"If you don’t know who Keith Merrow is, let me take the opportunity to welcome you to The Number Of The Blog. (I’m assuming that you’re new here, because I talk about Keith’s music ALL THE TIME.) In seriousness, Keith is an extremely talented guitarist who has released an EP and an album for free. He also recently gained sponsorship from luthier extraordinaire Bernie Rico Jr., son of the legendary B.C. Rich. As a big fan, I was pretty excited to get this interview with Keith, in which we discuss his influences, what he’s got coming up, and sausage."
State your name, rank, and serial number.
Keith Edward Merrow. Rank- Officer. Serial Number- TK-421
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a 30 year old husband and father from Portland, Oregon. I’m a pretty average Joe, despite the fact that I’m extremely introverted and anti-social. I’m one of those guys who just works and sleeps. In my “rare” free time (weekends), I write music in my home studio as a break from the daily grind. I’ve been playing music for about 17 years. I enjoy playing pretty much any musical instrument, but have always been drawn to guitar as my primary focus. I began recording and producing my own music around 2001, and have grown to enjoy that aspect almost as much as songwriting/playing.
What are some of your major musical influences?
I always have to give props to Tony Iommi for this question. When I was growing up, my Dad used to play old Sabbath records all the time. I loved it so much and still do. The first time I heard the Master Of Reality album, I knew I wanted to play guitar. The distorted, down-tuned guitars just had me hooked from the first time I heard it. There is no denying that it was the main reason I decided to pick up a guitar. I was about 13 at the time.
I went from there to the typical metal bands that were popular back then- Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Sepultura, Exodus, Pantera, Crowbar… bands like that. I went through a long period of time where I listened to nothing but Death Metal (all through high school). I was really into bands like Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, Obituary, Deicide, Suffocation, Death, etc. Bands like that pretty much honed me, musically. So I’d have to say they were my main influence.
These days, I listen to pretty much anything, but can’t say I’m directly influenced by it. I’m really digging on bands like Mastodon, Gojira, BTBAM, Necrophagist, VoM, The Faceless, Job for a Cowboy (newer), Opeth, NEVERMORE… then of course, my “Djenty” brethren- Chimp Spanner (Paul is amazing), Periphery, Cloudkicker and the like. Also- Dick Dale kicks ass. His music is brilliant and I really admire his outlook on the music industry. Big props to that dude.
What made you decide to release your music for free?
Well, while it is technically free, I have accepted donations for the albums from the start. So far, that’s proven to be a really good idea. It lets the listener put their own value on the music and It also shows me that people still have enough integrity to pay for music that they enjoy. Not only that, a great majority of the gear, website, etc. is paid for by people who have donated and allows me to continue to do this without making my family suffer financially. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am for that!
Is there anything on your iPod/other non-Apple mp3 player that might surprise people?
Not unless you’re surprised by the fact that my player is full to the brim with metal.
You recently got an endorsement deal with Bernie Rico Jr., including a custom guitar. Here’s your chance to really earn that endorsement! How is that working out for you?
Oh man, I could write a book here. The whole experience so far has been completely mind blowing. Bernie is the last of a dying breed. There aren’t many luthiers out there anymore who craft hand-built custom guitars with that level of detail. I am SO STOKED to be a part of that team. The guitars are absolutely amazing, honestly. Not to mention, Bernie is literally one of the funniest dudes I’ve ever met. He’s great to work with and he’s someone I consider to be a good friend. I don’t think anyone has been more supportive than he has. If you’ve ever considered having a custom guitar built, you wouldn’t regret going BRJ.. just for the experience of dealing with that crazy-ass beaner! LOL. (Yeah Bernie, that’s for all the times you’ve called me a fag!). Nothing but love B!
So, now that you are starting to make a name for yourself, what are your plans for the future? Do you plan to maybe make the Merrow Project a touring band? Do you have any other bands/projects that you’re working on?
I’m pretty much still doing what I’ve done for years- writing and recording music that I enjoy playing. I’d love to make a full touring project out of it, if I could only find the right musicians and have enough time to dedicate myself to it on that level. As for side projects… nothing solid at the moment. Paul Ortiz and I have been talking for a long time (and even started writing), but it seems that we are both way too busy to be able to make it work at this time. One of these days, Blimp Stabber… one of these days!
One of our readers, the cleverly-named Euraphag, wants to know if you’d ever try out for Nevermore, who apparently are in need of another guitarist.
Well, without giving out too many details… I have been contacted by Century Media with mention of this, and a few other really cool possibilities. But I can’t really say at this point. That would be amazing for sure! I frickin’ LOVE NEVERMORE! Pray for meh!
What steps have you taken to prepare for the coming zombie apocalypse?
