also enjoying having the time to pursue other directions, both musically and personally.

2010 is our ten year anniversary, and we've been talking about getting together for a bunch of shows in the second half of the year to celebrate the music and more importantly; the fans. Keep in touch at particlepeople.com for tour dates, and hopefully we'll be heading your way soon!

J-man: Particle has gone through a handful of guitarists in it’s span, and seems to still be undecided; what is it about Particle that creates that revolving door and do you find it affects the music in a positive way in regards to guest musicians?

Steve: We never meant for it happen that way... I guess Particle and guitarists is like Spinal Tap and drummers! It's actually been a blessing in disguise because we've had the opportunity to share the stage with so many incredible players. To name a few: Dave Simmons, Charlie Hitchcock, Ben Combe, Scott Metzger, Josh Clark, Dan Lebowitz, Robby Krieger, Raul Pacheco, Michael Kang, etc... It's always such a blast to play off the energy of different players, and I think it's cool for the fans to get different perspectives on the songs, as well.

J-man: What has the “Transformation” and adding lyrics done for Particle‘s music?

Steve: Adding lyrics was something we always knew would happen when the time was right. Lyrics simply add another narrative layer to music, and it's been fun for us to explore that element over our sound...


J-man: You were slated to play some shows in a trio involving DJ Logic and Freakbass, can you tell me how that came about and what’s to come for that project?

Steve: I've played with Logic a lot over the years, and we recently met and jammed with Freekbass at a festival we were all playing. Since then, we've put a band together, and now we're about to hit the road for our first shows. Bootsy Collins named the band Headtronics, and although it's in the early stages, you can check out the website at: myspace.com/headtronics. We're all really excited about the music, and I think we're gonna offer the fans a new sound they haven't heard from any of us before...

Our debut concert is in Kansas City, MO 4/20, then we're off to St. Louis, MO 4/21, Louisville, KY 4/22, Huntington, WV 4/23, and Cincinnati, OH 4/24.

J-man: What are your thoughts on the festival scene as a whole; the community, the atmosphere, the opportunity?

Steve: I love the festivals. They offer the opportunity to discover so many new bands and friends. My favorite fests are the ones with really diverse lineups, because it's always so refreshing to see all the different types of fans getting turned on to new styles of music...

J-man: After Playing Dead music with Phil & Friends, Hydra (w/ Mickey Hart) and an incarnation of The Dead; Do you feel a connection to Dead music?

Steve: I really love and respect the music and philosophies of the Grateful Dead. It's the kind of thing that creeps into your soul slowly, maybe even without you even noticing... but then one day you're listening to Wharf Rat, and you realize that the music is in your bones; it speaks to your core. My heart will always sing the songs of the Dead...

J-man: Are you involved with any other projects currently, and if so can you tell me about them?

Steve: I've been writing and recording a lot of my own music recently, and I'm looking forward to releasing an album under my own name later this year...

J-man: Thanks for your time.

Steve: Thanks for reaching out and doing an interview with me for your site.

particlepeople.com

myspace.com/headtronics