Features
An Interview with Bassist Pete Griffin – Insight Into His World
Bass Musician Magazine Goes In-Depth with Bassist Pete Griffin
Making it in the Los Angeles music scene is not an endeavor for the meek or faint of heart. With the talent bar raised at probably the highest levels in the world, along with incredible competition, becoming an in-demand bassist in the scene is a triumph achieved through years of hard work. Such a prime example is Mr. Pete Griffin. With a resume that includes: Steve Vai, Dr John, Zappa Plays Zappa, Zakk Wylde, Tony MacAlpine, Dethklok, Mike Keneally, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, Generation Axe and many, many more. Pete was kind enough to sit down with Bass Musician to give us some insight into his world, give some pro tips, and to share what he had planned for a very busy and action packed 2017.
Your resume speaks volumes about your versatility and professionalism, how did you go about cracking into the LA scene and then networking to where you are at today?
When I first moved to LA I had very few connections so I knew I had to just “get out there” somehow. I basically answered every “Bass Player Wanted” ad I could find, about 85% of which led me pretty much nowhere. But a few of them turned into real paying gigs, or at least led me to playing live at places like the Roxy and Viper Room in a relatively short amount of time. Pretty soon I started getting called for bigger auditions, and then I got the gig with Hanson (yes, that Hanson), which was my first touring job for about 3 years.
What is your preparation process like when getting ready for a big new gig? Like learning music for players like Steve Vai and the like?
For tours like Generation Axe and Paul Gilbert where I’ve got a ton of brand new material to learn I just try to take it a little at a time, and learning tunes basically becomes my day job for a while. I’ve actually become fascinated recently with my own memory and what I call “hard disk space.” Everyone retains new information differently, and I’ve found that taking time to rest and absorb everything is crucial. I’ll finish a day of practicing thinking that I suck and I’ll never be able to overcome the task at hand, but then wake up the next day and nail the tune that was giving me such trouble the night before. When I catch myself singing the songs to myself in the shower or while vacuuming I realize I’m gonna be in a good shape when it comes time to rehearse with the band.
Tell us a bit how you were called into the fold for Giraffe Tongue Orchestra?
Brent Hinds and I became friends after Mastodon played the same stage as Zappa Plays Zappa at Bonnaroo. He’s a huge Zappa fan and came up to us right after they played to say he saw us in Atlanta and loved it. We just stayed in touch after that, always throwing around the idea of being in a band together. Thomas Pridgen and I had worked together with a band called ElixirOnMute, and we totally hit it off. I’ve been an enormous fan of Dillinger Escape Plan for years and had met Ben Weinman after a show at some point and we emailed a bit after that trying to get something together. One day Brent texts me out of the blue and asks if I wanna jam while he’s in LA, and when I asked when and where he said “Now!” I walked in the room with those 3 guys already playing so I just jumped in and everything just came together really quickly after that. We tracked the whole album with no vocalist, and then eventually William DuVall joined and just killed it over the instrumentals we had recorded and that’s how the album came out.
What was the writing process like for GTO?
Ben and Brent had been kicking ideas around for years, so they had some tunes pretty fully demo-ed out when we started. But we did have a couple of days at my rehearsal studio where we just jammed and came up with a few ideas, which pretty organically turned, into a few more songs.
What gear have you been gravitating towards recently for your go-to stuff and why?
I wear so many different hats these days that I’m constantly changing out the pedals on my board as well as which bass I bring. That being said I do still love my Lakland US Joe Osborn 4 and my Fender Dimension 5 for being able to fit into almost any situation. I also recently got a D. Lakin Bob Glaub which is an incredible instrument, as well as the one slightly “modern” bass I have which is a Sandberg Custom Supreme 5, which I use for the super chops-y material like the Animals as Leaders stuff with Tosin Abasi or Steve Vai’s material on the Generation Axe tour. For pedals my main distortion for years has been the MXR Bass DI+, it gets that clanky grit that helps cut through the mix, but I also really dig the Darkglass B7K Ultra. I’m still in love with Ashdown amps, which have been a huge part of my tone for my whole career, but sometimes you have to deal with backline so I’ve been bringing tube preamp pedals like the Twonotes LeBass or the EBS Valve Drive in case the house amp needs some help.
Who would you say were your biggest influences for how you approach the bass?
That’s hard to say because I still feel like I’m constantly learning, finding styles and techniques that I wish I were more comfortable with. I grew up listening to a lot of Police and Genesis, so Sting and Michael Rutherford are big early influences. Modern players that excite me are peers/friends of mine like Tim Lefebvre and Joe Lester (from Intronaut). Still one of my biggest influences is Meshell Ndegeocello; she has an approach to the instrument that is so unique and “rule-breaking” that just excites me so much. She treats the role of the bass like a vocalist, playing over bar lines and out of time in such a melodic but undeniably groovy way.
You seem to be a regular at The Baked Potato and jam and collaborate with a multitude of different artists there, what is so special about that venue and how did you hook with being a regular there?
Jamie Kime, the guitarist from the Zappa band, hosts the Monday Night Jam at the Baked Potato and when we started working together he basically demanded I come down and check it out. Just by going there a lot and hanging in addition to playing I got to know guitarist John Ziegler, who got me to play with his band VOLTO!, for a little while with Danny Carey (from Tool) on drums, as well as meeting other great musicians I wound up working with later on. The Potato is really such a unique place, especially in an increasingly musician-unfriendly town like LA. They not only specialize in having incredibly talented players there every night of the week, but they also treat the musicians really fairly and usually let them play all night, instead of the 37 minute set you get at other clubs.
What is your best piece of road advice?
Know how to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally. Playing music is usually a very small percentage of tour life; most of your time is spent hanging out in dressing rooms, airports, tour bus lounges, etc. Everyone has different ways of fighting the discomfort and boredom of touring, it’s important to be able to hang and party with people while still staying healthy, but also to know how to keep to yourself and use your free time productively.
What is your best piece of music business advice for young musicians?
Be adaptable. I’ve been a “professional” musician for 15 years, and if you think about how many enormous changes the music industry has gone through in that time it’s jaw dropping. Whether it’s iTunes, YouTube, or Spotify, anyone who tries to stick to the “old ways” of making money while playing music has pretty much been left in the dust. There are days when I wish I understood internet marketing a lot more than I do; there’s always some aspect of this business that you could be better at.
GTO played SXSW this year, what other plans for the future are in store for GTO?
With a band like GTO it’s a bit of a scheduling nightmare since we all have other big projects in our lives. But, whenever we get together we just have such a blast both playing and hanging out that I’m sure we’ll do more together in the future. I’m so immensely proud of how the album came out, so I really do hope we do more!
Any other big plans for 2017?
Well Generation Axe is going to Asia in April, and there are some other things in the works with some of my other projects, including the band Legend of the Seagullmen (which also has Brent on guitar as well as Danny Carey on drums), so it looks like I’ll (hopefully) be keeping busy!
Pete is accepting students for both skype and in-person lessons. Visit online at petegriffin.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.
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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