As the co-founding bass player and primary songwriter of Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx was the foundation of one of the most iconic rock bands to come out of the 1980s. Recently, he sat down to talk with Bass Freq’s host Josh Paul, and we’re super excited to share that conversation with you here. Nikki took Josh on a journey through his whole story, from his start in Idaho to the barroom floors, stages, and backseats of cop cars in Los Angeles, to his unique approach to bass playing and...

Many of the guests who’ve come on the Bass Freq’s Podcast showed promise from an early age before being hailed as child prodigies on their way to amazing careers. This week's episode gives host Josh Paul the chance to talk to once such phenomenon while he is actually at the start of his meteoric rise. Aron Hodek, a 12-year old bass player from Slovakia, is already racking up chops, fans, and accomplishments that would be highly impressive for a player two or three times his age. Here, Aron...

Blue DeTiger is one of the shining stars among a new crop of highly skilled bass players on their way to becoming the icons of the future. She's been dedicated to the craft since the age of seven, but instead of following the traditional routes to success, she took advantage of the new medium of our age—social media, through TikTok—to make her biggest impact on the scene. On this week’s episode of the Bass Freq’s Podcast, she shares her story, inspirations, insights on gear, and what's on the...

Respected performer and educator Rufus Philpot wears his love of the bass guitar on his shirt sleeves. He’s studied, taught, recorded, and performed at the highest levels, and in this conversation with host Josh Paul, Rufus dishes on that entire range of experience without holding back. Through stories about his influences, how hard he worked to make a name for himself, and the techniques and gear that aid him in his constant effort to take his art to the next level, Rufus’ passion for his...

This week on the Bass Freq’s Podcast, we hear from LA-based award-winning bass player Pete Griffin. His resume includes some of the most respected acts in music, from Dweezil Zappa and Steve Vai to Stanley Clarke and Jean Luc-Ponty to name just a scant few. On top of being a top-tier journeyman of the stage and studio, Pete is a highly sought-after online educator. Here, he treats host Josh Paul to his own brand of eloquent wit and wisdom across a range of topics, from navigating the...

This week, we’re joined by yet another Grammy Award-winning artist to its roster—Tommy Sims. Launching his career as a session-and-touring bass player in the late 1980s, he has contributed not only his accomplished bass grooves but also his chops as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist to a long list of artists that includes Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Michael Bolton, Kelly Clarkson, the Neville Brothers, and many more. Speaking with host Josh Paul, Tommy fills us...

Nathan East’s tasty bass grooves have been making the hottest pop records pop for decades. He’s worked with the world’s top recording artists, from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder to Sting and Daft Punk—and that’s not even the half of it. On top of that, Nathan is a founding member of the prolific jazz group Fourplay, and he’s put out three of his own records as a solo act. On this week’s episode of the Bass Freq’s Podcast, he chats with host Josh Paul about discovering the bass through and...

Frank Brunot is s professional session and touring bassist who approaches his craft with a solid foundation of groove honed during his upbringing playing Gospel but counters that with his strong love the melodic nuances that a make a song stand out in any genre he applies himself to. Host Josh Paul gets to chat with Frank about getting his start, techniques, his thoughts on navigating the music business, and of course gear.

This week, we put the spotlight on Oskar Cartaya this week, yet another guest who possesses immense talent and exhibits unwavering dedication, to his craft. His unique style has garnered him an impressive list of credits playing, composing, arranging, and serving as musical director for the likes of Spyro Gyra, Herb Albert, Jennifer Lopez, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Tito Puente, Robbie Robertson, Willie Colon, and Dave Valentin. Oskar chats with host Josh Paul about his beginnings in the music...

This week's guest is Jonas Hellborg. Drawing from a diverse range of influences that includes eclectic jazz, Arabic music, and improvisational psychedelic rock, Jonas burst onto the scene in the late 1970s and stunned audiences with his command over the electric bass. He quickly established himself with gigs such as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bill Laswell, and Ginger Baker, and he has continued to inspire and astonish audiences and fellow musicians with his greatly varied and prolific projects...

Miles Mosley is a captivating artist whose unique stylings have invited many to refer to him as the Jimi Hendrix of upright bass. Combining a solid groove and improvisational prowess with his upright, bow, and an array of effects pedals, Miles has contributed his innovative tones to top acts from Chris Cornell and Kendrick Lamar to Korn’s Jonathan Davis and Rihanna—and that’s alongside his own solo records and work for film soundtracks. On this week’s episode, host Josh Paul goes in depth...

