Guthrie Govan

He of the mad, mad skills talks dinosaurs, blind alleys and the aristocrats’ quirkyas-hell new album, you know what...?

- Joe Bosso

By all accounts, Guthrie Govan has enjoyed the kind of career most guitarists only dream about. Just 47 years old, the British-born virtuoso has either recorded or performed with a diverse group of artists that includes progressive rock icons (Steven Wilson, Asia), electronic dance hotshots (the Young Punx), hip-hop/grime pioneers (Dizzee Rascal) and Oscar-winning film composers (Hans Zimmer). At the same time, he’s released a solo album (2006’s Erotic Cakes) and has established himself as one of the most sought-after masters of guitar masterclasses, holding forth for budding shredders across the globe.

One might assume Govan has followed some sort of grand plan that he mapped out years ago, but the guitarist admits he’s benefited mostly from lucky strokes of serendipity. “I’m not particularly business-minded,” he says, “so I’ve always tried to remain open to any random opportunities that might present themselves. I tend to make my decisions about any new venture based largely on how much the music excites me and the extent to which I feel I might have something valid to ‘bring to the table’.”

He cites his ongoing participation in the instrumental supergroup the Aristocrats (which includes two other highly sought-after session aces, bass maven Bryan Beller and drumming whiz Marco Minnemann) as one such example. Originally, the trio were brought together to perform a brief one-off set at a 2010 NAMM Show, but no sooner had the three started jamming, Govan realized they were destined for bigger things.

“Our decision to take things further and become a long-term, proper band was based entirely on our mutual recognition of the chemistry between the three of us, which became apparent during that first set,” he recalls. “We basically walked off stage and immediately resolved to record an album, which we did about three months later.”