Interview With William Birckhead: Career, Bass, Hanson, Jennifer Lopez, and More…

William Birckhead is an American bassist who has worked and toured with Hanson and Jennifer Lopez. He offers an MXR Bass Synth course where he breaks down the pedal and helps bass players better understand how to use it musically. He has also been giving private bass lessons. He is still open to the right opportunity as a hired gun.

Photo, Tech Engineer Ed Faris, courtesy of William Birckhead

KB: Did you always want to be a musician growing up?

I wouldn’t say I always wanted to be a musician, but music was always around me. My mother could sing and was a member of the world-renowned HBCU Howard University Choir. My dad, although he couldn’t play a whistle, had great musical taste and a huge vinyl collection.

I acquired my grandfather’s chord organ when I was about six years old and was always singing the notes I heard on the keyboard. I started playing trumpet in the fifth grade and continued all the way through two seasons in the Morgan State University Marching Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band.

I was also heavily involved in track and field (I was a Maryland state champion), as well as art, especially drawing, and cooking. I could have gone a few different routes, but music was the thing that made me feel the most free. Around my 10th-grade year, I decided music was what I wanted to do, regardless of the negative attachments people sometimes put on choosing it as a career.

KB: Who were your musical heroes as a kid?

Some of my heroes are actually people I grew up with. I met Mario Turner in the 10th grade in the Milford Mill Academy Jazz Band in Baltimore, Maryland. At 15, he was already playing like a grown man, and he was my first real experience hearing and seeing electric bass played live in person.

I was so inspired that I asked my dad for a bass that Christmas, and that’s how I got started playing.

My dad would also bring home a new bass CD every now and then, so I came up listening to the regulars: Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Byron Miller, Stuart Zender, Victor Wooten, Verdine White, and many others.

KB: What age did you start playing bass, and what is so special about this instrument?

I was 15 and in the 10th grade when I started playing bass. The instrument gave me a sense of identity that I really needed at the time. It became a way for me to express myself.

I was really introverted growing up, and I still am in some ways today. Within a year of picking up the instrument, I was occasionally playing during Jazz Band rehearsals and becoming the alternate when Mario Turner wasn’t there.

Growing up in a family of six also made bass a little more practical. I could practice an electric bass without an amp much more easily than I could practice trumpet (even with a mute) without waking everybody up!

More importantly, bass broke me out of my social shell. This instrument has put me in rooms and taken me places that I could never have dreamed of as a kid.

KB: Which brand/make basses have you used in your career, and which one(s) are you using now?

The first bass my dad got me that Christmas was a cheap $100 Cruise P Bass with action so high you could fit a pizza through it! He told me that if I learned the solo from Stanley Clarke’s “School Days,” he would buy me a Fender Jazz Bass for my birthday.

So that whole year I studied the “School Days” album and learned the solo note for note. He made good on his promise, and on my birthday I got a Lake Placid Blue Fender Jazz Bass. I eventually upgraded it with EMG pickups and a Badass bridge, and I haven’t really touched it since. It’s still one of my favorite instruments to this day, and I use it live and on recordings.

The natural progression from there was to move into extended-range basses. A couple of years later, my dad bought me a six-string Ibanez Soundgear. I had started playing in local churches, and that type of bass was very much part of the sound of the ’90s. I played that thing into the ground.

A couple of years later, my dad got me a walnut and bubinga Peavey Cirrus six-string U.S. model. Sadly, that bass was lost at the airport in New Jersey after my first gig with Hanson, while I was traveling to film The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The bass was eventually replaced, but the replacement never felt the same to me, and I ended up selling it.

In 2008, I signed my first endorsement deal with Lakland Musical Instruments and ended up with a Joe Osborn five-string. That became the bass that really helped me develop my sound and made me feel at home. After years of swapping electronics, I eventually settled on custom Alnico V Nordstrand pickups with a Nordstrand two-band preamp. I also refreshed the instrument with larger frets. That bass truly is one of a kind.

