Album Notes

Simon Gardner’s 4th solo album is a stunning triumph, reminiscent of the halcyon days when instrumental guitar music was king. With tremendous command, Gardner effortlessly delivers soaring melodies through beautifully balanced compositions.
“Choose Your Own Adventure” was engineered and produced by one of Australia’s finest, Magoo (Midnight Oil, Powderfinger, Kate Miller-Hiedke to name but a few!) at his studio Applewood in the Brisbane Valley. The whole album was recorded mixed and mastered in a total of 10 days.
In Simon’s words...
“The goal for this album and the main reason to engage Magoo, was to create an instrumental guitar album that was inclusive – for all listeners of new music, not just guitar fans who are more concerned with the fingers rather than the song! My biggest influences when I first started playing guitar were instrumentalists like Charlie Byrd, Sky and classical composers such as Debussy and Holst.”
“With CYOA I strove to find a balance of composition, melody, energy, emotion and execution and, I feel to date it’s the closest I have come to striking this balance.”
“Choose Your Own Adventure” is an eclectic palate of beautiful guitar tones produced by a combination of Fender Tele and Stratocaster guitars and a beautiful Les Paul 58 Plain Top reissue. Amps used were predominantly Marshall, Fender and a Mesa-Boogie. Effects included a Boss GT 10 and some analogue stompboxes.”