“If my tone or phrasing sounded awkward my teacher would make me do push-ups!”: David Immerman on moving from pure shredding to playing with American Idol stars and Avril Lavigne – and why he never wanted to start his own band

David Immerman and Avril Lavigne.

As a ‘90s kid, David Immerman balanced his love for alt and pop-rock with a desire to become a lone-wolf shredder. The latter instinct led him to Berklee – and eventually, a session and touring career.

“I’ve always gravitated toward hired-gun players,” he says. “In college I got more into pop stuff and the guys who played for people like Avril Lavigne.”