The opening lyrics to Strand of Oaks' 2014 album "Heal" recalls, "I was rotting in the basement Buying Casios with my friend, Then I found my dad's old tape machine, Thats where the magic began." It's a fitting commencement to an album that looks openly to the future while standing rooted in the past. And for songwriter Tim Showalter, it's this exact outlook that defines his musical output as well as his current crop of gear.
It's been a trying road for Tim which has included a near-fatal car crash as well as a house fire that destroyed his prized collection of synths and personal archive of recordings and songs. This past year, however, brought the cathartic "Heal" which can be found on countless year-end best album lists, owing to it's confessional lyrical content, Mascis-esque guitar lines, lush synth layers, and melodic hook after fist-pumping hook.
We recently caught up with Tim during a Strand of Oaks soundcheck at Lincoln Hall in Chicago to talk about his current rig. Tim showed off his tried-and-true Blacktop Telecaster with two extra hot humbuckers, a Roland JC-120 and newly acquired Fender Twin Reverb. On the pedal front, Tim's board is stocked with a Strymon Blue Sky, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, and multiple pedals from his friends at Earthquaker Devices, including two different Disaster Transport delays. Watch the video for more on Tim's gear and check out the album via the official Strand of Oak website.