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Thanks for talking to
BassGirls Johnette, where do you live nowadays? I'm based in Joshua Tree,
California, USA
Your full name is?
Johnette Lin Napolitano
At what age did you first take a
bass in your hands? Sometime in
my late 20's
What attracted you to playing
bass? We couldn't keep a bass
player as we had no following, no money and no deal.
Did you play any other instrument
before you started playing bass?
Piano and guitar since the age of 8.
Can you remember the first piece
you ever learned on bass?
probably something by 'Lords of the New Church' and I wrote most of the
old stuff on bass.
What was your very first band? Concrete Blonde.
What other bands were you a
member of? The (Talking) Heads.
Working with some people in a new thing we're calling 'Catfish Scar'. So
far we're an American, a Mexican, a Brit and a Bangladeshi.
What are you doing (musically)
these days? Releasing a limited
edition (Sketchbook 2) and working on an album of acoustic songs. I also
just finished something for an Australian film, 'Candy' which I wrote and
recorded myself; I have a couple more films coming up and last year worked
with former NIN Danny Lohner on film music. I'm also interested in
making short films myself, and will do a solo show in Lima, Peru in
January.
What's your main bass?
my main bass is a Fender Lyte as I had severe neck and back trouble from
playing a Music Man for years. I also have a very old '60's Precision and
a gorgeous Mike Kelly acoustic bass.
Body colour?
I have a black one and a pink one.
Neck/fingerboard?
I have no idea. Probably the last standing
ebony in the rainforest or something.
Do you think that the wood
effects the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
Absolutely, although I am more interested in sustainable wood, I just
co-designed a custom guitar made for me by a Frenchman named James
Trussart that is all metal. James also makes a metal bass that sounds
incredible but it's too heavy for me to play live.
Have you any views on the active
.v. passive debate? It's very
simple to me: passive for the studio, active for the stage.
What strings to you like best? Rounds for sure but I'm not
really picky about the brand. I just did a solo acoustic show out here in
Joshua Tree and the strings have been on that guitar for at least 2 years:
I rubbed a little alcohol on them but refuse to change them.
How often would you change your
strings? If I'm on tour I'll
need them changed every other gig, before soundcheck so they can be played
and stretched .
What is your backline bass amp
setup? SVT. There IS nothing
else. It's a bitch 'cause the rig is the size of a refrigerator but that's
the only thing that sounds good to me.
Fingers, plectrum (pick) or both?
Both
If plectrum, which ones?
Generally the same as I use on guitar, Fender mediums.
What type of music do you play?
Anything I write
Who do you listen to when you're
not playing? Flamenco, I've been
studying for many years and just got back from studying in Spain this last
summer. That's pretty much all I listen to. I'm out in the desert and
don't have television so I stream a lot of radio: talk radio, NPR, live
Flamenco from Jerez (Spain).
What are your main interests
outside of music? I've been
making my own clothes lately, morphing old things into new ones - art,
I've studied pottery with a master in Mexico and am trying to focus on
finishing a book.
What was your best gig/venue
ever? I just had a great time out
here in the desert, there's an end of summer festival and a local artist
makes the stage - it's always a beautiful night and I love the desert.
There have been a lot of wonderful gigs but I'm usually too nervous to
enjoy them along with everyone else. I've finally learned how to do that.
I had a solo show in London last year that surprised me a lot - it was
great.
What was your worst moment
onstage? There have been a lot
of those, too. I hate equipment failure, but we usually have an acoustic
with us so even if the power failed we could still play. I can't stand it
when people up front are so drunk and loud I can't hear myself and it
ruins everyone's time. That's a fine line 'cause I appreciate the fans but
it makes for a very unpleasant experience.
Were you ever on a TV show?
Oh yeah, we've done 'em all. Except Saturday Night Live!
Did you ever make the cover of a
magazine? Oh yeah!
What's your favourite album/CD? Of mine? I really like 'Mexican
Moon', and I really like 'Group Therapy'. That was just
uploaded for digital distribution on CDBABY. The last CB album,
'Mojave' is pretty amazing. That was fun to make, we made it out here
in the desert.
Do you play/own any other
instruments? Yes, I have drums
setup all the time, quite a few guitars and a Korg workstation.
What other instrument would you
most like to play? Viola.
What was the best concert you
were ever at? The Farrucos
who are a Flamenco family from Spain who just played out here in
California; I drove 2 1/2 hours to see them. I was blown away. Any
David Bowie, and World Party who we toured with in England some
time ago - and I was just remembering seeing Cat Stevens in
Tennessee around 1978. It was absolutely incredible. I also saw Sinead
O'Connor in England and she was just amazing.
Do you sing Johnette?
I have to admit I don't sing unless I have to.
Have you ever performed onstage
without your bass? Sure, plenty.
Have you played outside your own
country? I prefer to.
What's your opinion on basses
with more than 4 strings? I can
see the point - but I'm too damn lazy to learn how to play them.
What do you feel is the
bass-players function in a band?
To keep the bottom down. Stay with the kick. Lay the foundation for the
guitarist to solo or whatever....mind you I've always been in a 3 piece
band and arrangement was everything; how often have you heard a guitarist
go to solo and all of a sudden the bottom falls out and it sounds wimpy?
Keep the bottom together with the drummer. If the guitarist is playing
chords there may be a little room for a more melodic approach a la the
Police but in general a bassist's job is to keep the bottom happening,
solidify the groove. A good drummer certainly helps.
Did you ever have a famous person
in your audience? Yes but I
prefer not to know because I wouldn't be able to play. When I was in The
(Talking) Heads, Jeff Beck was there I heard afterward ...that's
about as famous as it gets. Also Dennis Rodman.
What are your ambitions?
Just to be able to support myself creatively and be comfortable, not rich,
stay in balance personally, stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can
and stay in love with music.
Thank you very much indeed
Johnette, we wish you many years of good health and success!
See Johnette's website
in our Links page - Ed.
thanks to Johnette for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Johnette Lin Napolitano
and
BassGirls.Com
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