Pro Session Bass Player

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I recently got to produce a song for my friend Henrik Hansson with top Nashville cats, including a few recording history legends in the band and behind the console. That was great fun. The track is called "There's No Easy Way", check it out if you can find it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently recording bass for Ole Børud's upcoming album, which is fun. Oh, and I'm working on my own album as well, in between live gigs.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I recently played bass on a track with drums by Kyle May. His drums sounded amazing, and his pocket made the track feel great. Highly recommended.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital is clearly the way to go, as long as the equipment is up to par. It just makes sense in this Dropbox world we live in.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I'll play my heart out on your track.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Any kind of creative expression is a thrill, bass playing in particular. And music touches people's lives in a profound way. I'm proud to be part of that.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: We often talk about what instruments I need to hear in order to record to a track. I prefer to play to finished drums, at least a demo vocal track, and possibly guitars, keys, or other instruments providing fills and improvisations - so I don't inadvertently step on anyone's toes. Also, it's much more inspiring to play along with a melody than an instrumental track. But I can make do if needed, I've recorded to demo drums and a click track many a time.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That the tone comes from the gear. 90% of the tone comes from the human being playing the instrument.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you need? Should I improvise to add flavor, or stick to the script?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Make sure you have a plan going in. The part where you pay professionals to contribute is the expensive part. You can save money by planning ahead on your own time and giving precise instructions. That said, don't worry about parts of the track sounding unfinished. It's part of the process.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Fender Precision, Avalon U5 DI, MacBook Air, UAD Apollo, Nintendo GameBoy. And cables.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started playing bass at 16, and went pro at 19. I've been playing live for almost 30 years, and I've recorded more than 1000 songs.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Old-school soulful, warm and grooving.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I'd love to get to play with Stevie Wonder. He's such a musical cat, always jamming and making music on the fly. I'd love to hold down the low end on one of his shows.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Work out the arrangement early in the process. Make sure each instrument has its own sonic space, and that the track has air to breathe. That will make the final mix a whole lot easier.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I usually stay in the soulful and funky lane. But I feel at home playing country and rock as well. As long as it grooves, I'm happy.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say my ear is my biggest musical asset. As far as the actual playing goes, sound shaping and tone control is probably my strongest skill.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have a fat, warm, old-school Precision sound that goes well with almost any style of music, and I'm a pocket player with a solid sense of time. I can help the track groove a little harder. I also usually put in a few fills and flourishes that can help the track stand out and come alive.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always start by listening to the song, trying to get into the right headspace. If the client provides a chart, I'll make notes. If there's no chart, I might write a quick chart myself, depending on the song. Then I record until I'm happy, listen back to be sure, export the files, and deliver the files in the specified format. If the client wants to change a few things after listening to my track, we talk about it, and work it out.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run my bass through my Avalon U5 DI box or my Avalon VT-737sp mic preamp, into Logic by way of an UAD Apollo interface. I can also work in Cubase or Pro Tools if needed.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: My bassist role models are Abe Laboriel, David Hungate, James Jamerson and Anthony Jackson.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I record a bass track with one of my basses in my studio. Sometimes the artist has a very clear idea for a bass part, sometimes I play what I hear and provide my own take on the song.