Xander Demos
I know some guitar shredders. I even went to Freak Guitar Camp in the wilderness of Sweden for a week long, nonstop, guitar shredding bootcamp.
But this guy……. Xander Demos…..
WTF – he can shred.
Tony Coke: Do women ever ask to lick your fingers after you after a show?
XD: They usually don’t ask, they just do it! Lol.
Some women can be pretty aggressive!
Tony Coke: You have hundreds of thousands of YouTube views. How many views does it take before you see the first $100 from YouTube?
XD: About that many..haha. I see Youtube as purely a promotional outlet, and don’t really use it to make $. They pay so little. I see youtube as a way to reach more fans and give them more content to enjoy and share, which in turn, can lead to more cd/merch sales, and hopefully, more ticket sales. I’m not one of these guys who wants to be known as a Youtube sensation, who just puts stuff out on youtube to make money. I want to be known as a musician who just happens to use youtube as a part of his promotional plan.
Tony Coke: I see you playing some 6 string, some 7 strings… everything has a floyd rose.. did I even see a D-Tuna on one?? Give us a run down of your #1 go to axe.
XD: Well, that would have to be my McNaught Signature 7 string, the XD727. It’s got a Basswood body, black back, Quilted Maple top, custom burst, TRS-PRO7 tremolo (won’t be used on production models), EMG 707(bridge), EMG 707-TW (neck), 27 frets, Stainless Steel 6100 fret size, Luminlay side marker dots, MOP and Malachite block inlays, Ebony fingerboard with flame maple binding, reverse headstock, three-way pickup selector, master volume and EMG SPC control. I also have a 6 string model that’s now available.
Tony Coke: You have a good looking website and I see you give lessons… Give us guitar players one tip: What’s the one most important thing you have to learn if you want to be a shredder?
XD: Practice, practice, practice. Nothing comes overnight. I sit around playing my guitar even when I’m watching a movie or TV. Just keep going over those scales and picking techniques, over and over and over…and then, do it some more.
Tony Coke: Do you handle the web and social media yourself, or do you hire that out?
XD: I do everything myself. I have management, but I prefer to handle my own social media and website.
Tony Coke: What’s been the most effective form or marketing you’ve utilized so far?
XD: I’d have to say the social media thing, combined with doing press interviews. I’ve been able to reach a lot of people using these avenues. As a new guy out there, in a genre that’s really a nice market, reaching the listeners was a challenge, no doubt about it. But, I think, in a relatively short amount of time, we’ve been pretty successful marketing the first album on very little budget, with no advertising money.
Tony Coke: What’s projects are you currently working on and what’s coming up for the rest of 2015?
XD: As I mentioned, we have the XD627 model guitar out. I am currently working on my 2nd release, an EP that will have some really cool cover tunes, vocal tunes and of course, more shredding original instrumentals than you can shake a stick at! It’s going to take what we started with Guitarcadia, to the next level. Should have that out by late spring/early summer. And, of course, I hope to hit the road and do some shows to promote the album. Hope to see you all on the road! Thanks for having me.
Tony Coke: Thanks and I can’t wait to hear the new stuff!
Take a listen to Xander Demos.
If you are a guitar player, it will inspire you to lock your bedroom door and play until your fingers bleed, or just give up all together.
xanderdemos.com
facebook.com/xanderdemosmusic
twitter.com/xanderdemos
youtube.com/xanderdemos
