I’ve played on many recordings with artists as diverse as Passenger to Declan ORourke to Dope Lemon. I am a bass player currently living in Nashville. I'm well versed in recording bass tracks for artists all over the world in my home studio. The internet is an amazing place for people to connect, and I will provide bass for your project.
I’ve been playing music all my life. My classical musician parents started me very early on piano and violin. Later on in at Indiana University, I picked up the electric bass on a whim, and the rest is history. First and foremost, I'm a music fan. I love so many styles of music, and one great thing about being a bass player is that I get to play many different styles, and I believe being well versed in different approaches ultimately gets unique results.
I’ve recorded/worked with Passenger, Angus & Julia Stone, Dope Lemon, Declan ORourke, Tom Freund/Ben Harper, Brett Dennen, Passenger/Ed Sheeran, Michael Brunnock/Glenn Hansard, Colin Smith, Sharon Corr, Jonathan Coulton, Hamish Anderson, Paul Kelly/Angus Stone, Break & Repair Method, Will Stratton, Matt Nathanson. I’ve worked with producers Mitchell Froom, Rick Rubin, Phil Ramone, Kieran Kelly, Jim Scott, Eric J, Chris Vallejo, Mario Mcnulty, Jay Joyce, Gerry Leonard.
I look forward to recording my bass tracks for you in my own home studio. The process is fast, rewarding and fun. Let's get to work on your project.
Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.
Credits
45 Reviews - 12 Repeat Clients
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Rob is a great collaborator who works hard to get you exactly what you are looking for.
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Love working with Rob! He is tracking bass for my full-length album, and I couldnt ask for more from a bassist! Each song is quite different from each other in terms of mood, style, genre, etc, and he has been knocking it out of the park every time.
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Working with Rob was an absolute pleasure. His openness to suggestions, coupled with his impeccable talent, made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. Rob's expertise and support made the collaboration incredibly easy, and I'm grateful for his contribution to the project. Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate future projects with him. If you're considering working with Rob, rest assured, you'll be in good hands.
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Rob delivered a pretty challenging bassline very timely and performed excellently. His tone and recording quality is crystal clear and world class! He was also able to take my pre-written bassline and add his own creative input, dramatically augmenting the final result. Thank you so much!
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Rob is a highly skilled player, with great tone, and he will work with you patiently to deliver something you're happy with. Thank you, Rob!
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Like always a great Job. Rob is amazing to work with, killer Sound and Groove. For sure not the last time!!!
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Excellent bass on my track by Rob, fits and compliments the song excellently, played and recorded very very well. Easy to communicate with and fast.
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Rob is a legend. Supremely talented and knocks out the most amazing takes in the blink of an eye. Highly recommend getting him on your tracks.
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Always super great to work with.
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If you're looking for a session bassist for your tracks, look no further - Rob is the GOAT.
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Great guy. Very talented and really into getting what you want. Such a pleasure to work with!
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great job as always!
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Rob has been my go to session bassist for the last few years now, not only is he a rad dude but he's one of the best bass players I've ever had the privilege of working with. Do yourself a favor and get him on your next song, you will be glad you did.
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Rob was very patient and delivered a stellar bass track. I really enjoyed working with Rob. Highly recommend.
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Rob did an amazing job and he is a total pro. I highly recommend working with him!! Thank you Rob!
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Rob did an so amazing work!! He is very nice and answers quickly too. I really recommend working with him. I´m looking forward to do more songs together with you Rob! Thank you so much!! // Nanna Julia Viola
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Rob did another great job laying down bass on a track of mine. Highly recommended to all! Thanks Rob!
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Rob absolutely crushed it laying down some bass on a demo of mine - knew exactly where I was coming from and came out with some lovely sounds as quick as lightning. Highly recommended to all! A+++ Thanks Rob!
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Rob nails it every time, and this time was no different. Thanks heaps my man, looking forward to the next one!
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Rob played the perfect bassline for my track. I had NOTHING, Rob composed the best bassline imaginable.
thank you!
Interview with Rob Calder
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both have their distinct advantages.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to give your tune the bass line you are looking for, or you don't pay me anything.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: the easiest and most direct way to understand how an artist wants a song to sound is to provide a recording of something they like as a reference. Do you hear your song with reggae style bass like Bob Marley? Or a picked tune by The Strokes? Whatever the case, we can start by you sending me the tune you think best represents your vision so we get what you want.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most common work I do is with Singer Songwriters. However, I've long been in bands of all types, so my work isn't limited to only that.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: playing music is always an incredible privilege.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A fender P bass, an Ampeg B15 amp, and 3 guitar cords, since they always go bad.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started in a dedicated band early on, and when that came to an end, I started helping others get their music made, which lead me to become a free lance bassist. It was never my intention to be a freelance guy, but I quickly found a high level of aptitude and success in playing for others that it took over my professional life.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I've been described as 'low-and-slow'.....usually thats a cooking phrase for making BBQ, but I think thats a pretty good description of my playing.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I often play with rock bands and folk bands/artists (ie. Passenger). I also do a lot of indie rock (Dope Lemon, Will Stratton) and often also alt-country bands. recently I've been composing for and playing in instrumental jazz/rock music called Schmetterling, which is a departure from the usual styles I get to work with.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is listening. Listening to the song, and to the artist for what they hear in the tune.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: As a bass player, I will bring a steady foundation to your tune that you can reliably build on with other players and instruments. I can be extremely fundamental in my note choices, or I can provide a more melodic counterpoint to whats happening in the vocal or the tune. The Artist usually has a good feel for what they want there, and if not, tune tells me what to play.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: My typical work process for online artists goes like this: I'll receive the job from the SoundBetter client, who then sends me a hi-res file of a song they want me to record bass to. (Don't worry too much about the 'Hi-res' part....this only means that the tune should be sent with a sharper image than what is a little mp3.....) Once I import the song into Logic, I'lll have a play-along, and the moment I start to understand the song form a bit, I start to record, the reason being that the first ideas to come are often the best, and most natural. At that point, I try to capture the best performance of that approach, and then move on to different ideas. Perhaps I'll switch to a pick, or maybe I'll adjust the tone on the amp for something completely different. Stepping away for a bit also helps to clear the mind, so that when I come back, new ideas often present themselves. The end result of an afternoon of playing and recording is hopefully 5 or 6 different approaches to a song, which are all sent to the artist so they can choose which one they like the best. Sometimes the artist prefers a certain tone one take, but would like me to revisit the tune again with a different approach, which of course, I'm more than happy to do!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio set up starts with my instruments. My main instrument is a 1968 Fender Precision bass. I also own a more modern sounding 1969 Fender P. Another primary instrument to records very well for me is my 1964 Hofner Club Bass. After that, into one of my tube preamps, which then go into a Universal Audio Apollo Twin, and finally into Logic.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Composers more than anything inspire me. Of course I appreciate master instrumentalists as well, but composers demonstrate the ability to conjure ideas from thin air to inspire people to listen and be moved, and I prefer to move people with music, and not impress.
I was the bass player in this production
- Passenger / Ed Sheeran - Let Her Go
- Dope Lemon - Uptown Folks
- Passenger - Somebody’s Love
- Angus & Julia Stone - Grizzly Bear
- Bass ElectricAverage price - $300 per song
I’m happy to do whatever it takes to get it right for you.
- Passenger
- DOPE LEMON
- Declan O'Rourke
- 1968 Fender Precision
- 1964 Hofner Club Bass
- 1960s Ampeg B12
If you want to do more than one song, such as an EP or an entire album, we’ll do a bundle deal.