The Pretty Reckless bassist talks about their newest record, the brilliant Quincy Jones and why his basses are strung with GHS

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman

June 12, 2017

By David Sands

Mark Damon is certainly riding high these days with his band The Pretty Reckless. The hard rock outfit scored its fourth #1 single on the Billboard Rock Charts late last year with their song “Take Me Down,” which appeared on their recent album, Who You Selling For. And that’s just the latest feather in the cap for the band which has been making rock n’ roll waves since debuting with 2010’s Light Me Up.

While Damon is probably best known for holding down the bass with his reckless bandmates, the multi-dimensional musician actually got his start on the trombone. Inspired by his sax-playing older brother, the New Hampshire native picked up that instrument so he could play in the junior high band. While he played trombone in several bands in high school and even picked up the alto sax, it wasn’t until he was attending college at the University of New Hampshire that he picked up the bass, inspired by the hard-hitting basslines of a bandmate in a funk-rock outfit.

A fan of many different styles, the affable musician has an eclectic resume that includes work with the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble and ska-punk legends Bim Skala Bim. Prior to joining The Pretty Reckless, he played with his two of his current bandmates, guitarist Ben Phillips and drummer Jamie Perkins, in a rock trio called Famous. Together again with TPR, they now form a quartet with the additional presence of singer-guitarist and former actress Taylor Momsen.

FBPO’s Jon Liebman had the good fortune to speak with Damon in the group’s tour van while it was parked outside the Fox Theatre in Detroit before a recent performance.

Watch our interview with Mark: