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Interview With Bassist Chris Agar

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Interview With Bassist Chris Agar

Bassist Chris Agar…

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Chris Agar, an NYC area bassist who is currently laying down the low end for indie rocker Collin Stanley. Agar collaborated with Stanley on his latest single, “Gone Through Hell,” a highly introspective song detailing the isolation and uncertainty Stanley felt during the pandemic. Recorded at Bull Productions Recording Studio in Miami, Agar channels John Paul Jones, and masterfully builds tension throughout each verse until it explodes into an eventual frenzy.

Read on to hear how the song took shape, and how he wrestled with a Gibson Grabber to get that bass tone. 

How long have you known Collin, and how did you originally become acquainted?

I met Collin over six years ago in a tiny rehearsal space/percussion studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a female-fronted rock band called DDWhite. The space couldn’t have been bigger than 10 x 10 and barely fit all of us. One of the first tunes we jammed was “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin.  At the time, I was playing upright bass with Tiffany (the frontwoman) and we had more of a folksy rock vibe.  Collin suggested I switch to the electric bass to allow for more flexibility and to get harder tones.

Collin Stanley and Bassist Chris Agar

Collin and I quickly realized we had mutual friends and instantly connected over our love of the Detroit music scene since we both had a strong connection to the region.  We have a well-established creative relationship and have collaborated on many projects, including some of my own.  The idea for Made on Tape was hatched in Collin’s kitchen and he co-wrote and played guitar on my Working Flakes project.  

Tell us about your live rig/setup whenever you guys play together. Do you have any go-to’s for his project as far as pedals or guitars?

Living in NYC, you quickly learn to adapt to all kinds of rehearsal scenarios, and it’s difficult to maintain a consistent rock rig, in terms of amplifiers and speaker cabinets, unless you don’t mind pissing off your neighbors.

Obviously, you can tell that saturation/distortion/overdrive is a big part of the bass sound with Collin Stanley.  I typically use an Ashdown Nate Mendel Dual Overdrive, which gives a TON of flexibility.  One circuit sounds more like tube amp distortion, and the other is heavier, and you control them independently.  You can even switch on both circuits simultaneously for BIG distortion.

I like semi-hollow basses, probably because I studied and play a lot of upright bass, too.  I frequently use the Epiphone Jack Casady signature bass when performing with Collin because it gives such an amazing sustain and very aggressive sound all on its own, no effects.

Did you collaborate virtually or in person at the studio for the new single?

In-person.  Collin and his roommates got COVID in the early days when we didn’t know how that would turn out, but after a few months, we started getting together in a studio space in Greenpoint.  Collaborating remotely is amazing and has opened up a lot of opportunities, but I much prefer being in a room with someone.  The feedback is instantaneous, and we trust each other’s instincts as much as our own, which is rare in a creative relationship.

How did you approach and arrange “Gone Through Hell” on bass? Did you draw some inspiration from your own personal experiences with the pandemic?

All I can say is that being in New York City during this time was a real eye-opener.  I’m genuinely relieved that most people living in other parts of the country/world didn’t really ever feel the urgency, but we literally had bodies filling up cold trucks outside of hospitals back in early 2020.  The city that never sleeps suddenly stopped, and it was simultaneously horrifying and peaceful.

Collin’s initial idea brought these emotions to the table, and I just responded.  Musically speaking, he came in with that riff that you hear in the post-choruses, and all I did was take a nugget and put my own rhythmic flavor on it.  You can extract so much if you limit yourself… I highly recommend checking out Bernard Hermann film scores for a masterclass in this concept.

GTH has a bit of an anthemic, Zeppelin-esque vibe. Who are some of your bass heroes? Are you a big John Paul Jones fan?

Hell yeah!  John Paul Jones is one of the godfathers of rock bass, and his musicianship helped fill out those Zeppelin records with all the other instruments as well.  Like I mentioned earlier, Collin and I connected on “Ramble On.”

I’m one of the fortunate minority who studied bass for four years with one of his heroes, Robert Hurst.  His credentials are too numerous to list here, but you might know him from playing with Branford Marsalis, including in the Tonight Show band in the 90s and on films like Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”.  He’s the one who taught me “if you put rhythm first, everything else will follow.”

Another bass hero is Tim Lefebvre.  When I was visiting NYC in 2005, I believe it was my classmate Theo Katzman who hipped us Michigan kids to the 55 Bar, where I got my socks blown off by Wayne Krantz, Lefebvre, and Keith Carlock.  This musical moment inspired me to want to move to NYC, which I did nine years later.  Tim and I connected during this pandemic and I got to relay that story to him.  His groove is immaculate, and his sonic palette is unmatched in the bass community.  

In terms of recordings, the big heroes for me are Tim Commerford, for his tone and attitude; James Jamerson for his fearless improvisation over “pop” tunes; Flea who inspired me to get my first Musicman Stingray; Tina Weymouth for her foundational playing in Talking Heads; and Charlie Haden for his incredible lyricism in the low register of the bass.  Plus, society needs another “Liberation Music Orchestra.”

I could talk about bass players all day and I feel guilty for leaving out about 500 more who I love dearly.

Which fuzz pedal are you using on it? It sounds mean as hell!

You may be surprised, but no fuzz pedals were used in the making of this tone…

When Collin and I were writing and coming up with ideas in the studio, I was just plugged straight into an Apollo 8 interface, and I used the Marshall JCM8 plugin for ridiculous distortion.

However, that’s not what you’re hearing on the record.

During the pandemic, Collin was living in Miami and making connections down there. We recorded at Bull Productions Recording Studio with the engineer Ryan Haft.

I tracked the bass with the in-house Gibson Grabber, recording live along with the drummer Cristian Acevedo.  I had to fight that bass, but I love struggling with tough instruments.  Ryan heard my demo tone, so to achieve big heavy nastiness, he set up an old Ampeg SVT tube head on an 8×10 cabinet.  Then he CRANKED the drive.

That’s the tone. Unfortunately, I’ve never heard a pedal that can quite replicate the sound of a big bass amp breaking up in a room.   I’m sure readers are familiar with Tim Commerford’s live rig of three SVTs and three 8×10 cabinets.  He’s got one for “clean”, one for “medium” and one for “heavy.” It’s not for show, those things move some fucking air in the best way.

When will we be seeing you perform with Collin? Are there any tour plans on the table?

Our main focus has been on writing and recording, and there’s more coming down the pike.  We’ll start hitting the local scene before going out on a tour, and I so very eagerly look forward to performing live again.  That human connection is so important, and humans have been making music together since the dawn of time.    

Finally, if you had your own signature bass, which features would it have, what would the finish be, and how many strings would it have?

I’m a less-is-more type of player, so my signature bass would have one pickup like the Jack Casady or Music Man Stingray, and it would only have three strings, E, A, and D…and a tone knob.  Can’t forget that.  A volume knob, too.  I don’t really care about the finish cuz you can always cover it with stickers or refinish it.

Visit Collin Stanley online: 

collinstanley.com
ffm.bio/collinstanley
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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
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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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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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