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Interview with Bassist Arran McSporran of De Profundis

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A Voice To Be Heard – An Interview with Arran McSporran

At first glance, the name Arran Mcsporran may not seem familiar, but once this man’s Electric bass works hit your ear you will never forget what you have heard.  His beautifully soulful approach, and inventive musicianship are what make Mcsporran stand out amongst your average bass player.  From the age of 15, McSporran has been actively playing bass and has been a professional bass musician since 2007 upon graduating from the prestigious Academy of Contemporary music in the United Kingdom.  He has toured nationally and internationally, playing gigs all around the UK as well as India, France, Germany, Romania, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal. He has played large international festivals and is regularly gigging in and around London and the South-East of England.  McSporran is currently performing in the bands De Profundis, Seven7, The Separation and several function bands, including Barcoda. McSporran has also played and recorded with the reformed lineup of 80’s supergroup Statetrooper (featuring members of Weapon, Michael Schenker Group and Praying Mantis). He also performs session work (most recently for Estonian keyboard virtuoso Sergey Boykov on his progressive fusion solo album) and plays in other function and tribute bands. In addition to playing, McSporran’s independent record label, MGP Records, runs the fortnightly ‘Guildford Jazz Club’, which highlights new local and international Jazz music artists.

Mcsporran’s latest works in the dynamically immaculate De Profundis are perhaps his most recent claim to fame. With a new album in the works and scheduled for release by the end of this year, Arran had a lot to say on the matter as far as what to expect from the new recording. “Because I have been in the band for the full writing process of this album (I joined a month before the previous album was recorded), I have had much more freedom and time to write my parts and a few of the parts have been written around a bass line I brought in. So I think some of it will be different and very original, being written from the bottom up, instead of the other way around which would be more typical in metal albums. At the same time I always try to write for the song and not over-play as De Profundis is a band of dynamics – I can’t just jump into every musical gap with a bass solo! It’s all about tension and release and letting the music flow dynamically.  This is my first recording with my new fretless Mayones bass, which I’ll be playing on for the whole album. I’m very excited to hear it in the full mix of an album!  The songs themselves are a little bit shorter and we feel that our song writing has improved and evolved considerably. We have been on three international tours since the last album came out and we have been able to see what works live and what doesn’t. So we have also been using that as a consideration when writing the songs because we see ourselves very much as a live band.”

To say McSporran is a perfect fit for De Profundis would be more than an understatement

His Melancholic bass voicing’s breathe new life into an already established and cohesive unit. When I confronted McSporran about how he  feels his stylistic versatility works into De Profundis (aside from what can be heard on the recordings), he of course had many words to exchange with me.  “Mainly it gives me a slightly different way to hear what’s going on. I’m always very in tune with what’s going on rhythmically with a part, so I always start with that as a base. I then make sure I know what’s happening harmonically with the other instruments and then try to fuse that with the rhythmic element of the drums. Sometimes it will mean playing something simple and similar to the guitars, but often it will be a part that is rhythmically closer to the drums, and sometimes inverting or superimposing new harmonies under the other instruments. Because I have studied a lot of music theory, that really helps if a guitar riff comes in that someone has written by feel, because it means I can analyse the chord and sometimes go with it, or imply something else that can make it more interesting harmonically. Normally I’ll listen to the riff a few times and try to hear a rhythmic melody in my head.  Also, because I have played so many different styles as a professional musician, it has given me a big wealth of different bass lines to influence me in my parts, whether consciously or not. It could be a walking line, a bossa, a funk track, metal, indie, pop, electronica or a musical theatre song that’s helped me write a part! Sometimes my parts don’t come from bass lines at all and are influenced by various solos or sounds I’ve learned on bass, which were originally played on saxophone, guitar, piano or ethnic instruments.”

