James Younger : I bought a Hofner Bass recently , so I suppose the foam that goes kinda under the bridge , so you completely deaden any sustain . I actually have a pretty mellow set up overall , that does not change too much .
CM : Is there anything related to your bass playing you ’ ve been working on during all the time off the road because of the pandemic ? If so , why did you choose that to work on and how did you approach it ?
Younger : Not particularly , getting quite rusty over here . The last year has primarily been spent producing and mixing , and because there have been no live shows , I ’ ve really not had much opportunity to keep my chops up . Been spending any free time playing piano , I suppose the left hand is kinda playing the bass .
CM : You joined Yukon Blonde around 2015 , so the group had a couple LPs and a few EPs already out by then . In performances , how have approach playing the older songs ? Do you go for what was done on the album or put some of your own style into it , and has that changed over the last five years of performances ?
Younger : Yeah , I joined after Tiger Talk , and before On Blonde , and the sound of the band itself was certainly evolving , kind of pulling away from new wave at times , becoming more sonically expansive . When it comes to playing the old songs , I keep pretty tight to the original ideas , because the original ideas served the songs so well , and they ’ re really good songs . I ’ m sure over the years I ’ ve added a lil ’ of my own personality , as have the others in the band . It ’ s all a balance of continuing to enjoy playing the song after 1,000 performances , but also not making it sound busy and “ pro ” with loads of extra accoutrements and flair - I hate that kind of playing [ laughs ]. So , ultimately , it ’ s always about the song .
CM : Over the last three albums you ’ ve been a part of , do you feel your own style had a broader impact on the band ’ s sound or writing ?
Younger : I think that ’ s undeniable , but should be placed in the correct context . The impetus for me joining the band was long walks with Jeffrey [ Innes , the singer , guitarist , and chief songwriter ,] talking about dub records , The Clash , and in the nerdiest way you can imagine – “ bass tone .” On the records you very well may be listening to Jeffrey play , because it ’ s him as much as me , and our style of playing is almost identical . I think having that uniformity of vibe means we never have to think too hard about the bass as an instrument and it allows us to manically focus on synths and drums , which are kind of the real sonic rabbit hole for us as a band .
CM : In your experience , what are the key ingredients for the best collaboration between drums and bass ?
Younger : Less is more . Don ’ t over complicate things , and let the song do the work for you .
CM : Lastly , looking back to the bass player you were early on in your professional career , what the biggest change you see in your style or approach between then and now ?
Younger : I think the silence between the notes is as interesting as the notes themselves .
CM : For the gear heads , what is your ideal bass rig on the road or in the studio ?
Younger : This is the stuff I always like reading ! So , it ’ s a very simple set up . I have a mid- ‘ 70s Fender Precision . In the studio I ’ ll go into a UA Solo / 610 preamp , or some version of a 1073 – the BME 1073DMP one with the Bootsy Collins mod is really cool . Basically , anything that accentuates the wooden characteristic of the bass , if that makes sense ?
I have a couple pedals that are fun on bass and that are maybe a little freaky . The Diamond Vibrato , which is a Univibe-style pedal , not really a vibrato . This thing is all over the On Blonde album . Also , an Electro- Harmonix Q-Tron envelope filter . I have a pretty old one and it seems to sound a little better than the newer stuff . Ideally , go out and find a Mu-tron . On the road , again , I ’ m pretty easy , but for an amp , it ’ s got to be an Ampeg . I seem to like the late- ‘ 70s silver ones the best . Not sure if it ’ s just the “ look ” or the sound . Also , the old Ampeg V4-Bs are good , too ; cheaper and less power , but work just fine .
renforshort
In just a couple years , rising star renforshort has quickly built a repertoire of popular songs with her blend of pop and alt-rock sensibilities . The Toronto-based songwriter , singer , and multi-instrumentalist released her debut EP , teenage angst , in 2020 on Interscope Records and her music has been praised by the likes of Rolling Stone , Time , V Magazine , Billboard , Paper , NME , American Songwriter , and more . She was also named an Apple Music Artist of the Week and an “ artist to watch ” by Soundcloud .
CM : What ’ s the most recent piece you ’ ve added to your bass rig and how did it earn the spot ?
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