Features
Peter Fand – Shares His Musical Journey to Cirque, Bass Gear and the Kora
It never ceases to amaze me… the journey that musicians take to get where they are.
- Is the road straight? Not usually.
- Is it long? Most likely.
- Is it interesting? Most definitely!
In this issue of Bass Musician Magazine, Peter Fand has shared his journey and musical-world (see Bass Musician Magazine Interviews Peter Fand from Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil and Behind the Scenes at Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil with Peter Fand)… here Peter shares more with us about his life, Cirque, bass gear and just how he learned the Kora.
Name: Peter Fand
Cirque Show: Zarkana
Type of show: Resident Show and Theater Tour
Grew up in: Maplewood, New Jersey
Main basses: Sadowsky UV-70 5-String, 1968 Fender Jazz
Strings: I use DR Strings on all of my instruments, including my basses, guitars, and even my mandolins!!! I have had a long relationship with DR, and absolutely love their strings.
Effects: Boss Super Octave, Electroharmonix Q-Tron, Zvex Wooly Mammouth, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner, Reddi DI
Career Prior to Cirque:
Most of my career was spent as a working musician in and around New York. I’ve performed in many of the great theaters there, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, on Broadway and more, as well as in countless smaller venues, clubs and bars. Although I’ve worked in a wide range of styles, my primary focus in recent years has been on West African music, both traditional and contemporary, as well as a variety of other international music styles. I have worked with some of West Africa’s most notable artists, including Mory Kante, Petit Conde, Famoro Dioubate, Missia Saran Dioubate, Keba Cissoko, and a long list of artists from the National Ballet’s, including Les Ballets Africains, Les Ballets Merveilles de Guinea, and more. I have performed on more than 40 CDs, have composed music for films and television, and own a recording studio, which has been the center of my artistic world for more than 20 years.
Experience with Cirque:
In many ways, it feels as if my whole career was working towards this gig. As a multi-instrumentalist, it is unusual to find a professional environment where I can utilize all of my skills as effectively as I can in Zarkana. I’m the bass player in the show, which is of course my primary instrument, but I am also featured on Kora (a 21-string West African Harp), percussion, mandolin, and sing background vocals as well. Our show started out as a touring show, which brought us to several cities for extended stays, New York, Madrid and Moscow. With each chapter, new doors have opened in my musical journey. For example, while in Moscow, I found a master balalaika builder who I bought an instrument from, and then connected with a teacher who began studying with.
Because I play a variety of instruments, I was a unique fit for this show, whose composer was looking to add as many sounds as possible to the musical landscape. Additionally, it was helpful that I had worked in such a wide range of musical idioms in my career. There were no charts written for this music, so the creation process happened in a fairly organic way. We workshopped the songs for several months, and were all encouraged to bring our own unique voices to the music. Since all of the musicians are at such a high skill level, that process worked very well, and the end product is a distinct reflection of the people in the band.
Audition Process for Cirque:
My audition process took about 2 years! I first auditioned for the Company, and was informed that I had been accepted to the roster of available artists. I was then asked to audition for a touring show, and was tentatively placed in a chair in that show, but as it happened, as another show closed at the same time, and my position was given to the musician from the closing show. Cirque is good about taking care of their people in that way. Nearly a year then elapsed before I was asked to audition for the show that ultimately became Zarkana, and after a few rounds of eliminations, I was offered the job. I have never waited so long for a gig, but have never been more excited to receive a phone call as I was that day I was told that the chair was mine!
Gig Anecdote:
Over the years, our show has been seen by many celebrities, many of whom have come back stage to meet the cast. It’s always a privilege performing for people who you admire and respect, and having the chance to chat with them is also fun. We’ve also performed for some significant world leaders, including the whole Clinton Family, President (at the time) Medvedev of Russia when we were in the Kremlin, and more. Perhaps the most memorable of those experiences was performing for the Royal Family of Spain when we were in Madrid. It was a bit surreal chatting with the Queen backstage after the show, and asking her grandchildren (the princesses) if they’d like to grow up to be acrobats. That would have been a good time to practice using the formal “Usted” form…. but we stuck with English.
The Kora
One of the instruments that I play in the show is the Kora, a 21-string West African harp-lute. The Kora is a traditional instrument of the Mandeng people of West Africa, from the countries of Guinea, Mali, Gambia and Senegal. In the early 1990’s I was working in and around New York in the African music scene, playing bass in some African bands, and percussion as an accompanist for dance classes. During that time I often hear the sound of the Kora in recordings, and was drawn to it. Some time around 1994 I had the good fortune to meet master Kora player Keba Cissoko, who came from the most prominent lineage of Kora players, from Guinea. After studying with him for some time, I went to Guinea to live and study with his family, where I began to absorb the vastly rich tradition of the instrument. That was the first of many trips there, and the beginning of a life-long relationship with this instrument. In Zarkana, I am featured playing the Kora during the Russian Bar act, and I am centrally set in the staging of that piece. I’m proud to be able to bring this traditional instrument into such a new and unique context.