Mcsporran’s fretless bass playing can distinctly be heard throughout the album and provides an additional aspect of colour to an already lustrous painting. His bright yet sombre tone and tactful approach to playing in De Profundis prove to be a force to be reckoned with.  That being said I wanted to hear from Arran specifically if the fretless bass if preferred, and if so, for what reasons and why? He had this to say, “For me, and the way I play, it’s completely changed the way I see the bass as a musical instrument. There always seems to be more freedom for me when I play my fretless as I can control the notes better before, during and after a note is played. I also find the vibrato more expressive and it is easier to be subtle compared to a fretted bass – I find it more naturally reflects my own natural vibrato, if I am singing for instance. In fact I get compliments when I solo or play that it does sound like someone singing, which is exactly what I’m going for. I’m really trying to emulate the control of a wind instrument over the notes, as opposed to looking at it in a more percussive way, as many metal bassists would.  It has also given me a lot of scope to explore other cultural music and tempering systems. I like to experiment with Turkish quarter-tone systems and scales, as well as emulate the glissandos of eastern instruments like the Sitar and Shakuhachi. It also allows me to explore and play along with the music of instruments not tuned in equal temperament, like the Highland Bagpipes.”

As a player of versatility, there is almost no job McSporran can’t handle. Having played with acoustic songwriters, jazz duos and trios, in rock and metal bands, tribute bands and even in cover bands, Arran is regularly performing a wide variety of different genres and styles. With such a vast “portfolio” of musical workings under his belt, I personally felt the need to seek out what he derives his inspiration from in all aspects of his playing, past, present and even his own technique.  “I primarily use three plucking fingers when I play (although it can alter from just one to using all the digits on my right hand) and when I started, I spent a lot of time working out my technique methodically by watching Billy Sheehan, who inspired me with his fluidity and control on the instrument. Just spending hours running exercises across the strings, working out patterns and trying to get a solid, reliable finger independence. Ensuring when I was playing a string that none of the other strings could ring for example.

Now, when I practice, I find myself playing a lot of music not generally associated with the instrument! I rarely transcribe bass lines for my own pleasure, unless I want to use it as a study piece, because they don’t push me as much as learning something played on a non-string instrument (and ESPECIALLY not written with a fretless bass in mind). Also, because I can generally tell by hearing a bass line what is going on, I find I don’t really LEARN a lot by playing it, and knowledge is the thing I am most thirsty for when I practice. Most of the books I study from (and the collection is growing all the time) are written with other instruments in mind (trombone, saxophone, guitar, piano, etc). I read the dots and transfer it to my instrument, which can be extremely difficult and often impossible with the large fret-spacings and thick strings! And that’s what keeps me challenged.  I am always transcribing and learning jazz solos, because I know I can use them to push me academically and technically. My knowledge of the neck has increased massively doing this, as well as my ability to play very intricate parts, because I have looked at the instrument from a musical perspective, as opposed to a finger-pattern oriented one – although this doesn’t mean I don’t have to work on creating fingerings that allow me to play some of the things I transcribe! I’m always thinking in intervals; ‘oh, the 3rd of an E7 chord’, as opposed to ‘13th fret G string’.

I am also always watching videos on YouTube and listening to music to see if there are some new techniques or sounds I can try to emulate on the instrument. Sometimes I’ll experiment with a ‘new’ bass technique I’ve seen someone do and will keep it or discard it depending on its merits.  Most of the solos and things I’ve practiced, I assume, have never been played on the bass guitar before, and that’s what keeps me most inspired. Hopefully it will help me to further define my own voice over time.  I really like, and enjoy transcribing and playing, the music of Allan Holdsworth, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Robert Fripp, Michael Brecker, Marty Friedman, Jeff Beck, Chopin, Debussy and others, and I hope their interesting note choices comes out a little in my playing. Although other bassists like Jeff Berlin, Michael Manring, Sean Malone, John Deacon, Tony Levin and John Entwistle really excite me with their originality.”

As a Bass Musician who is constantly on the go and always trying something new, there will always be a new musical endeavor for McSporran to tackle head on.  With an ever expanding repertoire of projects I thought I would ask Arran what we can look for from him in the future. Presumably, he went on to discuss that “Apart from the new De Profundis album, which we will begin recording in November, I released the second album with my metal band Seven7 at the beginning of August, which has had some fantastic reviews and there were some very kind compliments on my playing.  Once the De Profundis album is released in early 2012 we will be heavily touring the album in Europe and hopefully get another chance to go out to India too. If we get a chance to make it over the Atlantic, that would also be a really fantastic experience for us. There is nothing booked at the moment, but once the album is out we’ll be expecting to be on the road a lot.  I recently performed on a keyboard player’s solo album, which is being finished at the moment and will hopefully be out next year with some very exciting collaborations on it. So I’m really looking forward to people hearing that! I’m also regularly playing around the UK with various other bands and groups.

