Wishbone Ash's Andy Powell talks guitars, the '70s, and 'Blue Horizon'

• Courtesy Wishbone Ash's Pilgrimage Tour to Variety Playhouse.
• Andy Powell (second from left) leads Wishbone Ash

For more than 45 years, Wishbone Ash, in it’s many incarnations, has traveled the globe delivering music that blends equal parts blues and English Folk traditions while keeping itself firmly rooted in the Progressive Rock and psychedelic era from whence it came. The band’s distinctive twin lead guitar attack was an unplanned stroke of genius and this powerful melodic technique was borrowed and updated by countless bands including Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. Sole remaining member, Andy Powell, has assembled an intricate group of musicians to fill out the band with the tact and grace of the two classic line-ups of the '70s. Powell recently took a few minutes from the Pilgrimage Tour that hits Atlanta tonight (Wed., May 6) to talk about the new album, musical dynamics, and working with Hipgnosis on the group's iconic album covers.

It sounds like the most recent line up of the band gelled on your latest release, Blue Horizon, which is your 24th studio album. Is the album format still a viable way to release music or do you use it more for tradition?

I think we do it for tradition and more because if we’re going to go into the studio we want to be able to have a big explosion of creativity and it’s something that I’ve always been used to, coming from that era. But I actually think that what you’re hinting at is, perhaps that’s not that relevant anymore, to be honest, in a way, for a band. I think a band can sometimes get a bigger hit by doing a three- or four-song EP length thing. You hit people with three or four songs and then if you get some traction with that, you can expand on it. Yeah, I think people’s attention span is a lot less these days (laughs). The thing is with us, we’re almost like a jam band. You know if you buy an album from us, you get some songs because everything is based around the songs, and then hopefully you get a good amount of guitar melodies, and jamming, soloing, and that kind of thing. So in that regard, it’s relevant still.

The band is currently using smaller combo amps with a very respectable stage volume, which translates dynamically in the venues you play. When did you make the decision to move from giant amps to smaller amps?

Well we used to play with giant amps. I think back in the '70s it was like two 200 watt amps each. But these days the PA’s are much more efficient and when we tour the states we really need to have an adaptable rig that can work in bigger theaters and small clubs. So, we’ve found that if we mix ourselves onstage, which you can do using smaller amps, it makes us adaptable in the different venues and protects your ears at the same time (laughs).

Do you use a similar stage set up in Europe as well?

We do! Yeah, we have an almost identical rig where we use small Fender combos. I’m even using things like modeling amps sometimes onstage. It’s all about trying to make it easier for the sound people. But we still manage to achieve a big concert sound using the simple two guitar, bass, drums line up. We’re still thinking stadium (laughs). I use an acoustic guitar pick up on my guitar and bring those textures in. So we can go massive to almost acoustic and that works with our music.

How does your signature Flying V differ from your original ’67?

Well, its almost like a direct copy of that kind of instrument, but I’ve added a Piezzo pickup on the bridge, which if you’re familiar with those, it creates a kind of acoustic guitar sound which I can blend in with the electric. I get a lot of attack if I want a mixture of the two, or I could use it almost like an acoustic guitar. It works in a different way than a magnetic pick up. I know Pete Townshend does the same thing onstage. It enables him to get a fuller sound through the blend of the two, instead of just cranking it up loud. The technology out there now is amazing.

You had your ’67 restored?

That’s right. I still have it and I’ve restored it. I do sometimes use it on stage, and I have a 1970 model that I use onstage sometimes. Just depends on how the mood takes me. I’m always playing around with guitars, but I don’t have a big collection of vintage instruments anymore. Most guitars I have, I have because I use them, either in the studio or onstage.

When you originally tried out for the band, were you anticipating having two lead guitar players?

Back in the day, Hammond organ was coming to the fore in rock bands, so the idea was to have a guitar player and a Hammond player. And then we couldn’t decide what we should do. There were two guys who made the short list on the audition process, myself and Ted Turner. Then we decided, “Hey, this could be really good if we use the guitars in a way that was more intelligent than just lead and rhythm.” We almost tried to use the guitars like a horn section, blending the harmonies together and creating these little parts in the music, and it’s really been a signature sound for the band.

What was your initial reaction when you heard the next generation of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest using the twin lead guitar concept?

You know, I found it was a bit of a complement. In any case, they were working in a different genre, more in the heavy metal area. I saw Iron Maiden, and it’s just a different approach. Our approach is more traditional. You know, those guys were kind of in the next age group down, and sure you’re only going to pick up on the things that influence you and impress you. So you know, it was a compliment.

What is your favorite album cover?

Of ours? Wow. I really like the Live Dates cover. It’s very colorful, and it kind of just sums up what we’re about: bright and sunny, positive, optimistic. But the most recent one,Blue Horizon, a hell of an album design, using the all seeing eye as (laughs) juxtaposed into the sun or something. We’ve always kind of fallen into the art rock area and I think we’ve had some great album design companies, Hipgnosis being one of them.

Did you work directly with Hipgnosis on the concepts or was that something the record company did?

Yeah, we all were really involved. We brainstormed the songs with these guys and talked about the direction and that’s how these great designs came about.

At the end of the song F*U*B*B*, there is a mysterious lion’s roar. What’s the story?

Oh, you heard that (laughs)? That was one of (bassist) Martin Turner’s party tricks. He could do a pretty good impression of a lion roaring. He would always do it at sound checks and freak people out (laughs). I think he just threw it end of that like, “Here you go.”

An Evening with Wishbone Ash. $25-$27.50. 8 p.m. Wed., May 6. Variety Playhouse. 1099 Euclid Ave. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.