Heavy on the Bass: My Interview with Linda from Scorched Oak

I recently posted an interview I had with Linda from the German band, Scorched Oak. I initially interviewed her back May, but a whole series of technical issues kept me from publishing it. Thankfully, with the most recent Davinci Resolve upgrade, I was able to take care of the various audio and video problems the sometimes happen when you talk to someone from Europe.

Of all the great interviews I’ve done on the Clean and Sober Stoner YouTube channel in 2024, this one’s my favorite, for many reasons. First of all, Perception was one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year. Withering Earth was one of my favorite releases of 2020, and an inspiration to start reviewing albums. It took me a while to warm up to it, since I generally don’t like harsh vocals. Alternating between clean female vocals and harsh male vocals has been something of a cliché or the past 20 years, and I generally tune out after a while.

Linda would be the first to laugh at this, but I was extremely nervous and tentative when I asked for an interview.

Scorched Oak was, and is, different. For me, they’re a band that puts the song ahead of the technique or production. As I dove into the album, Withering Earth reveal layers they were missing on the first few listens. I became hooked, and nearly obsessed with the band. so, when I heard that Perception was on the release schedule back in March, it became my most highly anticipated release of the year.

I was not disappointed, since everything I loved about the last album was expanded on this one. Most of all, Linda’s vocals and bass playing seemed more confident, and took more risks. I became curious how this young generation, from Germany, had managed to maintain reverend for 50 years of heavy music and at the same time inject new life into it

Linda would be the first to laugh at this, but I was extremely nervous and tentative when I asked for an interview. To me, she is one of the best bass players in the business, one who could hold her own against many of the luminaries of the past, including John Paul Jones. She has the same melodic sense, and ability to display intensity while always maintaining solid technique.

So, I gathered up the courage, she graciously accepted, and seven months later it’s in a form I think is worth publishing. I think this interview will be a specially interesting for younger bass players in bands trying to figure out how to leave their own original mark in such a tried and true genre.