Q: If you could go back to the young boy who first picked up the guitar, do you think he would imagine the musician you've become?

Igor: If I could do everything all over again, I would pick up the guitar even earlier. I started at 13, which is fairly late. If I had known, I would have started at 4 or 5. But I'm not complaining — everything is good.

Q: What kind of child were you before music became important?

Igor: I was always very playful, unlike my calm older brother. I tried football, karate, and loved computers. I actually wanted to become a software engineer. When I saved my first real money, I faced a dilemma: buy a computer or a guitar. I chose the guitar, and I never looked back.

Q: How did your music journey begin? What sparked your interest in guitar?

Igor: It was the MTV era in the early 90s. Watching Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, everything looked so cool and glamorous. I started playing chords mostly to impress girls. Then I heard Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” solo, and that was the turning point. I fell in love with guitar.

Q: How did you shape your unique musical language?

Igor: I started by teaching myself with VHS lessons like Hot Licks. Later, I enrolled in music school to study theory and piano, eventually getting a master’s degree. But I learned guitar in parallel, mostly by myself.

The best experience for me was playing in Dubai. I performed six nights a week, eleven months a year, in front of thousands of people every night. That experience really helped me develop as a musician and performer.

Q: How does your academic background influence your playing?

Igor: Both theory and muscle memory are important. Music theory, harmony, and counterpoint helped me build my musical language. But muscle memory and patterns that you learn over time are also essential.

It depends on the moment. When you play over complex harmonies, you need to be more careful. But when the harmony is simple, you have more freedom to express yourself.

Q: How do you balance technique, melody, and emotion?

Igor: You need contrast, just like tension and release in harmony. Fast technical playing alone can become boring, but slow melodic playing alone can also lose energy.

I always try to include a melodic theme that people can remember or even whistle. Then I can explore faster improvisation afterward. Players like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani influenced this approach.

Q: Where do you find inspiration beyond music?

Igor: Traveling. My JTC playthrough “Bangla Road” was inspired by the atmosphere of that famous street in Phuket. It wasn’t about one specific event. It was about capturing a journey, a night, and a feeling.

Q: How would you describe your relationship with the guitar?

Igor: It’s hard to describe. I simply love playing guitar and expressing myself through it. I play what I feel at the moment.

Q: How has this China tour been? What were your expectations?

Igor: Everything exceeded my expectations. We visited almost all of China — so many great cities and so many great people. I’m really happy.

The most exotic place for me was Hohhot in Inner Mongolia. The food, architecture, and people felt very different from other places in China.

Q: What surprised you about China?

Igor: I was pleasantly surprised when I visited China in 2024, even more in 2025, and now even more this time. Friends from the US, UK, and Germany who visited China all told me the same thing: it is much better than they expected.

Q: What Chinese food left the strongest impression on you?

Igor: Sour cabbage, Peking duck, dumplings, noodles. Even instant noodles taste great here. Kung Pao shrimp was something new for me.

Compared with Europe, Chinese food has so much more variety and flavor. European food is much simpler.

Q: How would you describe your chemistry with Jack on stage?

Igor: Jack and I are a great combination. We are both rock guitarists, but we are different. He has beautiful emotional ballads and fusion influences, while I’m more into heavy metal and neoclassical music.

The audience gets something for everybody. Our jam sessions work well because we grew up with similar influences.

Q: Tell us about the story behind your signature guitar “Inspire.”

Igor: My biggest inspiration is my daughter. She loves painting with brushes, and the design of the guitar was inspired by her brush strokes.

“Inspire” means inspiring you to play. It is a normal passive guitar with smart capabilities. It is not a smart guitar that forces you to use technology.

Q: What advice would you give to young guitarists finding their own voice?

Igor: Don’t just copy, but copying is how you learn. It’s like learning a language from your parents.

First, you learn licks and phrases, like learning words. Then you combine them in your own way and create variations. Your originality comes from how well you can transform what you have learned.

You don’t need to invent a completely new technique to be successful. What matters is how you express yourself through music.

Q: If you could compare your music style to a beer, what would it be?

Igor: German Weissbier from Munich. I drink many different kinds of beer, just like I listen to many different styles of music.

In China, 80% of the time I drink Tsingtao because I like it. It’s my safe choice. Unless someone insists that I try something special, I’ll probably stick with Tsingtao.

Q: What’s Next For Igor Paspalj?

Igor: I’m always working on new music, new ideas, and new designs. I’m excited about the future and continuing to create music that connects with people.