Now That’s Bass

Most musicians spend years trying to plan the perfect career. Andy Lewis did something different. From discovering bass through Mod music, soul and funk... to becoming Paul Weller's bassist almost by accident... to building a hugely varied career as a producer, DJ and songwriter, Andy's story is a masterclass in following opportunities rather than chasing status. In this episode of Now That's Bass...

In this episode of Now That's Bass, Pete Roythorne sits down with bassist, producer, creator and Savage Fridays founder Jenn McCarron to explore what it really means to build a music career in 2026. After years touring with bands, Jenn stepped into the corporate world before making the bold decision to return to music full-time. Today she's built one of the fastest-growing bass channels on YouTube...

Dale Davis is one of the UK's most respected bass players, best known as the bassist and musical director behind the Amy Winehouse Band. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Dale has worked with artists including Paul Young, Tina Turner, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), Freak Power and many more.   Chapters 02:23 Where did your bass journey start? 05:37 Northern soul influence 10:08 Working wi...

James Eager has built a career that spans West End shows, function bands, jazz clubs, teaching, entrepreneurship and creating one of the world's largest online bass education communities through E Bass Guitar. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe and share with another bass player. Chapter timings 01:07 Where did your bass journey start? 04:10 When did you realise you could...

Vicky Warwick has built the kind of bass career many musicians dream about. From London to New York and now Los Angeles, she's toured the world with artists including Charli XCX, Big Time Rush and Maisie Peters, performed on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel and The Graham Norton Show, and built a reputation as someone people genuinely want to hire. But this conversation isn't about fame. It's abo...

Steve Lawson: Building a Music Career Without Chasing Fame What if the goal wasn't more followers, more views, or a bigger platform? What if the real goal was building meaningful music, genuine community, and a sustainable creative life? In this episode of Now That's Bass, Pete Roythorne sits down with bassist, educator, writer, technologist and PhD holder Steve Lawson for one of the most thought-...

Bass player, journalist, reviewer, YouTuber and working musician Mike Brooks joins Now That’s Bass for a brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to survive as a professional bass player over three decades in the music industry. From discovering bass through Duran Duran and landing his first professional gigs in the ‘90s, to building a long-term career through covers bands, networki...

In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete talks to Andrew McKinney, current bassist with Pulp and The James Taylor Quartet, course leader for performance at BIMM London, and a player whose career has taken him through TV, theatre, funk, soul, session work, education and major international stages. Quick Links to Chapters 00:31 Introduction 04:15 How did your bass journey start? From Cello to BassTe...

Jonny Dibble has built a loyal following in the bass world by doing something surprisingly rare: making bass gear feel honest, relatable and genuinely useful. In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete sits down with the bassist, YouTuber and co-host of the In The Pocket podcast to talk about affordable basses, social media, gear obsession, bass culture and what it really takes to build an audience...

In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete talks to professional bassist Matt Round, known for his long-running work with James Morrison, as well as playing with Archive, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, and currently holding down bass duties on the spectacular ABBA Voyage show. Matt brings a refreshingly honest, funny and grounded perspective on what it really takes to build a long-term career as...

Danny Sapko joins Now That’s Bass for a frank, funny and insightful chat about punk bass, originality, YouTube, AI, and the reality of building a career in music. From his early love of McCartney and the Stranglers to becoming one of the most distinctive voices in the online bass world, Danny talks about finding success by finally being himself — Yorkshire accent, humour, opinions and all. We also...

What does a 35+ year career as a working bass player really look like? In this episode, I sit down with Yolanda Charles MBE — one of the UK’s most respected session bassists, whose credits include Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Jimmy Somerville, and work alongside legends like Brian May and Hans Zimmer. We get into the real story behind that career — from random phone ca...

Ian Martin Allison joins Now That’s Bass for a brilliant conversation about bass, teaching, social media, creativity and building a career on your own terms. From the story of how he first picked up the bass, to the bad teacher who shaped his approach to education, to the way he built a loyal audience online by leading with value, Ian shares honest, funny and thoughtful insights throughout. This e...

Session bassist Russell Carr joins Pete on Now That’s Bass for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to build a long-term career as a working bass player. From playing with Skin and The Blockheads to teaching, function gigs, gear choices and the power of word of mouth, Russell breaks down the real-world side of life as a musician: groove over flash, professionalism over ego...

Pete Roythorne sits down with acclaimed bassist Reggie Parker for a powerful conversation on gospel bass, creativity, confidence and the realities of a life in music. Reggie shares how he got started, the players who inspired him, how he found his sound, and what it really took to rise through the gospel world in the 1990s. Along the way, he opens up about creative risk, paying dues, iconic sessio...

Jonathan Noyce has built a remarkable career as a bassist, working with artists including Jethro Tull, Gary Moore, Take That, Archive and The Divine Comedy, as well as on major film soundtracks. In this episode, he shares the lessons that shaped that journey — from studying music seriously and landing early breakthrough sessions, to learning the discipline, taste and integrity needed to sustain a...

What does a real career in music actually look like? In this episode, Pete sits down with Becky Baldwin, one of the UK’s busiest rock and metal bass players. Becky performs with King Diamond, Merciful Fate, Fury and Delilah Bonn, and has built a career that many musicians dream of. But unlike the myth of the “big break”, Becky’s journey has been built on years of small steps, networking, relentles...

Greg Hofmann has toured the world for over 15 years, played with artists including Bootsy Collins, Candace Springs, Rick Astley and Jess Glynne, and built a parallel creative path through teaching and pedal building. In this episode, Greg talks openly about his journey from South Africa to London, the grind of trying to survive as a musician, and the moment he realised that chasing every gig wasn’...