What do you mean? When the horde of bloodthirsty zombies attack, I’ll be standing in the middle of the street waiting to have my innards ripped out. I’d rather be “turned” so I can play for the winning team. BRAINS.
So… do you have any new music coming up soon? We’d love to hear the new guitar in action, needless to say…
Oh yes, I have some stuff in the works. Very soon!
Do you do the artwork for your album covers? They have a distinctly sci-fi look to them, which is a nice touch.
I only wish I could generate art like that! The album cover was done by the awesome Christian Hecker at Tigaer Design. I love his work so much and he was cool enough to let me use some of it to represent my album.
Who, in your opinion, is the greatest movie villain of all time?
Predator! (I guess he’s a villain… I mean, he collects skulls as trophies.) How metal is that?!
Better sci-fi: Star Trek or Star Wars?
Pfft, seriously? I like Star Trek… but really now… I am a HUGE Star Wars dork. Have you seen pics of my studio? My Vader guitar, perhaps?
Do you prefer sausage links or sausage patties?
I’m all about the links. BBQ’d, even.
More adorable: kittens or puppies?
I can’t stand cats. Had dogs all my life! My dog is the best.
Any unknown artists/friends that you think we should know about? This is your chance to pimp your friends!
Well most of my musical buddies are pretty well known. If you’ve listened to my music, you’ve surely heard of Paul Ortiz (Chimp Spanner), Nolly (Red Seas Fire), Misha (Periphery)… Great guys, exceptional guitar players! I’d also love to note that my brother, Chris, is an insane drummer. I wish him and I could jam again, but he’s got a lot going on with non-musical things. I’ve been trying to get him to let me put his drumming on YouTube, because he’s just a nasty player!
What’s the strangest experience you’ve had in the last year?
Hmnn, nothing strikes me as strange these days. But I got a totally random text message from someone that just said “I just got laid by a chick with 3 nipples, life is good”. I don’t know who sent it or why, but it made me think of that bartender in Total Recall with 3 tits.
If you could sucker punch any one figure in history, who would it be?
Nicholas Cage. I dunno why, he just pisses me off THAT much. He’s one of those guys you can just look at and instantly want to punch in the face.
Any final thoughts, words of advice, or random gibberish?
Thanks for the interview and support, it means a lot to me. If anyone reading is on Facebook, look me up. I’m always down to BS with people. I also serve cookies there. You know your fat ass likes cookies.
Words of advice- Never be afraid to put your music on the internet. Even if you think it sucks!
Many thanks to Keith for putting up with my weird-ass questions!
From Number Of The Blog
State your name, rank, and serial number.
Keith Edward Merrow. Rank- Officer. Serial Number- TK-421
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a 30 year old husband and father from Portland, Oregon. I’m a pretty average Joe, despite the fact that I’m extremely introverted and anti-social. I’m one of those guys who just works and sleeps. In my “rare” free time (weekends), I write music in my home studio as a break from the daily grind. I’ve been playing music for about 17 years. I enjoy playing pretty much any musical instrument, but have always been drawn to guitar as my primary focus. I began recording and producing my own music around 2001, and have grown to enjoy that aspect almost as much as songwriting/playing.
What are some of your major musical influences?
I always have to give props to Tony Iommi for this question. When I was growing up, my Dad used to play old Sabbath records all the time. I loved it so much and still do. The first time I heard the Master Of Reality album, I knew I wanted to play guitar. The distorted, down-tuned guitars just had me hooked from the first time I heard it. There is no denying that it was the main reason I decided to pick up a guitar. I was about 13 at the time.
I went from there to the typical metal bands that were popular back then- Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Sepultura, Exodus, Pantera, Crowbar… bands like that. I went through a long period of time where I listened to nothing but Death Metal (all through high school). I was really into bands like Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, Obituary, Deicide, Suffocation, Death, etc. Bands like that pretty much honed me, musically. So I’d have to say they were my main influence.
These days, I listen to pretty much anything, but can’t say I’m directly influenced by it. I’m really digging on bands like Mastodon, Gojira, BTBAM, Necrophagist, VoM, The Faceless, Job for a Cowboy (newer), Opeth, NEVERMORE… then of course, my “Djenty” brethren- Chimp Spanner (Paul is amazing), Periphery, Cloudkicker and the like. Also- Dick Dale kicks ass. His music is brilliant and I really admire his outlook on the music industry. Big props to that dude.
What made you decide to release your music for free?
Well, while it is technically free, I have accepted donations for the albums from the start. So far, that’s proven to be a really good idea. It lets the listener put their own value on the music and It also shows me that people still have enough integrity to pay for music that they enjoy. Not only that, a great majority of the gear, website, etc. is paid for by people who have donated and allows me to continue to do this without making my family suffer financially. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am for that!
