“Wait… did I miss something? Why is there an article about a bass podcast on Six Pixels of Separation?”

Here’s why:

In the late nineties my first job was as a music journalist (actually, my first interview was with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue right before the band released Dr. Feelgood).
I spent many years interviewing musicians and artists for local weekly alternative newspapers, national and international magazines (and even published three music magazines – before we had the Internet).
I also studied and played the electric bass (in high school and post-secondary) and always felt like bass players never really had a chance to tell their stories.
So, about ten years ago, Seth Godin introduced me to Corey Brown (founder of No Treble – one of the world’s biggest bass platforms – and he also worked on Squidoo with Seth).
From there, Corey and I decided to try this monthly podcast where I would interview bass players and talk about their music, art, creativity and more.
I’m hopeful that these conversations will inspire your work, creativity and innovation as much as they do for me…

Eric Bass from Shinedown is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #128 – Eric Bass.

Eric Bass might be best known as the powerhouse bassist and producer behind Shinedown, one of the most successful rock bands of the past two decades, but in this deeply personal and revealing conversation, we get a glimpse of the multidimensional artist (and human) beneath the stage lights. From his earliest days as a child violinist to picking up the bass in high school and eventually evolving into a sought-after producer and multi-instrumentalist, Eric reflects on the emotional highs and crushing lows of a career spent making music at the highest level. The episode goes far beyond tour stories or studio tales. It’s an honest excavation of purpose, burnout, depression and the redemptive role of creativity. Eric opens up about the intense pressure of producing Shinedown’s recent albums, including Planet Zero. We also explore the physicality and philosophy of the bass… how he approaches tone, restraint and storytelling within a song, and why he believes simplicity often carries the most weight. Throughout the conversation, Eric is disarmingly candid about the cost of constant output, what it takes to truly protect your creative well, and how he’s learned to define success on his own terms. Whether you’re a musician, a producer or simply someone who’s ever felt burned out from chasing perfection, there’s something powerful in Eric’s journey. His ability to pause, reassess and begin again without shame. Listeners will walk away not just with a deeper appreciation for Shinedown’s music, but with a more intimate understanding of what it takes to keep showing up when the spotlight fades and the only voice left is your own. If you’ve ever wrestled with ambition, identity or the struggle to stay present in a world that demands output over introspection, this episode is for you. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #128 – Eric Bass

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends).