THE BASS EDITION

Looking at a picture of James Kempster and comparing it to his biography I was struck by how incongruous it seemed. I’m not sure exactly what his age is, but his resume reads like the achievements of an extremely seasoned veteran. Currently playing bass in the ‘We will rock you’ show band he got his start on ‘Cats’ and has seemingly played every show since. But not content with just interpreting other peoples’ music he is also a well respected songwriter who has written for a range of international artists and is now working on material for Australian Idol and ‘Home and Away’ starlet Tammin Sursock’s imminent arrival as a popstar. What’s more he’s also a producer … it’s kind of mind boggling. I asked him how he got started in the caper?

‘Originally I was trained as a trumpet player and then moved on to electric bass in my final year of high school. After much intense study and long hours I developed proficient bass guitar skills and spent a year at Melbourne University. I then moved into recording situations which enabled me to meet some seasoned professionals. My professional break was ‘Cats’ the musical for which I auditioned as a fill-in bassist. I was then offered a touring position … it was the perfect combination of timing and preparation.’

James got started as a songwriter with an Atari notator system and an original band called ‘Spender’. With some success in the originals scene he attracted a publishing deal with Warner Chappell who seem to have been extremely supportive, even recently sending him on a world trip aimed at ‘strengthening relationships with most major labels and affiliated Warner offices.’ Of course he has to work on his tunes somewhere and has a ‘great little setup’ with Macintosh computers, Pro Tools, Korg outboard gear, Neumann mikes and so forth. He states that working with other people is a great way to lessen the burden of keeping a steady flow of tunes emerging which are mainly pitched to overseas labels.

On the live front James has several basses that he uses depending on the gig. He has some custom made Warwick basses, with five strings fretted and fretless versions, as well as a ’76 Jazz Bass and a ’73 Precision. He also has a ‘nice German double bass’ and a ‘great Guild acoustic electric bass’. He has a sponsorship deal with Warwick and chooses the amplification to suit the show. He apparently loves ‘going through valve gear!’

I asked him what he thought the main attributes of such a versatile player would have to be?

‘Familiarity of musical styles is fundamental combined with the ability to adapt to musical situations. Being able to read music is very important, a huge component of live work involves sight reading ...

I think being able to read music is the key to being versatile. The ability to get on with people is crucial, I also believe in making music sound exciting. Play with energy, I like to sound fresh and push the boundaries a bit.’

One attraction of the ‘gun for hire’ way of approaching a career is that James can balance his career with his family better. He is able to plan his schedule some time in advance, and there’s also the diversity of playing with different people, in totally different contexts, drawing upon different skills and approaches.

I asked James for any advice he might have for people trying to get a break in the music business.

‘Visualising yourself in an environment is the key to success. Have a clear goal of where you see yourself in your career, it is impossible to achieve anything if this isn’t clear. Set goals. Obviously you should develop your craft to the highest level by playing/writing and listening to as much music as you can. Seek educators and don’t be afraid to question. Keep your mind open and trust your intuition but be persistent. Give yourself time to enjoy life….take holidays, our bodies need to re charge.’

For a young guy who has already achieved so much James states ‘I feel like my career is just starting. It’s a very exciting place to be in.’ He is open to most musical styles and is enjoying doing a bit less touring and being in Melbourne for awhile. With ‘We will rock you’ being yet another successful stage show in his resume and a burgeoning client list for his original songs, he is indeed in a very exciting place and it will be interesting to see where it leads him next.

To find out more about James Kempster check out his website at: www.rockcandy.com.au

Article by Baz