St . Kitts : I mean , there ’ s one big one that comes to mind and that ’ s how well you listen to each other . Every drummer and every bassist have different pockets , time , and groove , so taking the time to really pay attention to where each other sits is super important . I think the word collaboration is also very key in that dynamic . My favourite drummers to play with never want to take over and drive the bus , they want to do what makes sense in the context of the gig . That ’ s where the magic is ! Navigating together and making choices as a team , as opposed to seeing who can get to the finish line first .
CM : Across your solo projects , you ’ ve really stretched your boundaries outside of being “ just ” the bass player . What ’ s your primary songwriting instrument ( why ?) and how does playing bass for your own work compare to finding the right part for someone else ’ s song ?
St . Kitts : It always varies . For the last Alexander Saint singles , I wrote one on piano (“ The Light ”) and one on bass (“ What You Need ”), which I still played on bass cause it didn ’ t sound right on guitar . The Projektor stuff was mostly written with a bass , and you can hear it on a lot of tracks , like “ Fake Castles .” Recently , I ’ ve been gravitating towards guitar because it feels like a little orchestra in your hands , and I find bass a little more limiting . That being said , for this solo bass side project playfully titled “ dumbbass ,” the whole record was written on bass .
On my own solo work , bass playing usually comes last . I enjoy the process of songwriting and producing more than the bass playing at that point . I think the songs I write , for Alexander Saint specifically , don ’ t focus a lot on the bass / bass playing . I might just play a simple bass line or even program a synth bass , unless it requires a bit more movement . I really want the song to speak and I find that in my music , it isn ’ t usually the bass that plays a big part in that , so I might do a couple of takes and leave it at that . If it was someone else ’ s session , I would have tons of notes for ideas , and do as many takes as necessary . It ’ s kind of refreshing to just do one or two passes for my own music and really concentrate on what I want to convey as a songwriter .
CM : Looking back to the bass player you were early on in your professional career , what is the biggest change you see in your style or approach between then and now ?
St . Kitts : I think I ’ ve become less technical , and that has allowed me to play with more emotion . When I started out , I was hyper focused on proper technique , fitting in cool lines I had just learned , and showing off . I ’ ve kept scaling that back as I get older . I still have pretty good technique , but I find when I need to play something more punk or rock , for example , I have to let all of that go and dive into the rawness of playing . Feeling the bass more than anything is important to me now , getting that connection so I can play better in any scenario .
CM : Lastly for the gear heads , what is your ideal bass rig on the road OR in the studio ?
St . Kitts : Oh man ... okay , for live would be an Aguilar DB 751 with two DB 410s in that Poseidon green they just came out with . If we ’ re talking ampless on stage ( or in the studio ), I need one of those Noble preamps — those things are so slick . Also , a notable shout out to the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI , though , because that ’ s got a lot of bang for your buck .
Yukon Blonde ’ s
James Younger
James Younger plays bass and keyboards for Juno-nominated , genre-shifting , Vancouver-based band Yukon Blonde . Their latest album , Vindicator , was released in November 2020 and it ’ s the first album the group wrote , recorded , and produced entirely on their own .
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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