"His phrasing is spectacular" – Myles Kennedy tells us the two players he thinks are carrying the torch for guitar

You may already know this by now but Myles Kennedy is not just a rock vocalist extraordinaire, he's equally as gifted as a guitarist. Schooled in jazz, but with all kinds of influences bubbling in his playing he's brought his guitar influence into Alter Bridge since their second album Blackbird and his riffs are all over forthcoming seventh long player Pawns & Kings. But he's also a sponge – always listening and learning. So in our recent guitar chat with Myles we asked him who had inspired him recently.

Myles agrees with us that guitar music is still delivering when it comes to new talent: "There's so many young guitar players out there," he notes. "So many you discover through Instagram and I just feel like guitar is in a good spot. I feel like guitar playing is going to continue to evolve and it's in good hands. 

He highlighted two guitarists he's been especially awed by. And we have to concur on his choices…

"He's one of my favourites," Myles says of Cardinal Black's Chris Buck. "I just think he's a really special guitar player, man. He really is. His phrasing is spectacular. You know, he plays all the right notes. He never doesn't play the right note. He knows where to land every every time and he's probably one of my favourites the the new young guns for sure."

Chris should be familiar to MusicRadar readers as a past winner of our yearly guitar polls and Myles got to see Cardinal Black up close when his solo trio were supported by the Cardiff band on a UK tour late in 2021. 

"I was really just so honoured that Cardinal Black and him came out and played with my little solo band," Myles tells us. "You know, that was that was just a real treat for all of us. I think they're destined for for big things."

Cardinal Black's debut album January Came Close is out on October 29 (preorder here – we've heard it and it's fantastic), and they're currently on tour in the UK again making those big things happen. 

Myles has also been wowed by a Stateside player in recent years: "The guy I'm really into now as well, he's just put out a new record; Julian Lage. I mean, I'm so just obsessed with his new record [View With A Room] and him as a player. I just have such an appreciation and respect for for what he's doing. So good!" 

• Alter Bridge's new album Pawns & Kings is out on 14 October. Preorder and buy tickets for their November December Europe and UK tour at alterbridge.com

Julian Lage interview: “I bought a stethoscope and taped it to the back of the Telecaster. I could only handle it for about a day and thought, ‘This is abusive!’“