With a new De Profundis album on the way and many other new musical projects on the horizon I wanted to see what exactly runs through his mind during the recording process, furthermore, what his overall approach to it is.  “Because I’m playing fretless, I like to have a guide guitar track laid down for me to record to, mainly for pitching. But I like to just hit that groove and record with the drums, so I always make sure the kick and snare are the loudest things I can hear. I’m always listening for subtleties in the drums and I know in the recording process Nick (our drummer) will often come up with original fills, which I’m sometimes keen on going back in and overdubbing with a bass fill to give it more power and presence.  I try to go into the studio with about 90% certainty about what I’m going to play, because the studio itself often inspires new ideas in me or drummers, so it gives space to adapt to any changes as they happen. The songs will be fully written, but I like the space to improvise some icing on the cake!  I generally have a completely flat sound when I record and play, which I find helps my fretless really cut through in the mix and gives me much more control over the subtleties of the notes. My concept is that I want my bass to sound how it does unplugged – but louder! I like to let my hands shape the tone.  Obviously afterwards, the bass will be mixed to find a good space among the other instruments, but I don’t like it to sound too far away from the originally recorded sound”

As our interview came to a close I saw fit to find out something about Arran that most people probably don’t know. Something per say aside from his bass playing that makes Arran McSporran the person that he is and what we hear from him through his music.  That being said Arran left me with this “I did martial arts when I was younger, but was never interested in the competitive element, as I was more attracted in pushing myself to do what I had previously found impossible. Some time later I realized that the discipline I had gained from practicing the same exercise, for many hours a day, had transferred across to my bass practicing, which I found very interesting. I am also an autodidact and am always trying to discover more information about historical, philosophic and scientific topics that interest me.”

McSporran continues to forge his own style and voice on the bass guitar, even beyond those before him.  With an ear for phrasing and sensitivity, and bass lines often riddled with a theoretical jazz influence, McSporran continues to carry the spirit of virtuosic and sometimes even experimental progressive rock on his shoulders and there is nothing that can be done to stop him.  Then again why would we want to?

Online:

www.arranmcsporran.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ArranMcSporranLive

twitter.com/#!/ArranMcSporran

www.mayones.com/en/artists_players/deprof_arran

De Profundis:

www.deprofundistheband.com

www.facebook.com/deprofundistheband

twitter.com/#!/DeProfundisBand

deprofundis.bandcamp.com

Seven7:

www.seven7.name

www.facebook.com/Seven7band

twitter.com/#!/bandseven7

seven7band.bandcamp.com

 

 

Bass Videos

Interview With K3 Sisters Band

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Interview With K3 Sisters Band

K3 Sisters Band Interview…

It is very rare when I talk to a band where all the members play bass. The K3 Sisters Band is a perfect example of a group where Kaylen, Kelsey and Kristen Kassab are all multi-instrumentalists and take turns playing bass.

Hailing from Texas, these three sisters have been playing music since they were very young and have amassed an amazing amount of original music,  music videos, streaming concerts, podcasts, and content that has taken numerous social media platforms by storm. On TikTok alone, they have over 2.5 million followers and more than a billion views.

Join me as we hear the story of their musical journey, how they get their sound, and the fundamental principles behind these prolific musicians.

Here is the K3 Sisters Band!

Photo, Bruce Ray Productions

Follow Online:

k3sistersband.com/
TikTok
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook 

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole

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Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole

Bassist Danielle Nicole…

Blues music has universal appeal. We all have our ups and downs and this particular musical genre often fits our reality. Just hearing that we are not alone makes us feel a bit better. 

Danielle Nicole writes and sings the Blues. She does an amazing job at delivering both exquisite smoky vocals but plays just the right bass line to drive the tune home. Danielle recently released “The Love You Bleed” last January and will be touring the album this upcoming year.

