Deryck Whibley A Squier Buzz Q&A with the Sum 41 leader and latest Squier signature artist …
Whibley in action. Photo by Chris Baldwin
That Deryck Whibley is certainly one busy guy (or Bizzy, maybe we should say) these days, what with Sum 41 out on another massive world tour, this time in support of gazillion-selling 2007 album Underclass Hero. That would be the fifth chart-topping album from the hard-hitting, Juno-winning Canadian punk-pop trio (what is it with Canada and hard-hitting, Juno-winning trios?), which Whibley has ably led ever since his even-younger days in Ajax, Ontario.
Not bad for a guy who really doesn’t consider himself a guitar player, even though, um, that’s exactly what he does. Indeed, Whibley provides the artist component of Squier’s latest artist signature model, the Deryck Whibley Telecaster® guitar—a sleek, screaming model that nails the vibe of a classic ’70s Fender® Telecaster Deluxe model while providing several Whibley-centric features, not the least of which is that signature red “X” graphic he likes so much. Whibley has also seen fit to ensure that some of the proceeds from the sale of his signature model go to War Child Canada, a Toronto-based charity and children’s rights support/advocacy group that provides humanitarian assistance to children affected by war worldwide.
A quick peek at his file reveals that Whibley was born in March 1980 in Scarborough, Ontario, and moved to Ajax at age 12. He’d already played in a few bands when he met drummer Steve Jocz while in high school. In short order, they formed a band that would soon morph into Sum 41. Major-label success ensued in almost equally short order—2000 debut Half Hour of Power did OK, but it was 2001’s All Killer No Filler that really took off and soon struck platinum. Does This Look Infected? and Chuck followed in 2002 and 2004 respectively; all promptly went platinum.
Yep, he’s a busy guy, that Deryck Whibley. But, most graciously, not too busy to drop a quick line to Squier Buzz in the hectic midst of the current Sum 41 tour to talk about his new signature model, the new album and tour, his work on behalf of War Child Canada, and what the deal is with that red “X” …
SB: How do you like your new Squier signature model? DW: I like it a lot. It sounds great and is really comfortable to play.
SB: How did the guitar come about, and what’s the story behind the “X”? DW: I started playing the ’72 Fender Tele mostly because I thought it looked cool. I modified it with one custom pickup and took some of the knobs off of it. The Xs, for whatever reason, have been on all my guitars and amps since I was in high school. At this point, they’re just there for good luck, I guess.
Red "X" marks the spot. Photo by Chris Baldwin
SB: What’s your involvement with War Child Canada about? DW: War Child Canada is an organization that our band has been working with for a long time now. We’re mostly trying to bring attention and spread the word as much as we can. In 2004, we and War Child went to the (Democratic Republic of the) Congo to film a documentary on the effects of the civil war that had been going on there. I always try to find new ways to have involvement with them, and donating proceeds from this guitar was a perfect opportunity.
SB: How did you enjoy making Underclass Hero? DW: I had a great time making this album. Maybe it was because I produced it myself and got to play all the guitars on it for the first time.
SB: And how’s the tour going? DW: The tour has been going awesome. The best part about being in a band is playing live, and we’re lucky enough to have success all over the world, so we get to travel everywhere and play in front of tons of people all the time.
SB: You guys do a lot of direct-to-fan chat on your website—how important is that and how much time do you devote to it? DW: Well, we’ve always felt that if our fans take the time to write to us and ask us questions, then we love to take the time to hear what they have to say.
SB: When did you start playing and who were your influences? DW: I started playing when I was about 14. I didn’t really have too many influences then, and I have fewer now. I’m not really what you would call a “guitar player.” I use the guitar like I use any instrument; it’s just a tool to write music. My focus is way more on the writing of the song and not the playing of it. That’s why I have such good band members—to make up for my lack of playing.
SB: What do the next 12 months hold for you and Sum 41? DW: Touring, touring and lots more touring.
