Suzanne Sterne (USA)

Suzanne Sterne is a girl who has never shied away from hard work.  Infused with a classical and jazz background and a DIY punk attitude, Sterne has often taken the long road towards realizing her musical goals. It is not uncommon to see her playing multiple roles ~ bassist, guitarist and vocalist, arranger and producer, writing and recording entire albums on her own. Sterne began music training at a young age. When she picked up the bass guitar at age 16, she was already a working woodwind player.  Moving to New York City, she pursued the bass exclusively, studying and honing her skills in a string of bands. In between session and studio work, Sterne began forming her own musical identity, putting together music for the project that would become Ruby Bullet. As bassist and vocalist, Sterne (with drummer Pete Vassil) fuses progressive and jazz elements with heavy rock and metal.  Ruby Bullet's debut album "Nothing Left to Bleed on" was released in Fall, 2005 and is available for download through their website.

Where are you based Suzanne? New York City, NY, USA

When did you first take a bass in your hands? Summer, 1993.

What attracted you to playing bass? I was bored with my classical/jazz background and wanted to do something more edgy and exciting. All my boy friends played guitar and none of them played bass.

Did you play any other instrument before you started playing bass? Yes - clarinet and saxophone.

Can you remember the first piece you ever learned on bass? No - as soon as I got the bass I learned as many songs as I could. It was probably Jane's Addiction or the Pixies.

What was your very first public performance? I played a cover of "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins with my high school boyfriend's band during a performance at his private school.

What’s your current band? Ruby Bullet - a post-prog, heavy melodic power trio. I double as bassist and vocalist.

What’s your main bass? An MTD 5 string. It's a one-off/prototype so I don't know a lot about it.

Body colour/wood? Tobacco Sunburst

Neck/fingerboard? Rosewood

What strings to you like best? No major preference.

What is your backline bass amp setup? Vintage SVT Classic head, SVT 8x10 Cabinet, Acoustic 4x15 Reflex Cabinet

Fingers, plectrum or both? Both

If plectrum, which ones? Dunlop Gator Grip Blue

What type of music do you play? Rock, jazz, metal - whatever moves me at the moment.

Who do you listen to when you’re not playing? Anything unique, evocative or interesting

Have you recorded/released any CDs? Yes - with Ruby Bullet: "Nothing Left to Bleed on". Available for free download at our website

Do you own any other instruments? Yes, A 1986 Gibson SG Standard and an MTD Kingston 5 string bass.

Do you sing? Yes.

Did you ever perform onstage without your bass? Not in a band situation.

What’s your opinion on basses with more than 4 strings? I've used a 5 string for years. It allows for more options with tuning and positions. Use whatever is most comfortable for you.

What do you feel is the bass-players function in a band? To be the glue that holds the whole thing together by connecting to the other instruments both rhythmically and melodically.

Do you have a website? Yes we do, for more information on the band, feel free to check out our official site on the Links page.

 
thanks to Suzanne for being part of BassGirls.Com
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