“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…

Joe Principe of Rise Against 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 #138 – Joe Principe.

Joe Principe from Rise Against feels like one of those bass players who was built by the scene before he ever fully understood the instrument. Growing up outside Chicago, Joe came into music through skateboarding, Thrasher, stolen glimpses of punk culture, and the kind of all-ages shows that could change the wiring of a kid’s life. Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, Anthrax, DRI… it all fed the same fire. Before Rise Against became one of the defining melodic hardcore bands of the past 25 years, Joe was cutting his teeth in 88 Fingers Louie, one of the early Fat Wreck Chords bands, and building the musical instincts that would later shape Rise Against from day one. He co-founded the band in Chicago in 1999, and his playing has remained a crucial part of their identity ever since… fast, melodic, aggressive, but always deeply aware of what the song needs. In this conversation, recorded while Rise Against was in Montreal for two shows, Joe and I go back to the early punk scenes, the strange thrill of hearing your song on the radio when radio was supposed to be “the enemy,” and how punk moved from basements and skate videos into major-label culture without fully losing its teeth. We also dig into bass itself… why melody matters, how players like Klaus Flouride, Karl Alvarez, Matt Freeman, Fat Mike, and Frank Bello helped shape his ear, and why he still sees himself as a bit of a bass purist in a world of tracks, clicks and digital polish. Joe is especially thoughtful on what happens when live music gets too perfect… when the lurch, sweat, and human drag of a band gets flattened into something sterile. We talk about Rise Against’s long-standing commitment to message, community, and resistance, and how their new All Rise Together art project gives fans a creative way into that world. It’s a conversation about punk, bass, politics, aging, technology, and why one kid in the room can still make the whole thing worth it. Also worth checking out is Rise Against’s latest album, Ricochet. 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 #138 – Joe Principe.

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).