Life certainly is a highway, and nobody knows how to take the turns quite like Nick Champeau. Through networking, social media, a little luck, and a lot of talent, Nick landed himself on the Rascal Flatts Life Is a Highway Tour! And we got to catch up with him before he played the Mohegan Sun Arena to talk all about guitar, banjo, being on time, and a lot of other fun stuff. Check out the AMS interview now!
Nick Champeau’s “Butt-Saving” Gear
When you’re a young player going on your first big-time arena tour, you’re going to want some gear that you KNOW you can count on to sound and play your best. For Nick Champeau, there’s one piece of gear that he absolutely can’t live without: the Eventide H90.
When Ryan asked him which piece of gear “saves his butt every night,” Nick instantly called out the H90. It’s on every board he sets up for its ridiculous versatility. Nick said, “If you can’t do it with that pedal, it can’t be done!” Even if someone asks for a synth part, you can dial it in with the H90.
Beyond the pedalboard, Nick Champeau also relies on the Friedman BE100 guitar amp. He said that he used to use a very clean amp with a bunch of distortion pedals, but he’s since turned to amp overdrive for his tone. All he needs now is the BE100’s overdrive and solo channels, a good volume pedal, and the H90, and he’s ready for any gig!
Nick currently has his Friedman BE100 hooked up to a Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion G12-65 speakers. And since that can really crank with a 100-watt tube amp, Nick has a Universal Audio OX box on top of the amp, so he can control stage noise without affecting the overall live mix.
And then of course, we couldn’t let Nick leave without looking at some guitars! He brought us backstage to check out some of the axes he uses on tour, starting with a Gibson Murphy Lab ES-335. Nick is a big fan of the Murphy Lab gear, as he has a few aged guitars in his collection, including a ’59 Les Paul Standard.
For acoustic world, Nick relies on the classic Martin D-28 Standard. And what’s a country music tour without a banjo!? Nick rocks the Deering Sierra when it’s time for some good ol’ pickin’ — and you GOTTA get the compensated saddle!
How Does One Get to Go on Tour with Rascal Flatts?
It’s every musician’s dream to play the big stage, fill arenas, and go on tours all over the world, but very few actually get to accomplish it. How did Nick Champeau pull of such an incredible feat!? It’s all about networking.
Nick knew he wanted to be a musician. He even went to school for music. After moving back home to Minnesota, it was time to find a job. He already played a mean guitar, but he wanted to make himself even more marketable. Since every band ever already has a guitarist, he decided to learn banjo.
Banjo added more value to Nick’s “offerings.” As a multi-instrumentalist, he could join more bands and play more gigs. Eventually, one of the drummers he played with knew Jim Riley, the drummer for Rascal Flatts, and he hooked him up. From there, Nick started working with Gary LeVox, the lead singer for Rascal Flatts, and played a few shows with him while Rascal Flatts was on hiatus.
Of course, once Rascal Flatts ended their hiatus and decided to go back on tour, they needed a band. And wouldn’t you know who they chose to play guitar for them, Nick Champeau!
However, Nick does admit that it’s way more than just talent to advance your musical career; you have to be nice to work with, too! Nobody is going to hire you or recommend you to other musicians if you’re a pain to work with. You have to learn to do the job, be a professional, show up on time, and (perhaps most importantly) take criticism.
It’s not always easy for musicians to take criticism, but it’s essential. According to Nick, “Criticism is just instruction.” And you have to take it that way. Don’t let your ego get in the way of a good lesson.
The final lesson from the Nick Champeau course of music business is that you actually have to get out there and do it! While that might sound vague and obvious, a lot of musicians just sit at home and practice, practice, practice, and practice. They dial in their sound, nail those arpeggios, and learn every note on the fretboard (weirdos…). But while they might become great players, they’re not advancing their career. You have to actually leave the practice space and put your skills to the test!
Nick likes to compare it to working out. Working out at home on the treadmill is great, but you’ll always run faster or work harder when people are watching — or if an animal was chasing you…
Music is the same way. Practice is great, but you need the crowd and the hard-knock lessons from the road to really grow. You have to get out there and “do the thing.”
How do you get to the top? It’s all about putting yourself out there, being a team player, and networking. Unfortunately, everything you read in those “getting ahead” books seems to actually work…
Nick Champeau’s Tips for Getting into Ballads and Country Music
Rascal Flatts is a country band, but they also play a lot of very emotional ballads. And when you’re playing a slow song with tons of emotionality, your performance has to be absolutely seamless for the audience to connect. It’s a lot of pressure on a musician!
Yes, high-energy rock performances are great, but slower songs require a different level of precision. All the spacing, timing, and phrasing has to be completely perfect because there’s nothing to hide behind. According to Nick, when you’re playing a rock song, “When in doubt, just shred. With a ballad, there’s no way out. You have to make a good choice.” Everything has to have intentionality behind it.
Nick Champeau says the best way to put down a great ballad performance is to really get the song down. Learn the timing, the phrasing, the space — everything about the song. Only when you have it completely down to muscle memory can you really enjoy what you’re doing. According to Nick, “Learn the changes, then forget the changes, and all that’s left is to enjoy the show.”
Of course, ballads and country music isn’t for everyone. But Nick thinks it could be! Country music is so diverse that it connects to every other genre. There are country songs with shredding guitar licks, country songs with rapping, country music with soft singer/songwriter aspects — it’s everywhere! And according to Nick, the best way to get into country music is to pick an artist or song that’s close to a genre you like and go from there. It’s easy to get sucked down the country rabbit hole.
Nick Champeau’s entry into country was jazz. He was studying a lot of jazz in college, and he started listening to some of the country players from back in the ‘50s, like Hank Garland and Grady Martin. Sure they were “country” guitarists, but they could easily have played in some of the top jazz bands around. They had a bluegrass-like twang and technicality with a swinging rhythm that felt like jazz. Nick was hooked.
As for ballads, Nick suggests checking out the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. The album is filled with amazing ballads with impeccable timing and phrasing and not one unnecessary note. Nick says, “Ballads are just worth checking out if you’re interested in music in general, especially if you play music and want to get to the highest-level performance you can get to.” And Miles Davis puts on a masterclass in Kind of Blue that’s hard to match. Plus, it’s more accessible than most other music in that genre. Jazz can be difficult for some people to get into…
Nick Champeau: Riding the Highway of Life with Rascal Flatts
From music school to touring sold-out arenas with one of the biggest country bands of all time, Nick Champeau has certainly had a wild ride! We were super grateful that he took the time before his big show to talk to us and give us a little walkthrough of his rig. We had a blast! Good luck with the rest of the Life Is a Highway tour, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
If you want to check out any of the gear Nick uses to play with Rascal Flatts, you know where to get it: American Musical Supply! And don’t forget to subscribe to the AMS YouTube Channel for more amazing content just like this.