Join me as we learn about Danielle’s musical journey, how she gets her sound, her plans for the future and more.

Follow Online

daniellenicolemusic.com/
IG @daniellenicoleband
youtube.com/daniellenicoleband

Photo, Missy Faulkner

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Features

Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists

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Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists

Interview with Karina Rykman…

Karina Rykman…The high-energy bassist discusses her path on bass, her upcoming tour, how she came to find Bergantino through another Bergantino artist, and more!

A lifelong Manhattanite diehard New Yorker, Bergantino welcomes new Artist Karina Rykman. Jim and Holly had the privilege of meeting Karina and her band in Boston to see her perform. She lights up a stage with her charismatic passion as a bass player and singer – a true powerhouse of joy and energy. On stage, she smiles from ear to ear, hopping, jumping, and dancing; the entire room overflowing with positivity! If you don’t know this titan of bass yet, you will soon enough. Karina’s JOYRIDE 2024 tour picks up this month with the debut of her new album. We had the opportunity to ask Karina some questions about her career so far. 

You have quite the career that began at a very young age. You have so much going on!! Can you share some of your musical path highlights you are most proud of?

Oh man, thank you! What a long, strange trip it’s been. I’m proud of still being so absolutely enthralled by music after playing in a million bands and finally ending up at this current juncture: being able to make my own music and tour under my own name. It just seems completely surreal – every gig, every recording…I’m on cloud 9 being able to continue to do this, and we’re just getting started. I’m extremely proud of being so young and being able to learn so much from Marco Benevento, without whom I’d be absolutely nowhere. Being put up to a large task with enormous shoes to fill, and stepping in even though I barely knew what I was doing at the time. Every gig with Marco is extremely special to me. 

Tell us about your new album release Joyride and your 2024 tour.

Joyride is my debut record! It came out in August 2023, and we’ve been touring behind it nonstop ever since. You only make your first record once, and I’m so proud of this one – it’s fun, searing, lush, with chantable choruses and, of course, incredibly thick bass and infectious grooves. It was produced by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who also contributes guitar parts to 5 of the 9 tunes. 

What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate towards it?

There’s nothing quite like feeling the subs rumbling under your feet in a venue and being responsible for those sounds is thrilling. I played guitar first, at age 12, but essentially completely switched over to bass when I was 22 and got the gig playing bass with Marco Benevento. I haven’t looked back since, except for a few gigs on guitar here and there (notably in the house band on Late Night with Seth Meyers and on The Today Show backing up Julia Michaels). 

People hate this question, but: If you were constructing your personal Bass Mt. Rushmore, who are the four players that would make the cut and why?

Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool. The list goes on and on, of course, but those four have imprinted their unique styles upon my brain since I was so young, and I’m perpetually learning from them – even in the case of the deceased Cliff (RIP), going back and watching Cliff ‘Em All videos is something I do all the time. Endlessly compelled by these four players and their original takes on the instrument.

How did you learn to play?

I never took lessons, but in middle school and high school, I just surrounded myself with equally music-obsessed people. All we did was play music and go and see live music, which is wildly accessible when you grow up in New York City. I had a really tight-knit crew of amazing players as my friends, and everyone would teach each other riffs and licks. I was fearless – playing with people much better than me and saying “yes” to every cool opportunity that came my way. I essentially learned from playing in a million bands and playing along to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin records. 

Are there any other instruments you play?

I started on guitar, and still love to write on guitar. I can get around on keyboards a bit, but you’d never hire me as a keyboardist. The same goes for drums – I LOVE playing drums but you’d never hire me as a drummer. 

Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.

I play both with a pick and my fingers, depending on the specific needs of / vibe of the tune. I love playing fuzz bass and writing bombastic “lead bass” moments, which are a staple of my live show. I’d say I’m about the least “traditional” bassist in just about every way – which is both a strength and a weakness depending on how you frame it. I play what I hear, what I like, and I adhere to very few rules. I’ve always hated rules, and I didn’t start playing rock n roll to follow them. 

How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?

I’m pals with Mike Gordon, bassist of Phish, and his tech is named Ed Grasmeyer. Ed suggested he bring Mike’s Bergantino for me to try out at a show I was playing in Vermont, and I fell instantly in love. 

