Q: When you first started how far did you think you would get and do you think your popularity will continue to grow?

A: I’m always working hard both as an individual player in the industry as well as with my main band Scale the Summit to continue to further my career, so I definitely believe that’s the goal. However it isn’t really about popularity or anything like that as much as it is just continuing to stay relevant and keep reaching new fans and connecting in that way. When I first started, I had more inspiration that I knew what to do with, and I felt it was instantly my calling to pursue music.

Q: Do you think Scale The Summit’s other albums will follow the same direction as previous ones?

A: We’re always looking to push the boundaries and expand on our sound, but at the same time we always try to stay true to what ground we’ve paved so far with previous albums.

Q: Who are your major influences?

A: I consider myself influenced by more than just bass players…I take equal inspiration from great guitar players, piano players, drummers, and even horn players. Watching a talented musician do his or her thing is just inspiring on the level of perfecting my craft. I take influence from everyone such as Geddy Lee, Jaco Pastorious, and John Myung to John Coltrane, Dave Weckl and even classical composers. Too many to name!

Q: What artists/bands do you listen to?

A: The fact that I’m immersed in rock/metal so often in my career, I sort of make an effort to listen to genres on the other end of the spectrum to sort of balance out my palette, if you will. Right now I’ve been jamming the new album by a killer band named The Reign of Kindo, Sara Bareilles’ new record, and some others. Still, however, I’ve been spinning the new Cloudkicker and Dream Theater albums as well.

Q: How did you come up with the name Scale The Summit?

A: I only joined the band about a year and a half ago so I wasn’t around for that period, but I hear it was an idea from Travis (guitar) after looking at a photo album or something. I forget…

Q: What software/hardware do you use to record?

A: We record our records in a professional studio and don’t really do any of our own recordings. For my YouTube videos and home videos, though, I use a mix of recording direct through my Gallien-Krueger 1001 RB-II head and even using the iPad apps “AmpliTube” and “JamUp Pro” with the new iRig HD adapter. Killer tones and super convenient to do it all through an iPhone/iPad.

Q: What is your favorite song on The Migration? Why?

A: I’d say “The Olive Tree”…it just has great dynamics with a really good flow throughout the song. We packed a lot of great melodies into that song, and as a bass player, it’s the most fun to play for me as I really got to bring out the funk chops, especially on the second half of the song. It’s all around a great “rocker” song for us, and a lot of people have gravitated toward that track since its release.

Q: How long does it usually take for you to write a song or parts for a song?

A: It just depends…some songs click for me almost instantaneously, others I have to really work at for days or even weeks. There has never really been a formulaic approach or experience with any of it. That’s the beauty of songwriting…it’s unpredictable every time, and never feels stale or old as far as the process goes.

Q: How do you come up with the names for songs in Scale The Summit?

A: Since we’re instrumental we don’t have any lyrics to paint the picture for the listener, so it’s all done by the music. The names come very late in the process (usually even after they’re recorded sometimes). Once it’s all said and done, we all sit back and listen to the record and just jot down ideas based on how the song makes us feel, what kind of imagery it displays, moods, feels, etc. You can ideally name an instrumental track anything you want with no limitations, so it’s a fun process for sure.