Is there anything on your iPod/other non-Apple mp3 player that might surprise people?
Not unless you’re surprised by the fact that my player is full to the brim with metal.
You recently got an endorsement deal with Bernie Rico Jr., including a custom guitar. Here’s your chance to really earn that endorsement! How is that working out for you?
Oh man, I could write a book here. The whole experience so far has been completely mind blowing. Bernie is the last of a dying breed. There aren’t many luthiers out there anymore who craft hand-built custom guitars with that level of detail. I am SO STOKED to be a part of that team. The guitars are absolutely amazing, honestly. Not to mention, Bernie is literally one of the funniest dudes I’ve ever met. He’s great to work with and he’s someone I consider to be a good friend. I don’t think anyone has been more supportive than he has. If you’ve ever considered having a custom guitar built, you wouldn’t regret going BRJ.. just for the experience of dealing with that crazy-ass beaner! LOL. (Yeah Bernie, that’s for all the times you’ve called me a fag!). Nothing but love B!
So, now that you are starting to make a name for yourself, what are your plans for the future? Do you plan to maybe make the Merrow Project a touring band? Do you have any other bands/projects that you’re working on?
I’m pretty much still doing what I’ve done for years- writing and recording music that I enjoy playing. I’d love to make a full touring project out of it, if I could only find the right musicians and have enough time to dedicate myself to it on that level. As for side projects… nothing solid at the moment. Paul Ortiz and I have been talking for a long time (and even started writing), but it seems that we are both way too busy to be able to make it work at this time. One of these days, Blimp Stabber… one of these days!
One of our readers, the cleverly-named Euraphag, wants to know if you’d ever try out for Nevermore, who apparently are in need of another guitarist.
Well, without giving out too many details… I have been contacted by Century Media with mention of this, and a few other really cool possibilities. But I can’t really say at this point. That would be amazing for sure! I frickin’ LOVE NEVERMORE! Pray for meh!
What steps have you taken to prepare for the coming zombie apocalypse?
What do you mean? When the horde of bloodthirsty zombies attack, I’ll be standing in the middle of the street waiting to have my innards ripped out. I’d rather be “turned” so I can play for the winning team. BRAINS.
So… do you have any new music coming up soon? We’d love to hear the new guitar in action, needless to say…
Oh yes, I have some stuff in the works. Very soon!
Do you do the artwork for your album covers? They have a distinctly sci-fi look to them, which is a nice touch.
I only wish I could generate art like that! The album cover was done by the awesome Christian Hecker at Tigaer Design. I love his work so much and he was cool enough to let me use some of it to represent my album.
Who, in your opinion, is the greatest movie villain of all time?
Predator! (I guess he’s a villain… I mean, he collects skulls as trophies.) How metal is that?!
Better sci-fi: Star Trek or Star Wars?
Pfft, seriously? I like Star Trek… but really now… I am a HUGE Star Wars dork. Have you seen pics of my studio? My Vader guitar, perhaps?
Do you prefer sausage links or sausage patties?
I’m all about the links. BBQ’d, even.
More adorable: kittens or puppies?
I can’t stand cats. Had dogs all my life! My dog is the best.
Any unknown artists/friends that you think we should know about? This is your chance to pimp your friends!
Well most of my musical buddies are pretty well known. If you’ve listened to my music, you’ve surely heard of Paul Ortiz (Chimp Spanner), Nolly (Red Seas Fire), Misha (Periphery)… Great guys, exceptional guitar players! I’d also love to note that my brother, Chris, is an insane drummer. I wish him and I could jam again, but he’s got a lot going on with non-musical things. I’ve been trying to get him to let me put his drumming on YouTube, because he’s just a nasty player!
What’s the strangest experience you’ve had in the last year?
Hmnn, nothing strikes me as strange these days. But I got a totally random text message from someone that just said “I just got laid by a chick with 3 nipples, life is good”. I don’t know who sent it or why, but it made me think of that bartender in Total Recall with 3 tits.
If you could sucker punch any one figure in history, who would it be?
Nicholas Cage. I dunno why, he just pisses me off THAT much. He’s one of those guys you can just look at and instantly want to punch in the face.
Any final thoughts, words of advice, or random gibberish?
Thanks for the interview and support, it means a lot to me. If anyone reading is on Facebook, look me up. I’m always down to BS with people. I also serve cookies there. You know your fat ass likes cookies.
Words of advice- Never be afraid to put your music on the internet. Even if you think it sucks!
Many thanks to Keith for putting up with my weird-ass questions!
From Number Of The Blog