You have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 head. How have you been setting the controls on this and what changes to those settings might you make as you plug into your other individual instruments?

I love my Forté HP2! The versatility and headroom are incredible, and I’ve been having a lot of fun dialing it in at home. The real fun will begin this weekend when I take it out for 2.5 weeks of tour – dialing something in an apartment just isn’t the same as on a big stage with a PA and subs and all that good stuff. I like to roll my highs a bit and I keep “punch” on all the time. So far, it’s been a dream.

You are the inspiration behind Bergantino cab the new NXT410-C. Can you tell us more about this cab and your experience so far?

Firstly, I’m beyond touched to be the inspiration behind, well…anything! But this is truly insane, and such an honor. I love this cab. Not only is it light and extremely good-looking, it can handle all my loudest, most abrasive and obnoxious effects. My old amp didn’t come close, and could just fart out or I’d have to turn down to appease it. I’m a big fan of playing at earth-shattering volumes, so this is going to be a match made in heaven. 

We all love your custom-made Goldie Hawn bass guitar! Can you share more with us about this bass design and why it is so special to you?

Thanks! That’s made by “Zeke Guitars” – it’s the second custom bass he’s made for me! He reached out in the summer of 2019 and asked what my dream bass would be, and I said it was basically my 1978 Fender P-Bass, but lighter, whiter, with Lindy Fralins, gold hardware, and shorter scale. And, well..he did exactly that! I love that bass so much. And the gold, which is referred to as Goldie Hawn, was born in December of 2022, and has the same specs. I just love it, it sounds amazing and looks, arguably, even better. 

Jim and I were lucky to get to meet you in person when you came to Boston with the band. The members of the band are such a great group of people! Can you share more with all about the band and crew. 

I’m so lucky to keep such incredible company. My bandmates, Adam November and Chris Corsico, are not only unbelievable musicians but also incredible humans. We just laugh and laugh, and we’re there for each other when the road gets tough or we’re exhausted or whatever life throws at us. It’s the joy of my life to get to tour the world with these guys. And the crew! That night was Connor Milton on sound and Nick Koski on lights – we have a rotating cast of people who play those roles based on availability, and everyone who works for us are absolute consummate professionals and the sweetest humans. They are my team of experts and I just adore them so much. Shout out to Zach Rosenberg, Jeff Volckhausen, Dylan Hinds, Dom Chang, for being the best rotating crew a gal could ask for!  

What else do you do besides music? 

Not much! I love going to the beach! I love eating dinner! 

Because I am a foodie, I always ask people what their favorite food is!

Oysters, caviar, sushi. I’m a raw bar fanatic. 

At a very young age, Karina is a diligent hard worker. She juggles many balls managing her business and is savvy beyond her years. We are very happy to be working with Karina and are excited for her continued success!

Follow Karina Rykman:

Instagram: @karinarykman
X (formerly Twitter): @KarinaRykman
Facebook @karinarykman/

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser

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Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser

Bassist Ciara Moser…

Ciara and I sat down for this interview a few months after the launch of her debut album, “Blind. So what?”

Blind since birth, she is a powerhouse of talent; she is not only a professional bassist, but also composes music, and is a producer and educator. I am just blown away by her talent and perseverance.

Join me as we hear about Ciara’s musical journey, the details of her album, how she gets her sound, and her plans for the future.

Visit online:

www.ciara-moser.com 
IG @ moserciara
FB @ ciara.moser

Photos by Manuela Haeussler

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Travis Book

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Interview With Bassist Travis Book

Interview With Bassist Travis Book…

Bluegrass music has had a very solid following over many years and I am always happy to hear from one of the pioneers in that genre.

Travis Book plays bass for the Grammy award-winning band “The Infamous Stringdusters” and has recently released his first solo album “Love and Other Strange Emotions”. As if he wasn’t busy enough, Travis also hosts a podcast, Plays a Jerry Garcia music show with Guitarist Andy Falco, and is constantly gigging locally in his neck of the woods.

Photo, Seyl Park

Visit Online:

www.thetravisbook.com
www.thestringdusters.com
FB @ TheTravisBook
IG @ travisbook

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