ROCKET Interviews Guitarist Tommy Richeson of TEJASMOSIS

ROCKET: Where were you born and raised?

TOMMY: I was born in Canton, Ohio. I moved to Arlington, Texas when I was 8 year old, and I’ve been here ever since.

ROCKET: Awesome, brother. Do you recall your first rock concert?



TOMMY: My first rock concert was in 1983. I saw Pantera at The Southern Palace at Six Flags in Arlington, Texas.

ROCKET: Kick ass! When did you first start playing the guitar?

TOMMY: When I was 11 or 12. My friend Thom Snellings gave me the Metal Magic album (on vinyl of course) and when I saw Darrell on the back cover, I knew right then what I wanted to do.

ROCKET: Who are some of your biggest playing influences?

TOMMY: Some of the players that influenced me the most were guys like George Lynch, Warren DiMartini, Glen Tipton, Randy Rhoads, Scott Ian, (just to name a few) and obviously Darrell Abbott was the guy that had the most influence.




ROCKET: How did Tejasmosis band come together?

TOMMY: I met Jeff Miller – rhythm guitar and vocals – when we were in Jr High School. we started jamming back then. We always had the idea, that someday we’d start a metal band. But, as it does, life happened, and we both were set on different paths. However, when I got a job working at the same company that Jeff was working at, well, IT WAS ON! And then, one day, out of the blue, I got a call from our drummer Brad Postlewate. And we’ve been rockin’ ever since.

ROCKET: Congrats on winning TMD’s 3rd annual Battle of The “Unsigned” band contest. How does that feel?

TOMMY: I was very excited about this deal because it seemed to be just the right timing for us as a band to take the next step… and since the next step was finding a label… it seemed like a “no brainer”. The Metal Den Records was willing to take a chance on us, by promoting and distributing the EP for us. We feel it was the right choice.



ROCKET: What can you tell the fans about the EP? What is the title and when is it being released?

TOMMY: It’s due for release on July 9th. The EP is called Diatribe. It’s definitely heavy with lots of rhythm. Hard to compare to anything that’s out there. Got some slammin’, complicated riffs, as well as the groove that we grew up listening to. We’re really anxious about this CD because we work so hard on getting it the way we want it. We’ve dealt with a couple of recording studios in the past, that just didn’t get it. They had no idea how to deal with a metal band. And the final product just sucked! But this time, we found a place that catered to the band and our brand of music. So the excitement factor is off the charts.

ROCKET: How does the songwriting process work for this band?

TOMMY: It is hard to describe the actual process. Usually, it goes something like this. Jeff or I, come in with a riff and play it for the other, and that will usually ignite a spark. Then, it’s off to the races. Trading riffs, back and forth, until we’ve found our groove. And Jeff has so many riffs in his “rifftionary” that he’s not gonna stop until we’re through.

ROCKET: What kind of guitars are you playing currently live and in the studio?

TOMMY: I use Dean ML’s exclusively in the studio and live. They’re the most comfortable guitars for me to play.

ROCKET: What kind of amp rigs?

TOMMY: I’ve had lots of different rigs. Right now I’m using the Line6 Spider HD 150 with my Zoom GuT 7.1 footswitch that I’ve modified to fit the sound that I like. and I’m very happy with it.



ROCKET: How many hours do you practice on the guitar daily?

TOMMY: 3-4 hrs. I have to get at least an hour a day, or I feel like I’m slackin’! Since we all work regular jobs, it’s hard to always have that 3-4 hrs to spend. But daily practice is a must!

ROCKET: Hell yeah! So who are some of the other bands from the underground metal scene that you think deserve a mention?

TOMMY: I really like “Another Texas Murder Scene”, “Klause”, “Volume Dealer” and I still listen to one of my favorites, who are on hiatus, from Hays Ks. “Grin”.

ROCKET: What are some of the upcoming shows for Tejasmosis we need to watch out for?

TOMMY: There are a few shows we have coming up soon, but the one I’m looking most forward to is the CD release show in July. You can check the website, Tejasmosis.com or our Tejasnation page on facebook to concert info.

ROCKET: Any last words for your biggest supporters?

TOMMY: To our supporters.. we fondly refer to them as “Tejastages”. We love you folks! We hope to make something out of this for y’all as much as we want it for ourselves. Thanks for always supporting us! You Guys Rock!

http://www.facebook.com/puretexasmetal

http://themetaldenrecords.com/