Visit Peter online at peterfand.com
Bass Videos
Artist Update With Bassist Derek Frank
Bassist Derek Frank…
Many of you will remember the last time I chatted with Derek Frank was back in 2017. The main thing that impressed me was how busy Derek was and how he juggled playing with many huge acts.
Now, I am happy to hear that Derek launched a new album last March titled “Origin Story” where he digs deep into his roots and pays homage to Pittsburg.
Join me as we get caught up after all these years and hear the details about the new album, how Derek gets his sound, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Stephen Bradley
Featured Videos:
Visit Online:
www.derekfrank.com
www.instagram.com/derekfrankbass
www.youtube.com/derekfrankbass
www.facebook.com/derekfrankbass
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Graham Stanush
Bassist Graham Stanush…
Return to Dust is keeping Grunge alive and well! They have a new self-titled album that went out on May 3rd, 2024 and will be super busy promoting this project in the near future.
Graham Stanush is the bass powerhouse driving their sound and adding vocals to the mix. Join me as we hear all about Graham’s musical journey, details about the new album, how he gets his sound and their plans for the future.
Featured Videos:
Visit Online:
linktr.ee/returntodust
instagram.com/returntodustband/
twitter.com/Returntodustbnd
youtube.com/@returntodustband
tiktok.com/@returntodustband
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
Featured Videos
Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
Features
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
Checking in with Bergantino Artist James Tobias
James Tobias, Bassist for psychedelic, Reggae-Rock titans Audic Empire shares his history as a musician and how he came to find Bergantino…
Interview by Holly Bergantino
James Tobias, a multi-talented musician and jack-of-all-trades shares his story of coming up as a musician in Texas, his journey with his band Audic Empire, and his approach to life and music. With a busy tour schedule each year, we were fortunate to catch up with him while he was out and about touring the US.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Dallas, Texas and lived in the Dallas area most of my life with the exception of 1 year in Colorado. I moved to the Austin area at age 18.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate to it?
I honestly started playing bass because we needed a bass player and I was the one with access to a bass amp and bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang up until I met Ronnie, who I would later start “Audic Empire” with. He also played rhythm guitar and sang and we didn’t know any bass players, so we had to figure something out. I still write most of my songs on guitar, but I’ve grown to love playing the bass.
How did you learn to play, James?
I took guitar lessons growing up and spent a lot of time just learning tabs or playing by ear and kicked around as a frontman in a handful of bands playing at the local coffee shops or rec centers. Once I transitioned to bass, I really just tried to apply what I knew about guitar and stumbled through it till it sounded right. I’m still learning every time I pick it up, honestly.
You are also a songwriter, recording engineer, and a fantastic singer, did you get formal training for this?
Thank you, that means a lot! I had a couple of voice lessons when I was in my early teens, but didn’t really like the instructor. I did however take a few lessons recently through ACC that I enjoyed and think really helped my technique (Shout out to Adam Roberts!) I was not a naturally gifted singer, which is a nice way of saying I was pretty awful, but I just kept at it.
As far as recording and producing, I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and asked people who know more than me when I had a question. Whenever I feel like I’m not progressing, I just pull up tracks from a couple of years ago, cringe, and feel better about where I’m at but I’ve got a long way to go. Fortunately, we’ve got some amazing producers I can pass everything over to once I get the songs as close to finalized as I can.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I honestly don’t know what my style would be considered. We’ve got so many styles that we play and fuse together that I just try to do what works song by song. I don’t have too many tricks in the bag and just keep it simple and focus on what’s going to sound good in the overall mix. I think my strength lies in thinking about the song as a whole and what each instrument is doing, so I can compliment everything else that’s going on. What could be improved is absolutely everything, but that’s the great thing about music (and kind of anything really).
Who were your influencers in terms of other musicians earlier on or now that have made a difference and inspired you?
My dad exposed me to a lot of music early. I was playing a toy guitar while watching a VHS of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at SXSW on repeat at 4 years old saying I wanted to “do that” when I grew up. I was the only kid in daycare that had his own CDs that weren’t kid’s songs. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, and The Doors when I could barely talk. I would make up songs and sing them into my Panasonic slimline tape recorder and take it to my preschool to show my friends. As I got older went through a bunch of music phases. Metal, grunge, rock, punk, hip hop, reggae, ska, etc. Whatever I heard that I connected to I’d dive in and learn as much as I could about it. I was always in bands and I think I kept picking up different styles along the way and kept combining my different elements and I think that’s evident in Audic’s diverse sound.
