CM : You ’ ve shared the studio and stage with a very diverse group of artists from different styles , eras , etc . How do you decide which projects to take on , and whether or not it ’ s a good fit on all sides ?
Jarvis : Well , first of all , I have to really like the music . I ’ ve never been one to take a tour strictly for money , because that can lead to a miserable time . As music director / bassist , I also take into account the people involved , from bandmates to management , and , thirdly but probably most importantly , I look at the artist . We have to be able to get along and have similar ideas , creatively , so that I ’ m giving him / her what they need and expect from me . As well , I need to know if this is going to be a long run or short run so that I can plan my calendar ; nothing worse than an empty calendar after a tour .
As a music director , I also look at what ’ s involved as far as what is needed from me ( i . e . will I have a programmer or is that on me ? How much pre-production and rehearsal time do I have before the first show ? Is it a fly tour or a bus tour or both ?) This is very important for sanity purposes , so you know what you ’ re getting in to from the jump . And absolutely no van tours . Never done it and never will , but respect to those that have .
CM : You also sometimes opt for an electric upright bass . Why do you choose to pull that out when you do ? What does it give you musically that differs from the electric bass guitar ?
Jarvis : My NS Design CR5M upright is predominantly used in songs where I need that legato fretless sound but on a much sonically-deeper scale . With the upright , the length of the strings adds an extra low-end dynamic and growl you can ’ t get from a fretless bass guitar . I also use it to mimic a classic acoustic upright tone that is hard to get from a guitar . Again , the string length allows for this .
CM : In your experience , what are the key ingredients for a killer collaboration between drums and bass ?
Jarvis : The first thing is knowing what the other is doing . You should know each other ’ s part so you know how you fit together , and where your part locks in with the kick . This is how you create the groove of the song you ’ re performing . Again , as I said earlier , listen and don ’ t overplay . More notes doesn ’ t mean more pocket or groove . Also , both bass and drums have to bury the click to the point where it ’ s not even there and the song is playing itself .
CM : Looking back to the bass player you were early on in your professional career , what ’ s the biggest change you see in your style or approach between then and now ?
Jarvis : I think the biggest change I ’ ve made would be listening to all the musicians on stage ; not just locking in with the drummer , but hearing everybody . That ’ s what can expand your mind and alter and add to the part you play . Sometimes there will be parts you ’ ll miss from other players that you can jump on or expand on . If you ’ re just playing with the drummer , you can miss a lot of great input from the other musicians .
CM : For the gear heads , what is your ideal bass rig on the road or in the studio ?
Jarvis : Hmmm , I ’ m pretty close to having my ideal touring rig now , which consists of two Eden 4x10 XST cabinets , two Eden WT 800 heads , an Avalon U5 [ instrument DI and preamp ] for my upright ( although I would add another one for my electrics ), Shure wirelesses on all basses , Radial JDI DIs on all basses , and of course my Spector basses and the upright . I also have a switcher to go between basses for the many different tones I need . On arena and stadium gigs I ’ ll add my custom subs made for me by Adamson .
For the studio , nothing beats a Neve strip and a ‘ 60s or ‘ 70s [ Fender ] P Bass . I also run a separate Neve strip for my bass rig mic ’ d with my Telefunken M82 .
The Beaches ’
Jordan Miller
Jordan Miller is the lead singer and bassist for Torontobased rock and roll band The Beaches . In 2018 , the group won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year and the SOCAN Songwriting Prize for their song “ Money .” They ’ ve since played major festivals across the world and toured with or opened for The Rolling Stones , Foo Fighters , Death From Above , Kings of Leon , Eagles of Death Metal , Arkells , and more .
CM : What ’ s the most recent piece you ’ ve added to your bass rig and how did it earn the spot ?
Jordan Miller : The most recent piece I ’ ve added to my bass rig was a Neve DI . I split my bass sound , one goes dirty through a RAT pedal and a [ Tech 21 ] SansAmp for the dirty signal and the Neve takes care of the good , clean , fat bass tones .
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 , why did you choose that to work on and how did you approach it ?
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