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Backstage Pass with Gordon Bash
Backstage Pass with Gordon Bash…
The small town of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, is famous for three things: it’s proximity to Livermore Cemetery (featured in Night of The Living Dead), a strip club with a drive-thru, and being the childhood home of production and bass extraordinaire Gordon Bash, of Magnolia Memoir and Mankind Is Obsolete.
Bash was fascinated with music from a young age and studied many instruments including piano, guitar, tuba, ukulele, and even vibes. His band director admired his talent and thought the instrument he would be happiest on would be bass, so he encouraged Bash by enrolling him in a Jazz camp where he first picked up the electric bass. After growing up a bit and playing in various bands, he discovered he was in love with the whole process; not just playing bass or writing songs but creating the entire sound and producing it to the end of his imagination. His DIY mentality contributed to him becoming a producer. “Wanna make it? Then make it,” is Bash’s motto when it comes to not only music but also life. As a child he spent many nights playing with his mother’s cassette tapes and turning his karaoke machine into a 2-track recorder!
He soon found himself moving to Los Angeles, where a friend asked him to record bass on a great singer’s demo. He agreed to do it and set out to be the perfect bass player for her sound. After much preparation (like learning how to slap an upright) the date had arrived and he went to the Crossroads of the World in Hollywood for the session. When the session turned to magic the group collectively decided to work together as a band.
Magnolia Memoir defines themselves as a bit of a super-group since they are made up of a professional voice-over actress, three producers/music directors and a tech entrepreneur. Earlier this spring, amidst completing their new album “Pale Fire”, released in early September, their singer Mela Lee was in a near fatal car accident that really changed the chemistry of the band for the better. “Truly, life is a blessing and getting a chance to make music together is a joy,” Bash said in an interview. With newfound appreciation for the band, they proceeded to finish their newest masterpiece that follows in the footsteps of many greats like Adele, Paloma Faith and the Black Keys.
While Bash’s main project is Magnolia Memoir, he still finds the time to tour with his other band Mankind Is Obsolete and has even started his own original project called ¡BASH!, a punk inspired trio featuring his impeccable slap bass technique. Luckily, the whole Magnolia Memoir crew is very supportive of all its member’s other creative endeavors. Though coordinating tour schedules can be a bit of a headache; “Mela once managed to steal me from New Zealand where I was on a gig with William Close and the Earth Harp Collective… She plucked me at the end of his tour and connected me right into a Magnolia tour.” It’s safe to say the whole lot is very well versed in scheduling.
If you plan on adding Magnolia Memoir to your schedule you can see their full tour schedule here.
View Videos:
- Magnolia Memoir – “Odds & Ends” Official Music Video
bit.ly/OddsAndEnd - Magnolia Memoir – “No One Like You” Live @ Werewolf Heart
youtu.be/dZR8m-Mzv-w - Magnolia Memoir – “Pale Fire” Live @ Werewolf Heart
youtu.be/DTqWToubgPI - Magnolia Memoir – “Odds & Ends” Live @ Werewolf Heart
youtu.be/G2iNhcSVHu0
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