Your Session Bass Guitarist

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

A: Without sounding too much like a selfish blow hard, I worked on a song I wrote myself that came from a different viewpoint, instrumentally and lyrically, than I usually do. Playing and singing all the parts myself, it was quite the exercise in stretching my ability and my confidence. I was very satisfied with it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’ve actually been working on creating some new songs with members of a band I’m in, recording all of our own tracks separately and remotely with the idea of performing them together in the coming season.

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

A: Not yet. There are a lot of talented people here, but I prefer to keep referrals based on firsthand experience and not assumption.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I prefer analog if possible, but realistically, the ease of digital makes it king. Given the choice between listening to a streaming mp3 or a record, I choose the warmth of vinyl every time.

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

A: I’m not happy unless you’re happy. Communicate openly and honestly and I’ll make sure you get the part you’re looking for.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Creating something new.

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

A: How many different versions can they get and how many revisions if they don’t like it? I don’t like to have a set number because that limits where you can go while trying to achieve your goal. I work with everyone to try to achieve their goal or vision and unless the number of revisions is absolutely ridiculous, which I have not come across yet, we can make it work.

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

A: That it’s easy. Creating music in someone else’s vision is quite a bar to reach sometimes. Pulling a sound from someone else’s mind and recoding it for them to match their imagination can be quite the task.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always ask if there’s a certain style or vibe they are going for. Is there another song you like the sound or style of? I ask if they have a solid framework already written for the part or if they want me to create the part around the rest of the song.

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

A: It’s great to know what you want, but it’s better to know what you don’t want. Don’t be afraid to be specific and please be honest about your expectations. I have fun making new music, and you should hire somebody who is going to enjoy making music for you. That’s me.

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

A: Strat, Akai MK III midi controller, laptop with Reaper, PC interface, Shur SM58

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

A: I’ve been playing music for over 25 years. fFor most of that time, music has been a serious and consistent part of my life, even though it has not been my full-time profession. I’ve played with other musicians live as well as recording my own music. About a year ago I began focusing more intentionally on recording and producing tracks for others which has been a natural extension of the experience I’ve built over the years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Reserved adventurous. Confident yet able to scale back and know when ti do more with less.

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

A: I think it would be fun to work with Jack White. He seems like somebody who’s not afraid to go outside the box.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Record the rehearsals. Sometimes happy accidents end up being exactly what you want.

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

A: Rock, Pop, folk and alternative mostly.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The strongest skill would probably be the ability to adapt through different genres and styles both with the bass guitar and vocally.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A sense of humanity first and foremost while trying to evoke feeling into the song. Even if the part is simple it can bring a song to life or take the wind out of its sails, so it’s important to approach every song as if it is my own and give it that same amount of care.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When working on someone else’s track they’ve already got some foundation for, I’ll take a listen to it numerous times get a real feel for it. Once I’m comfortable with the structure of it, I’ll come up with a baseline that suits the track. Sometimes that’s very simple Root notes and sometimes it’s a very melodic line that counters or supports the song’s main melody. Sometimes the client dictates that sometimes I’m free to explore that on my own. Basically follow the same process with the vocals as far as preparing for the performance. Once I have figured out how it’s going to play out, I usually record several takes before deciding on the best one.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a secluded room filled with my instruments, memorabilia and my work station. I play primarily through either a Fender Rumble amp for real world sound and go DI as well through a Focusrite interface to Reaper as my DAW of choice. For vocals I sing through an Audio Technica AT2020.

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

A: I’m inspired by many different genres and musicians. The Beatles grabbed me as a kid and Paul McCartney’s bass lines continue to inspire me. John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin also always hit right with me. I go through the gamut though, sometimes gravitating to the likes of Wilco and Grandaddy to Modest Mouse then over to James Brown or to Miles Davis. There’s inspiration to be found everywhere.

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

A: Bass Guitar tracks are predominantly what I do, but I’m also able to do vocals work too.