A few years later, I purchased a ’62 Reissue P Bass, which got me back into the P Bass world. What actually inspired me was meeting Sean Hurley around 2010 when he was playing with David Ryan Harris on The Rock Boat. He had this old, beat-up sunburst P Bass going through an Ampeg 8×10 stack, and it sounded absolutely humongous. Mind you, I had never even heard of Sean Hurley before that moment. That sound stuck with me.

In 2015, I signed an endorsement deal with Bass Mods. I have four different five-strings from them that I’ve used consistently on the Jennifer Lopez gig. All of them have Nordstrand pickups, and most of them are passive.

I also play in a jazz-fusion trio where I consistently swap between my Nordstrand Acinonyx Cat Bass V1, V2, and Cat 5. Each of those basses has its own distinct character, and they cut through a PA like a knife. I’ve recorded a lot with those instruments, with the V1 probably being my favorite.

I also have a 1976 P Bass with flatwounds and a maple neck. Those strings have never been changed. It sounds like the ’70s, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

I could keep going, but those are some of the main basses that have been part of my career and that I still use today.

KB: What equipment do you use with your bass?

One of the biggest things I preach is consistency in tone and output. I’m really into building pedalboards and understanding signal flow.

One of the main preamps I’ve used for years is the Nordstrand Starlifter. It’s an extremely transparent preamp with plenty of clean output. It has three different EQ contours (Vintage, Flat, and Modern), and they’re all very usable.

My secret weapon since around 2010 has been the Tech 21 VT Bass. While I was on tour in New York, I picked up a VT Bass Deluxe at Rudy’s on 48th Street. I still haven’t found much that gives me the same kind of warm drive and musical breakup that this pedal has given me over the years.

At the beginning of my signal chain, I use an Xotic EP Booster running into an MXR Bass Compressor. The MXR is modeled after the behavior of classic studio compression and gives me a fast, transparent response that preserves the transient of the bass without adding too much coloration. I also love being able to visually see the gain reduction.

For drive, I’ve been using the Way Huge Pork & Pickle. It adds a lot of weight and musical grit while still cutting through the mix nicely. Depending on the gig, sometimes I’ll even run it as an always-on pedal.

I’m also using the MXR Vintage Bass Octave and Bass Octave Deluxe. I use one for a more traditional octave sound and the other when I want something with a different character and more flexibility. I also use an MXR Phase 90. When it fits the music, it adds this wide, swirling character that I really like.

For amplification when I’m off the road, I’m using my EICH T1000 head with an S212 cabinet. That rig is an absolute monster: more than enough power, but incredibly clean with a very articulate EQ. For most gigs, I never need anything more than a 2×12, especially if I’m wearing in-ear monitors.

For the most recent Jennifer Lopez residency, I was using a Trickfish Mini 500 with a Trickfish 4×10 cabinet. The weight-to-power ratio of that gear is incredible.

Transparency is important to me because so much of my finished sound is already coming from my pedalboard. I regularly run my bass through an audio interface into a digital audio workstation so I can see my output levels and EQ curves in real time. I want to make sure that I sound like myself in any situation, and that’s why consistency and transparency are so important to me.

KB: You played and toured with Hanson for five years. What was it like to work with the brothers, and do you have a fond memory?

Looking back on my 30-year career, I always mention the Hanson brothers as some of my favorite bosses. They’re some of the most talented siblings I’ve ever met and were an absolute joy to work with.

They were exemplary in the way they navigated family and music, how they ran an independent label, and, more importantly, how they stayed consistent. Working with them definitely shaped my growth and influenced how I approach the business. Had it not been for Hanson, I probably never would have picked up a P Bass again! LOL.

One of my fondest memories was when we recreated the musical scene from “The Blues Brothers” in the video for “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin'” from their “Shout It Out” album. “Weird Al” Yankovic joined us in the video, and for a kid who grew up in the ’80s, you can imagine how surreal that felt.

Playing on just about every major late-night television show was also very special to me. I grew up in a house watching Jay Leno and David Letterman on a TV with rabbit-ear antennas, and years later I found myself performing on those same stages. Those are the kinds of moments you don’t forget.

KB: You played and worked with Jennifer Lopez during her Las Vegas residency. What was it like to work with her, and do you have a fond memory?

