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There are few things in this world that make me as excited as a badass woman in the music industry and Sound Tribe Sector 9. Therefore, I was ecstatic when I learned that Alana Rocklin had actually joined one of my all time favorite bands, which is STS9.

In anticipation for three nights of Sound Tribe Sector 9 in Denver on New Year’s Eve weekend, I did some research on the band’s newest member. Alana Rocklin has been playing with STS9 as their bass player since her official debut at McDowell Music Festival in March.

I was genuinely impressed by Rocklin’s performance in her early days with the band at The Hudson Project in New York this summer. Her fierce onstage presence and powerful grove truly exemplify the fact that a woman’s touch can often set a band over the top. I caught the band again with Rocklin in November at Austin Music Hall and was blown away by how quickly she managed to sync with the band, yet bring her own flavor to the music.

To be completely honest, I had never heard of Alana Rocklin before STS9 announced her as their new bass player. This mysterious bass-playing superwoman came out of nowhere and instantly began crushing the jam-tronica game. I’ve been very curious about her so I did my research in prep for New Year’s Eve.

I decided to share nine of the things I’ve discovered you may not yet know.

1. She Plays the Upright Bass Like a Beast:

I was pleasantly surprised to witness Alana Rocklin play a flawless song on the upright bass during STS9’s fall tour stop at Austin Music Hall. It was chill-provoking and awe-inspiring.

2. She Has Long Been Affiliated with 1320 Records:

Prior to joining STS9, Rocklin was already affiliated with1320 Records through her project with Brad Bowden known as Sub-ID.

3. Her Music Has Been Featured on NBC:

She played electric bass on “Proud As We Are” off of Daniel Martin Moore’s new record ‘Golden Age’, which was featured on NBC’s Blacklist.

4. She Has an Adorable Son Named Max:

She posted a precious pic of her kid on stage during a Sound Tribe set with the caption “my son gets down”. The rock mom values her son’s ears, as she made sure he was wearing giant ear protectant headphones.

5. She Toured with My Morning Jacket Frontman Jim James:

She toured with Jim James in support of his solo album “Regions of Light and Sound of God”.

6. She Played on Rick Ross’ Rap Record:

The Rick Ross rap record that Alana played on “God Forgives, I Don’t” was actually nominated for a Grammy for best rap album.

7. She’s Been a Bass Player Since Childhood:

Alana stated in an interview that she got her first bass at 8 years old and she started taking formal lessons at 10.

8. She Has Formal Music Education:

Alana received a BFA in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation from the University of Michigan.

9. She Co-Owns a Production Company with Her Husband:

Alana and her husband Brad Bowden have a production company called Newpolyphony Productions; it is involved with projects from Def Jam to Native Instruments, from performance and sound design to project management.