Blossoms' Josh Dewhurst and Charlie Salt on Influences and Gear

Guitarist Josh Dewhurst and bassist Charlie Salt were actually born in the same hospital in Manchester before forming the band Blossoms with singer Tom Ogden, drummer Joe Donovan and keyboardist Myles Kellock.

Only they didn't know it.

It took a while before they actually hooked up and became a group, but the world smiled when they came together. Nowadays, Blossoms is riding the high of a hit self-titled debut record (which hit No. 1 in the U.K.) and a slew of major festival dates.

Dewhurst and Salt recently caught up with Fender to talk about why they chose music as a career, thier Fender gear and their interesting connection to Johnny Marr.

Josh: "It Was the Soundtrack to a Video Game"

"My dad’s a musician. He’s a pianist in the jazz world and classical. I didn’t go into music to do that, but it did mean that I was always surrounded by music. I started off playing the drums and bass, and my cousin played the guitar. I just always used his guitar, and when I got my own, I never put it down. I played this video game called Bully by RockstarGames, and the soundtrack was just so sick.

"I found out who made it—a guy named Sean Lee—and he lived in London and did all sorts of cool stuff. He’s like my biggest influence ever. He plays everything. I started learning Arctic Monkeys covers and got picked up by Tom, and I haven’t stopped since."

Charlie: "For Me, It Was Deep Purple"

"My dad was a bass player, and he had a copy of a Gibson Ripper. It was always lying around, and this one day when I was about 8 or 9, he taught me Deep Purple on it. From there, he got me on to really good records, like Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous and disco stuff, Fleetwood Mac. I joined the band when I was about 14, picked up a few other instruments along the way, too.

Josh: "We Just Wanted Something to Do, So We Started a Band"

"We were all in bands, and Chaz’s granddad owns a scaffolding yard with a rehearsal room built in. Chaz’s uncle played on the song 'I Like the Way You Move' by BodyRockers. He’s been in all sorts of bands. When this new setup came about, it was Charlie, Tom and Joe on it.

"We were doing Beatles covers and stuff like that. Songs that sounded really good. We were just messing around with them, and that’s when we brought in Josh along with Miles."

Josh: "That Rehearsal Space Is a Big Part of Who We Are"

"We started off a couple of nights a week and then it was every night, three or four hours a night. It wasn’t just a room. It had its own ambiance. Our first-ever demo, ‘Flow’, which we still play today, that sounded great then. We recorded it there with one mic."

Josh: "I Love My Telecaster and the Story Behind It"

"Recently I was given the American Pro Tele Deluxe. But I also play a Mexican Blackout Deluxe. When I got it, it was in a terrible state, but I fixed it up. I play that all over the album. It’s just really nice to play, simple and versatile. I see it as a neglected puppy. It’s like when a dog gets taken to the pound, and you go and rescue it. It’s kind of become my child."

Charlie: "The Jazz Bass Is One of the Most Versatile Basses I've Ever Used"

"I recently got a Jazz Bass. It’s great for digging in for that gritty stuff, for a song like ‘Blow’, and then the smooth stuff, like on this song ‘Across the Moor’. You’d think it’s a different bass between tunes. I always find they sound the best if you roll the pickups off a bit. And the maple neck, I really love that. One of my favorite bass players of all time is Herbie Flowers, and he’s got a Jazz Bass. Lake Placid Blue with flat nylon strings. I’ll be interested to try some nylon strings on my Jazz Bass."

Josh: "We Did Use One of Johnny Marr's Amps on the Record"

"Back in the day, you could never afford anything decent. There was a red-knob Twin knocking around the yard, and there was a DeVille, which was unbelievably loud. But I used the red-knob for our first-ever Blossoms gig, when it was just a four-piece. It was one of Johnny Marr’s amps, actually, and it sounded great. In the studio, I typically use the Blues amps. The Hot Rod is great live because you can get the same tone as the Blues, but it’s a little more solid, I find. I’ve used them for a long time now."

Charlie: "I Typically Use Bassman Amps"

"I could never afford Fenders. I could only dream about them. Where we recorded the album, there was an original ‘70s Bassman head with a 2X12 cab. I would sit there for hours playing that thing. The good thing about the Bassman is you can get the crunch with the footswitch that sounds great.

Josh: "I'm Definitely Not a Technical Guitarist"

"But sometimes people say, ‘Nice tone, man. How’d you get that?’ I don’t know. But when people say that, it’s great, because I’ve built my rig myself, always tweaking it. I probably do things the wrong way, but it works. It’s my sound, so who cares?"

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