I think every new situation pulls something out of you that you didn’t know you had.

Before the “All I Have” residency, I had subbed a couple of gigs for Bryant Siono with Jennifer, so I was somewhat familiar with the gig. I was called back to audition for the residency in late November 2015, and the next day I got the call that I had the gig.

At that point, it was the biggest production I had ever been part of.

I love working with Jennifer Lopez because she pulls every last thing out of you, and you will never (and I mean never) outwork her. She sets the bar extremely high, and everybody on the team works hard because of it.

I did the “All I Have” residency beginning in 2016, the 2019 “It’s My Party” tour, and countless performances and events in between, and I returned for her most recent Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace.

I wouldn’t be the player I am today had it not been for this gig and the amazing musicians who have surrounded me throughout those years.

One of my favorite memories was playing Madison Square Garden during the “It’s My Party” tour. We had multiple sold-out nights, and during the first show, about 10 minutes into the set, the lights suddenly went out. New York City was experiencing a massive blackout.

Playing Madison Square Garden had been one of my dreams since I was a kid. So to finally get there, and then have that happen, is something I’ll never forget. It gave me both a dream fulfilled and one hell of a story.

KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?

Once we get the obvious ones out of the way, like Michael Jackson and Prince, I’ve always been a huge Jamiroquai fan, going all the way back to when I first started playing bass.

Janet Jackson is another one. Seeing the “Velvet Rope Tour” changed my life and really inspired me to pursue pop music at that level.

I also think Bruno Mars is one of the best things that has happened to popular music in years, and that would be an incredibly fun gig to play. If you’ve ever seen me perform, you know I’m very high-energy and love that type of vibe.

My wife always tells me I’m an old soul, so most of the artists I name will probably be from the ’70s and ’80s anyway! LOL.

KB: Your Top 7 all-time favorite bass lines: What would you pick and why?

1. “Hair” – Graham Central Station / Larry Graham

This is one of those bass lines that will forever be timeless. Within two seconds, you know exactly who is playing the bass. Larry’s personality is all over it.

2. “Glide” – Pleasure

I love well-thought-out bass lines that make the song move forward. This one is not only technically impressive, but it also grooves incredibly hard. It’s one of my favorite bass lines of all time.

3. “What Did He Say?” – Victor Wooten

When I first heard this song, I knew the sky was the limit. The bar had been raised. At the time, this represented the pinnacle of what I thought was possible on the instrument.

4. “Portrait of Tracy” – Jaco Pastorius

When I first heard this, I couldn’t believe those sounds were coming from a bass guitar. I didn’t even really understand harmonics yet. It opened up an entirely different layer of understanding of what this instrument could do.

5. “Scam” – Jamiroquai / Stuart Zender

This Stuart Zender classic has one of the funkiest bass lines ever recorded. My playing style can be a little raw and filthy, and that’s one of the things I took away from listening to Stuart Zender. There’s an attitude in his playing that I’ve always connected with.

6. “Move Me No Mountain” – Chaka Khan / Anthony Jackson

This is a complete and utter masterpiece. Anthony Jackson skillfully moves through the chord changes while still sounding like himself, and he does it in the most musical way possible. It’s one of the most beautiful bass lines ever recorded and doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as some of his other work.

7. “School Days” – Stanley Clarke

By default, this has to be my number one in terms of personal importance because it’s what started everything for me. This was the inspiration and motivation I needed. Learning that song and that solo let me know that playing bass was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

KB: What are you currently up to?

Currently, I’m focusing on things that bring me joy and happiness.

I offer an MXR Bass Synth course where I break down the pedal and help bass players better understand how to use it musically. I’ve also been doing private bass lessons.

The trio I play with works around three times a week, and I’m still active playing at my church. I’m also taking more time for family and just enjoying life.

The big, grandiose gigs can be amazing, and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a lot of them. But at the end of the day, the show ends, the lights go down, and you have to look at what actually makes you happy and remember why you started doing this in the first place.

I’ve slowed down from touring over the past couple of years, but I’m still open to the right opportunity.

That’s the life of a hired gun.

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