Tell me about Audic Empire and your new release Take Over! Can you share some of the highlights you and the band are most proud of?
Takeover was an interesting one. I basically built that song on keyboard and drum loops and wrote and tracked all my vocals in one long session in my bedroom studio kind of in a stream-of-consciousness type of approach. I kind of thought nothing would come of it and I’d toss it out, but we slowly went back and tracked over everything with instruments and made it our own sound. I got it as far as I could with production and handed it off to Chad Wrong to work his magic and really bring it to life. Once I got Snow Owl Media involved and we started brainstorming about a music video, it quickly turned into a considerably larger production than anything we’ve done before and it was such a cool experience. I’m really excited about the final product, especially considering I initially thought it was a throwaway track.
Describe the music style of Audic Empire for us.
It’s all over the place… we advertise it as “blues, rock, reggae.” Blues because of our lead guitarist, Travis Brown’s playing style, rock because I think at the heart we’re a rock band, and reggae because we flavor everything with a little (or a lot) of reggae or ska.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
Well, my Ampeg SVT7 caught fire at a show… We were playing Stubbs in Austin and everyone kept saying they smelled something burning, and I looked back in time to see my head, perched on top of its 8×10 cab, begin billowing smoke. We had a tour coming up, so I started researching and pricing everything to try and find a new amp. I was also fronting a metal band at the time, and my bass player’s dad was a big-time country bass player and said he had this really high-end bass amp just sitting in a closet he’d sell me. I was apprehensive since I really didn’t know much about it and “just a little 4×10” probably wasn’t going to cut it compared to my previous setup. He said I could come over and give it a test drive, but he said he knew I was going to buy it. He was right. I immediately fell in love. I couldn’t believe the power it put out compared to this heavy head and cumbersome cab I had been breaking my back hauling all over the country and up countless staircases.
Tell us about your experience with the forte D amp and the AE 410 Speaker cabinet.
It’s been a game-changer in every sense. It’s lightweight and compact. Amazing tone. And LOUD. It’s just a fantastic amp. Not to mention the customer service being top-notch! You’ll be hard-pressed to find another product that, if you have an issue, you can get in touch with the owner, himself. How cool is that?
Tell us about some of your favorite basses.
I was always broke and usually working part-time delivering pizzas, so I just played what I could get my hands on. I went through a few pawn shop basses, swapped in new pickups, and fought with the action on them constantly. I played them through an Ampeg be115 combo amp. All the electronics in it had fried at some point, so I gutted it out and turned it into a cab that I powered with a rusted-up little head I bought off someone for a hundred bucks. My gear was often DIY’d and held together by electrical tape and usually had a few coats of spray paint to attempt to hide the wear and tear. I never really fell in love with any piece of gear I had till I had a supporter of our band give me an Ibanez Premium Series SDGR. I absolutely love that bass and still travel with it. I’ve since gotten another Ibanez Premium Series, but went with the 5-string BTB. It’s a fantastic-sounding bass, my only complaint is it’s pretty heavy.
Love your new video Take Over! Let us know what you’re currently working on (studio, tour, side projects, etc.)
Thank you!! We’ve got a LOT of stuff we’re working on right now actually. Having 2 writers in the band means we never have a shortage of material. It’s more about getting everything tracked and ready for release and all that goes into that. We just got through filming videos for 2 new unreleased tracks with Snow Owl Media, who did the videos for both Love Hate and Pain and Takeover. Both of these songs have surprise features which I’m really excited about since these will be the first singles since our last album we have other artists on. We’ve also got a lot of shows coming up and I’ve also just launched my solo project as well. The debut single, “Raisin’ Hell” is available now everywhere. You can go here to find all the links distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamestobias/raisin-hell
What else do you do besides music?
For work, I own a handyman service here in Austin doing a lot of drywall, painting, etc. I have a lot of hobbies and side hustles as well. I make custom guitar straps and other leather work. I do a lot of artwork and have done most of our merch designs and a lot of our cover art. I’m really into (and borderline obsessed) with health, fitness, and sober living. I have a hard time sitting still, but fortunately, there’s always a lot to do when you’re self-employed and running a band!
Follow James Tobias:
jamestobiasmusic.com
Facebook.com/james.tobias1
Instagram.com/ru4badfish2
TikTok.com/@jamestobiasmusic
audicempire.com
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