This week’s guest is Jacob Umansky, a bass player who demonstrates the powerful potential of playing with both great chops and killer tone. Jacob’s resume includes studying under the direction of such luminaries as Victor Bailey at Berklee College of Music and playing as part of masterful prog metal band Intervals. While his 6-string wonder of an instrument from Dingwall signifies his epic chops, Jacob is committed first and foremost to the most important role of the bass player—holding the...

This week's guest Rich Brown. Hailing from Canada, Rich is a highly accomplished performer, composer, producer, and educator. He's recorded three albums as band leader and has been featured on over 70 recordings covering a wide range of musical genres. Rich has played, toured, and recorded with some of the most distinguished musicians on the planet, from James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid and Steve Coleman to Rudresh Mahanthappa, Angelique Kidjo, and David Clayton Thomas—just to name a few. Host...

Every episode of the Bass Freq’s Podcast brings you bass players from different walks of life, different genres, and different musical philosophies. But all are united by a true love of their craft and a dedication to pushing themselves to new levels of expression. This week's guest, the frighteningly talented fretless specialist Gary Willis, exemplifies that spirit. Known for his role as co-leader of the band Tribal Tech, Gary's career spans more than four decades and includes countless...

This week, Josh speaks with Fernando Rosa. Hailing from São Paulo, Fernando’s deep appreciation and comprehension of the soul groove has developed and matured ever since he first learned to play bass as a child. Many sessions and tours later, he is truly a master of his craft. In recent years, he’s gained an online following through simple-yet-creative videos showing just Fernando and his bass as he explores his favorite musical realms. Here, he goes deep with host Josh Paul on a number of...

When Dave Grohl formed the Foo Fighters back in 1994, he tapped Nate Mendel to hold down the low end—and he’s carrying that groove to this day. Host Josh Paul speaks with Nate about starting out, stories from the road, what inspires him and how he approaches songwriting, and—of course—the gear that makes it all possible. This interview was recorded just prior to the tragic passing of Nate's Foo Fighters bandmate, drummer Taylor Hawkins which is why he is referred to in the present tense at...

This week's guest is Daric Bennett. Not only a well-respected and consistently touring-and-recording bass player, Daric is also a great influence on the up-and-coming generation of players who take advantage of his popular online bass lessons. Speaking with Josh Paul, Daric shares how he discovered his calling as an educator as well as how he taught himself to play in church bands and embarked on a career as a professional musician.

Becoming part of music history takes talent, no doubt. But being in the right place at the right time also plays its own part, and prolific bassist Nate Watts has a perfect score on both counts. He grew up next door to Motown Studios in its heyday, watching the one-and-only James Jamerson walk to work from his window. This proximity to musical greatness and inherent musical gifts of his own lead to an amazing career backing up some of the biggest names in soul, R&B, and funk—and he’s been...

This week, we’re joined by John Myung, a bass player whose high-school friendship with one John Petrucci would lead to the formation of one of the most successful and long-running prog metal bands of all time—Dream Theater. Speaking with host Josh Paul, John tells us all about the band’s origins at the Berklee College of Music, his discovery of the 6-string bass, how he constructs his bass lines to fit into the group's intricate symphonies, and more.

Get an insider's view of the Nashville session scene with this week's Bass Freq's guest Tully Kennedy who is first call bassist for studio work as well as the bassist and long time collaborator for country music artist Jason Aldean. Tully speaks with host Josh Paul about how he got his start, gear, recording, performing, and tips on how to sustain a career which demands a delicate balance between fitting in and standing out.

Another episode of Bass Freq's means another intimate conversation with an award-winning and influential bassist. This time, we feature Andrew Gouché, a player who cut his teeth in the church gospel band and quickly became a first-call session and touring musician for some of biggest names in soul and R&B. Andrew enlightens host Josh Paul with stories of his early days, his affection for certain gear including his new signature products, and invaluable advice for working with artists and...

Award-winning Canadian-born bassist Rhonda Smith has been the driving force behind an amazing list of acts for the past two decades—Prince, Jeff Beck, Beyonce, Chaka Khan, and Erykah Badu just to name a few—not to mention great success standing out on her own as a singer and songwriter. This week, she speaks with Josh to cover all the ground, including her work with some of aforementioned artists, how she approaches songwriting, and the essential gear talk.

This week’s episode features Scott Devine, a bass player whose pocket is as deep as his knowledge. He’s a respected veteran of the studio and the road, and over the last several years, he’s turned to sharing his low-end wisdom via Scott’s Bass Lessons, one of most successful online bass teaching sites around.

This week, host Josh Paul is joined by Trevor Dunn, whose unique approach to playing and composing have made him a perfect fit for collaborations with Mike Patton, avant-garde producer/composer John Zorn, and Secret Chiefs 3. Speaking with Josh, he shares his insights and perspectives on his playing style, work with those artists, and much more.