Three Days Grace ’ s
Brad Walst
Bassist Brad Walst is a founding member of Three Days Grace , one of the most loved and successful hard rock bands in Canadian history . Since the early 2000s , they ’ ve had 15 No . 1 singles on Billboard ’ s U . S . mainstream rock songs chart , and a ton of gold- and platinum-certified LPs and singles . The band has also won four Juno Awards , was named Rock Artist of the Year at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards , as well as Rock Songwriters of the Year for “ The Mountain ” at the 2019 SOCAN Awards .
CM : What ’ s the most recent piece you ’ ve added to your bass rig and how did it earn the spot ?
Brad Walst : The most recent piece I have added to my bass rig is the Microtubes X Ultra by Darkglass Electronics . This is a bass distortion pedal but can also be used as a DI and it has a four-band EQ . This pedal can also be connected to your computer and used for recording . I like it because it has a crisp top-end distortion without losing that beefy low end .
CM : Is there anything related to the bass that you ’ ve been working on during all the time off the road because of the pandemic ? If so , how did you approach it ?
Walst : I have actually started doing some online bass tutorials . I was finding that because of the pandemic , I wasn ’ t playing as much . So , I just went on YouTube and found some tutorials to keep the chops up . There are tons of great videos out there . I have actually learned a few new tricks !
CM : How do you find the right bass part for a song within 3DG ’ s songwriting process ?
Walst : In our songwriting process we usually start with guitar parts and vocal melodies . We are a very melodic band , so I like to wait until the vocals are finished so that I don ’ t play over them too much . I find that creating space for vocals makes the melody stand out more in the song .
CM : You ’ ve been playing with Neil Sanderson for over 20 years now . Have you had the chance to play with many other drummers , and what makes for an ideal rhythm section collaboration between a bassist and drummer ?
Walst : Neil and I have been playing together since 1992 . The funny thing is I haven ’ t had a lot of opportunity to play with other drummers , maybe only one or two . When I did play with other drummers , I found it very different . The cool thing about Neil is that he plays just behind the beat . This gives the groove some vibe and actually makes everything sound sonically bigger . When jamming with other drummers that are dead on the beat , as a bass player you have to adjust a little . So , I guess my ideal bass / drum collaboration is a duo that stays behind the beat and creates vibe and big-sounding grooves .
CM : Looking back over your professional career so far , what ’ s the biggest change you see in your style or approach to bass between the early years of 3DG and now ? Why that evolution ?
Walst : In the early days of 3DG it was all about piss and vinegar ! [ laughs ] I guess what I mean is we played with a ton of intensity — breaking strings and smashing and beating guitars . We almost had a punk vibe to our live show . We still have the edge but now we lay back a little to play a little more tightly and in tune .
CM : What ’ s the most helpful advice / insight you ’ ve ever been given about playing bass ? And what key advice would you give to young hard rock bassists ?
Walst : Less is more . When 3DG just started , I used to play almost every note on the scale in every song [ laughs ]. I remember the first time I recorded with our first producer , Gavin Brown , I played him my idea and he looked at me and said , “ That ’ s great , but how about this ?” as he plucked a single bass note and let it ring out for four bars [ laughs ]. At the time , I was like , “ What ’ s up with this ?” but
50 CANADIAN MUSICIAN