I am a Melbourne based electric bass player and producer who for the past 10 years has recorded and toured with some of Australia's most acclaimed independent singer-songwriters. I find joy in working with all musicians from seasoned pro's to recording first timers.
As a bass player, I first and foremost always want to serve the song. Growing up on a steady diet of Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, The Who, Sheryl Crow and other amazing songwriters has given me a strong sense of song and a 'big picture' view of where the bass fits in to a track.
For the past 10 years I have found a niche working with mostly independent songwriters, frequently in the Americana/Alt Country vein. I've been lucky enough to play with some of Australia's most celebrated musicians including Andrew Swift, Felicity Urquhart, Gretta Ziller, producer Damian Cafarella, and others.
I am at home on smaller, more intimate projects with musicians and artists who maybe aren't looking for a 'big production' but instead are looking for something with a bit more personality and a little bit 'raw'. I have a fully equipped production studio at my home and have sent high quality bass tracks to artists and content producers all of the UK, Australia and USA.
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Interview with Zac Watson
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Currently I'm working on songs for a future Jen Mize & The Rough N' Tumble release.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital with an analog sensibility. I've moved fully digital to enable me to work anywhere at any time. My Universal Audio setup enables me to get the sounds of classic sounding amps, preamps and compressors from a hotel room, so it really does provide the best of both worlds.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Caitlyn Smith is the best example of everything I love about music. Her songs a brilliantly written and there is a real 'song first' mentality to the production on her records, especially 'Starfire'. Very much a dream gig of mine.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: For the past 10 years or so I have worked mostly in the Americana/Alt Country world, which is a natural extension of the live work I do. What I appreciate about working in this genre of music is that it really is all about the song, so as a bass player I can really focus on playing simply and effectively to let the song convey what it needs to.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Having grown up listening to amazing songwriters like David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Sheryl Crow etc I am always thinking 'song first'. My parts tend to be supportive first and foremost, with some interesting harmonic movements or melodic runs when musically appropriate. I also pride myself on having a great understanding of timeless bass sounds, whilst also not being afraid of trying something a little unconventional when the moment strikes.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio has been optimised for quick workflow and portability. I have a small but very versatile collection of classic sounding basses, with access to many more should I need something a little more unique. I'm using Universal Audio interfaces and plugins, again to keep the quality of my studio high yet very portable. My recording chain for bass is typically a clean DI track running through a Unison 1073, and an Amp/effects track using Brainworx Ampeg B15 or SVT. I tend to on overly process my tracks so as to leave plenty of options for mix engineers later on down the road.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Recently I have found myself contributing electric bass parts for clients songs. Most of my client base are independent artists who are self funding their own records, so being able to provide a high quality product to them at the right price point, without having to book a full studio, is an important part of my work.
I was the Bass Player in this production
- Bass ElectricAverage price - $70 per song
- Bass FretlessAverage price - $70 per song
I provide 3 takes of a song, with variations and different fills, each with a seperate DI and amp/effects track. I also offer a round of revisions if you have any notes. Turn around time is 7 days.
- Fleetwood Mac
- Caitlyn Smith
- Jason Isbell
- Curated selection of classic sounding basses (Fender
- Hofner etc)
- Universal Audio Apollo
