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What's your full name?
Oh, the secrets you ask…Amanda Jo Nunan,
but I prefer to go by A.J.
Where are you based?
I am based in Austin, Texas in the USA, but I am a world traveller. I’ve
only been to four or five other countries and 26 states but I plan on
travelling the world over by the time I’m 30.
When did you first take a
bass in your hands? My then
roommate, Melissa Nunan, gave me a bass for Christmas in 2000. I was in
school heavily at that time and working overtime every week so I didn’t
get to play it that much at first but within the next couple of years I
had already taken lessons and was performing in my first band Cuntry
Punks. (Oh my! Who thought up that name?! I presume the spelling
is...ahem...correct? - Ed.)
What attracted you to playing bass?
That’s a hard question but I’d have
to say the sound. Growing up I was always drawn to the bass lines of songs
and I would try to tap them out with my fingers. It wasn’t until after I
took lessons that I realized I had been listening to bass lines for years
and all of sudden everything clicked and I was rockin’ with everyone I
could get to jam with me.
Did you play any other instrument
before you started playing bass? The
first instrument I played was my voice in my church choir. I also played
the viola in grade school.
Can you remember the first song you
ever learned on bass? Oh yes! It is
still my warm up song today. It’s a rendition of Elvis Presley’s song
“Hound Dog” that my partner Melissa wrote with our good friend Paige when
we were all in the Cuntry Punks band. When we were in Cuntry Punks, it was
one of our most requested songs because of the hilarious lyrics and rockin’
sound. (Yea, *sigh* the spelling is correct. - Ed.)
What was your very first public
performance? I did public speaking
when I was in 6th grade so that was my first experience flying solo, but I
was apart of my family’s church from a very young age and was always
participating in some performance. My first band performance was also in
6th grade and I was first chair playing the viola. My first bass
performance was for the Cuntry Punks at Trophy’s Bar in Austin, TX. It was
a great show and I’ll always remember how I felt the first time I bassed-it-up
for a performance.
What's your current band?
I am now apart of 3 Kisses (whew! - Ed.)
and it is such a kick ass band! Our chemistry, from day one, has always
been outstanding. We played our first gig a week after our audition
practice and we haven’t looked back.
What's your main bass?
I have a Schector Diamond Series C-4. I love her, she is so sweet and
smooth. She is a sort of merlot and black tiger striped bass with gold
accents and pearl accents. The neck is maple with a rosewood fret board.
What strings to you like best?
D’Addario strings are my favourite.
What is your backline bass amp
setup? I don’t have a rig yet but I
play out of a Fender Rumble 100 bass amp and mic it for larger venues if
they don’t have a back line.
Fingers, plectrum or both?
Fingers baby, all the way.
What type of music do you play?
I play everything from jazz to blues to rock and reggae. I love all sorts
of music and really enjoy playing with other musicians because I think we
can all learn something from each other.
Who do you listen to when you're not
playing? Joan Jett, Stevie Ray
Vaughn and Double Trouble, Kittie, Melissa Mullins, Foo Fighters, Green
Day, L7, Luna Chicks, anything from Linda Perry…I’m almost always
listening to music if I’m not playing it or watching sports.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
We will be releasing our second
album (I wasn’t part of the band for the first one) in the spring of 2006.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
Maybe it was because it was our most recent gig but on Saturday, the 15th
of October, we played for over 50,000 for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer
awareness Race For The Cure in Dallas, Texas and it was so incredible. We
were set up towards the end of the race and there was a huge hill that the
participants had to run or walk up and you could see them just light up
and get a second wind as they got closer and finally passed us. They were
smiling from ear to ear and it just meant so much to me, and the band,
because every one of us has been touched by breast cancer. Tish, our lead
singer and guitar player, lost her mother to breast cancer, and both Tony
and I have breast cancer survivors in our family so it really was a
special day.
Do you own any other instruments?
Well, I have about 6 basses and between my partner and I, we have about 8
different instruments from a xylophone to a djembe.
Do you sing?
Yes, but I am still teaching myself to play and sing at the same time. It
isn’t the easiest coordination, but I’m getting there.
Did you ever perform onstage without
your bass? No, she and I go
everywhere together.
Have you played outside your own
country? Not yet, but we are already
planning an overseas tour to Europe for next fall.
What's your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? They ROCK! I
have a sweet Ibanez Soundgear 6 string that my father in law gave me for
Christmas last year. I have been looking for a good five string, or even a
fretless, but there’s this issue of cash that I’m a little short on these
days.
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? In my opinion,
my job in the band is to fuse the guitars with the rhythm. I am the one
that tries to keep those other guitar players in time, compliment the
vocals and relay time signatures from my drummer girl to the rest of the
band.
Did you ever have a famous person in
your audience? Do tell! No
blockbuster stars yet that I know of, but I would love to play for Ellen
DeGeneres on her show. She is one of my biggest inspirations.
What are your ambitions?
I want to travel the world with my music, win a Grammy, and help rebuild
New Orleans because my partner’s family is from there and we loved that
city so much. It broke our heart to see it destroyed like that but I know
it’ll only be a matter of time before the city is up and running.
Anything else....?
Not on the first date, ask me again sometime!
See Links page for 3 Kisses website - Ed.
thanks to AJ for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of AJ Nunan and
BassGirls.Com
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