A Chat with Trey Gunn (13.10.25)
Interview with Karen Beishuizen (Guest contributor)
Trey Gunn is an American musician known for being in the progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003. He plays Warr guitar and Chap Stick instruments. We talk about his career, Robert Fripp, King Crimson, his new upcoming album with David Forlano called Select Habits of Invertebrates, and more.
Did you always want to be a musician growing up?
Gunn: Yes, I started playing piano at 6 and have never stopped working with music.
You play many instruments: Do you have a favourite one?
Gunn: I have two favorites: My 10-string Warr Guitar and my baritone ukulele, custom-made by Pimentel Guitars in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
How did you meet Robert Fripp, and what’s it like working with him?
Gunn: I first met Robert at a guitar workshop he gave in 1985. We began working together professionally in 1988 with the group Sunday All Over The World. We worked together for the next 15 or so years. He is a consummate professional and tries to make each project the best thing he has ever done. Plus, he has a wicked sense of humor.
How did you become part of King Crimson, and what is your fondest memory during the 9 years you played in the band?
Gunn: Robert asked me to join. Pretty much as simple as that.
One of the more stand-out memories for me was performing our version of ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie at a show in Berlin. King Crimson never covered songs. But Robert played on the original recording of this piece, and Adrian had played it live with Bowie on several tours. So we thought it was a good choice. The original recording was made in Berlin in a studio right next to the Berlin Wall.
Are there people you would love to collaborate with, or you wish you had, and why?
Gunn: David Sylvian was a fantastic collaborator. I would grab the chance to work with him again.
You have been playing the guitar in a horizontal position across your lap due to physical complaints, I read. What happened?
Gunn: It is a little more complicated than that. The short story is that the way we usually hold these instruments puts a lot of pressure and tension on the wrists. That, combined with carrying heavy cases around the world for decades, has compromised my wrists.
I discovered playing horizontally back around 2001 when I was touring with King Crimson. But it wasn’t until I needed to find a new solution for my wrists that I took the horizontal playing seriously. Now, I can see that it is overall a much better way to play the instrument.
I let you make an album with 6 of your most favorite songs (not your own). What would you pick and why?
Gunn: Saying why is impossible to answer. These pieces just work for me:
Iggy Pop – ‘Lust For Life’
Marvin Gaye – ‘Ain’t No Mountain’
Talking Heads – ‘Once In A Lifetime’
Bach’s ‘B Minor Mass’ (I know, it’s a long one!)
Coltrane – ‘Love Supreme’
Willie Nelson – ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain’
Your new album with David Forlano is called Select Habits of Invertebrates, with a release in November. How did the process go, and what does the title mean?
Gunn: These were live recordings done in two days at David’s studio space. I took the audio back to my studio and mixed it. Pretty much as simple as that. Although we recorded so much in those two days that it took us a while to sort through everything to find what made the best recording.
The title points to intelligence beyond the human.
What are you up to at the moment?
Gunn: David and I have two shows left before the year is up. Our big show is in Albuquerque on Dec 6, where we will be performing with the audience in the round and us in the middle. We will have a full surround sound system and live video. Last month I was in Poland with Tu-Ner. This group is a trio of myself, Pat Mastelotto (of King Crimson) and Markus Reuter (another touch guitarist like myself).
Thanks to Trey Gunn for speaking to us. Find out more about Trey on his official Bandcamp, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify
