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Faith Regina Elderkin, at
what age did you first take a bass in your hands?
I started playing 2 years ago. Before that,
I played drums for 6 years.
Where are you based?
Monterey County, California, USA.
What attracted you to playing bass?
In the transformation that I went through jumping from drums to another
instrument, bass was the one that I really grasped onto, and it was easy
to lock in with the drummer.
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? The first song
I learned was a song that my sisters and I wrote long ago, called, Left
Behind. A very laid back rock song.
Tell us about your current band?
Third Eclipse is my first and only band. I'm still very young, and I've
been in the same band for 8 years. The band is myself, my two older
sisters, and our drummer. I used to be the drummer and the band consisted
of just the three of us, then unfortunately I stumbled across a repetative
stress injury in my back/shoulders. I could no longer play drums, I picked
up bass, my sisters and I did a little rotation of instrument, and we
found Miguel our drummer. Christine (oldest), Beth (middle), and I
(youngest) are in this together, for the long run.
How did you come to join/start this
band? Well, our parents bought us
instruments one year for Christmas and it sort of evolved from there.
What is your ideal line-up for a
band? Drums, bass, two guitar, and
vocals with harmonies.
WhatR17;s your main bass? Where was it made? I play on an Ibanez Ergodyne
that was made in Korea.
Do you think that the wood affects
the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
I do believe that the wood effects the
sound that I get out of my bass. My bass is light weight and thin, which,
I have found, gives me a cleaner sound.
Have you a preference for active or
passive electronics? I perfer
active, personally.
What type or brand of strings to you like best?
I use GHS Bass Boomers in a Medium Light weight. Love them.
How often would you change your
strings? I change them usually when
I need a tune up which is about every 6-8 months. I change my E string
every 3 months, cause it breaks!
What is your backline bass amp
setup? I have a Mesa Boogie Bass
400+ Head, M-80 Bass D.I.+ MXR and Peavey 4x10’s Cabinet. It's a great set
up.
Fingers, plectrum (pick) or both?
I use a Dunlop 1.0mm pick. Louder
sound.
Have you played double (upright) or
acoustic bass? No, I wish I had an
acoustic bass though. I'll probably be getting one fairly soon.
What type of music do you play?
We call it rock, but it's not really
rock. We get our inspiration from classic rock. We also have good 3 part
harmony vocals.
Who do you listen to when you’re not
playing? I love listening to classic
rock. Pat Benetar, Heart, Aerosmith, KISS, Mamas and the Papas, etc.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
We have recorded a full length CD,
and we are currently in the process of completing the mixing, and getting
the CD pressed and shopped.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
Wow, that's a hard one! Every
weekend is a good show. Sure, things can always go wrong, but the band and
I always have a great time getting on stage and playing. It doesn't matter
how many people are there, just as long as you have fun and play a good
show. Although, lots of bodies is a good thing. :)
What was your worst moment onstage?
This one is embarrassing, but oh well. My worst moment probably was when
my equipment decided to die out on my in the middle of the set. For NO
reason, everything failed on me. Turned out, a plug in the back came loose
and caused a chain reacting to everything. It sucked.
Have you ever made the cover of a
magazine or been featured in print?
Yes, a few times. We've been on the cover of local newspapers a few times,
and had a couple of articles about us.
Do you play/own any other
instruments? I own a full set of
drums, and an acoustic electric guitar. I play my guitar sometimes, not
that well, but I play. Don't play on my drums anymore though.
What other instrument would you most
like to play? I would like to learn
violin or piano.
What was the best concert you were
ever at? The best concert was a few
years ago when my sisters and I went to go see Green Day on the warped
tour when they were with Blink 182. Green Day was the BEST band I have
ever seen live. Blink 182, they were alright, but not nearly as awesome as
Green Day. They know how to put on a live show.
Do you sing (apart from in the shower!)? Yes, (and yes. I do sing in the
shower!) but I also sing background vocals in my band.
Do you write/compose?
I help compose. Beth does all the writing
(she's the lead singer), and Christine does most of the composing. I add
comments now and then.
Did you come from a musical family?
Yes, I do. My dad is very musical, and has an amazing voice.
If forming your ideal live band,
what instruments would you have with you onstage?
I would probably have the idealistic 3. Drums, Bass, and Guitar. Simple,
but those 3 instrument together can create great sound.
Do you see the bass as a solo
instrument? Not personally. I know
people who do. I have a few things I play in some songs, but they are
rare. Bass soloing is not only very difficult, but I think that bass solos
are hard to hear, in the audience point of view.
Apart from your own projects, have
you played recording sessions with other artistes?
Not recording sessions, but jamming
sessions. They are a lot of fun, and you also learn a ton!
If you could be taken to a concert
anywhere on earth tonight, who would you want to see live?
I would want to see KISS and Aerosmith
together on the tour that I missed out on. Wow, that would be awesome if I
could do that tonight!
What CD are you listening to most
these days? Mostly mix CD's
actually. Mixes of all kinds of music. Fast, slow, up beat, hard, classic,
experimental, you name it, it's there. The variety is good.
Do you have a pet?
Yes. my family has a little girl dog. Misha.
She's great.
Do you have a day-job or do you play
professionally? I play
professionally, I guess. I do not have a day job because I'm a full time
student. I consider playing in a band as my job.
Give one piece of advice to someone
who has just bought their first bass?
Okay, to all of you new rockers out there!
You're not going to like what I'm going to say, but you ALL know it's
true. "Play through the pain." I say this because you're fingers are going
to be KILLING you. But the more you play, the faster the calouses will
grow.
Have you played outside your own
country? Not yet. We are working on
it though.
What's your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? Well. I think
they are good for guys who have long enough fingers to play all those
strings! I have pretty small hands, I know. I picked the wrong instrument.
But, I can't imagine playing a 5 or 6 string bass. Not yet anyways.
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? The bass
player's place in the band is to stay locked in with the drummer, and help
everyone else in the band to stay with the beat. The bass player is almost
as important as the drummer. Notice I put the word "almost" in there :)
Did you ever have a famous person in
your audience? Yes. We have. Neil
Sean from Journey heard us play a few years back. We got to know him a
little bit too. Nice guy!
What are your ambitions, musically
and personally? I want to play.
That's something our drummer Miguel says all the time. "I just want to
play". I happen to agree with him. It would be nice to become famous in
one way or another. And personally, I'm starting to be come a chef. I want
to go to a Culinary Arts School.
Thanks Faith. See our Links page for
3rd Eclipse website - Ed.
thanks to Faithfor being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Faith Elderkin and
BassGirls.Com
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