Artist Spotlight :: Tim Henry

Bio

Tim Henry is an award-winning artist hailing from Pennsylvania. With over 40 years of experience as a musician, instructor, songwriter, engineer, producer, and performer, Tim is currently fronting the rock act Sourmash as a vocalist and guitarist. Tim has been recognized in the industry by being nominated and receiving numerous awards. In 2022, he won Josie Music Awards Vocalist of the Year at the Grand Ole Opry. The Josie Music Awards is the world’s largest awards organization for independent artists. Sourmash also won JMA awards for Entertainer of the Year and Duo/Group of the Year. He has been honored as a multiple-time winner for PMA Best Vocalist and PMA Best Guitarist awards. Several songs written by Tim have been nominated for Song of the Year in the JMAs, while Country Girl won PMA Song of the Year. He has written music for TV and commercials, and Sourmash songs have been included in both TV and film. As an endorsed artist, Tim has developed partnerships with Rattlesnake Cable Company, Clayton USA, Jerry Harvey Audio, and Diamond Guitars (where he also served on the Diamond Advisory Board).

Sourmash has been performing and releasing material since 2010. Sourmash music has been heard worldwide in TV and film, as well as through sales, internet radio, and streaming. Additionally, US distributions include AMI / Touch Tunes jukeboxes and Sirius XM. The band is comprised entirely of avid motorcyclists that not only ride to many of their shows but ride to the stage. Sourmash is regarded as the Baddest Biker Band on the Planet.

In addition to performing with the band, Tim performs as an acoustic act along with Sourmash bassist Dave Stanoszek.

What/Who inspired you to pick up your instrument?

At a very young age, I was exposed to a live performance by my cousin Ed. He was an amazing musician (guitar, harmonica, vocalist), and listening to him kickstarted my interest in guitar. The other side of my inspiration is rooted in the band KISS. They were larger than life – the music, performances, image, and their incredible shows truly built the fire in me that still burns.

What piece of musical advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to the beginning of your musical journey?

Be the best you that you can be. Be inspired by others but always be yourself.

What keeps you excited about playing?

Performing live. Connecting with the audience, sharing the energy of music, and meeting great people are all tremendous necessities to continue to grow as a musician and entertainer.

Desert Island 3 pedal pedalboard (not including tuner)

Assuming that I would also have my Rivera Bonehead amp and would have no need for any overdrive/distortion; my must-have pedals would be: Dunlop MC404 CAE (Bob Bradshaw) Wah, MXR M222 Talk Box, and Boss DD-7 Delay.

When you find yourself in a musical rut, what techniques do you do to break out of it?

When I am in a rut, I have to look internally for the reason and then react accordingly. If I am just burnt out – I often just step away for a few days. If I am uninspired – I go find inspiration by watching live performances, listening to new music, and/or going back to my roots and listening to what first inspired me.

Who is your favorite artist/band today? And who was your favorite artist/band ten years ago?

Deftones is the act that does it for me right now. They are innovative, extremely artistic, powerful, and unique. I look forward to their next release because their music is always fresh. My all-time favorite act is KISS. Those first six studio albums are timeless. I would also mention Blue Oyster Cult as a favorite. Musically, they are one of the smartest bands ever. They certainly boast one of the finest and most underrated guitarists in Buck Dharma, as well.

When you find yourself in a music store - what is your go-to riff when test drive gear?

Normally, I play my own stuff or a piece of something new I am working on. That way, I can hear how the new gear fits into what i am doing.

What is your most prized/cherished piece of gear? And why?

The BC Rich Eagle Archtop was custom-built for me in 1999. Transparent Emerald Green with quilted maple top; neck-thru; active electronics; Varitone; Wolf Rose Bullet Preamp; DiMarzio pickups; pearl inlays with my name at the 12th fret; built by Bernie Jr and signed by Bernie Sr.

What is the next big musical purchase you're hoping to save for?

I am really digging the Nord Stage 3 keyboard. But first, I need to talk to Hank about getting a couple of instrument cables for my Shure wireless body packs.

Gear Breakdown

My live setup for Sourmash is clean and quiet. The main guitars I use are Diamond Hailfire and Diamond Bolero. I also play a custom guitar built by my bassist, Dave Stanoszek. It plays and sounds incredible, but I try to keep the miles low on it. Sourmash runs a ‘silent’ stage where there are no amps or monitors. So, the main piece in my rig is a HeadRush Pedalboard. I use a Shure Wireless for the guitars. The receiver also acts as the stage tuner and is first in line on my rig. This is routed into an MXR M222 talk box and then to the HeadRush. All connections on this rig are Rattlesnake Patch Cables. I also use a wireless Shure Beta 87 microphone. The receiver for this is also mounted to the pedalboard rig. The HeadRush stereo outputs and the microphone output are sent to the stage drop snake via a custom Rattlesnake XLR loom. I worked directly with Hank to discuss my needs, and he hit it out of the park. For monitors, I use a Shure wireless monitor system with custom Roxanne IEMs by Jerry Harvey Audio. Our monitor system is a rack unit containing all our wireless units, a Behringer X-32, and a split snake. Everything on stage plugs into the snake and is split out to the X-32 to run our monitors, and the other side goes to FOH.

For my acoustic setup, my main guitar is a Gretsch Rancher Falcon. This is plugged into a Line 6 Firehawk via a 20’ Rattlesnake instrument cable. I use the same microphone system for the acoustic setup. This acoustic configuration is sometimes blended into the full band shows when needed. The Firehawk also acts as a backup unit to the HeadRush.

All Rattlesnake cables and looms are Snake Weave. Because of the rigorous schedules and demands of our shows, I need high-quality cables that perform well, are durable, and are quiet. Rattlesnake Cables are the only choice for me – even when I am wireless.

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