Mike Hall Bass
Mike Hall is a critically acclaimed bassist from New Jersey who has been featured in numerous major publications such as Bass Musician Magazine and Bass Magazine; primarily for his creativity, coupled with his signature playing style: which involves a heavy blend of harmonics, altered tunings, mutes, slap, tap, and flamenco style percussion. He is also an endorsed artist to Skjold Design Guitars, and has performed alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry; such as Third Eye Blind, MGMT, Collective Soul, Howie Day, Lifehouse, Three Doors Down, Blondie, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Eve 6, Everclear, and numerous others.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
Melodic, Ethereal, Ambient
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
My favorite part of being an artist has got to be the freedom to express myself in any way I choose. I have the ability to convey my thoughts and emotions through a much more intimate conduit in music than words can really portray, and that has resulted in such a huge impact on my audience - especially throughout these tumultuous times.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
The recording studio has always been exciting for me! Whether I'm recording alone, or I'm working with a producer, the process of hearing your music go on record is really fulfilling, at least in an artistic sense.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
Quite a variety of things actually! I've always been keen to fitness, in addition to developing a relatively new hobby in cooking, so I've been finding myself quite preoccupied on those fronts alone. I also really enjoy writing, so much so that I'm currently drafting my very first book about the state of the music industry. However, I would definitely be lying if I said I didn't enjoy going on periodic YouTube rabbit hole binges of true crime, sports debate, food eating challenges, and pretty much all things nerd culture.
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
I really admire the resilience musicians have shown today, all in spite of the music industry falling in shambles throughout lockdown. When the far easier solution would be to just give up, millions of artists adapted to streaming platforms in efforts to continue to perform live for their fans. Although the music scene is quickly returning back to normalcy, how musicians responded during that time is always going to stay with me moving forward.
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
I would have to say that the most emotional song I've created thus far is my solo bass arrangement of "Sweet Child O'Mine". I wanted to make something that people could immediately resonate with, something that would provide them with at least a sliver of hope of better things to come throughout the worst of the pandemic. While I was looking for inspiration, I came across Guns N' Roses on my Apple Playlist, and immediately knew that I had to make an arrangement for it. It's a song that reminds me of simpler and happier times, when life wasn't so serious. Ultimately; I was able to create a version that plays very much like a lullaby, yet still possesses the essence of the original. For those who would like to hear it, you can watch me perform it below:
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
Currently; I'm in the process of creating a solo bass arrangement of "Californication" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which will also be showcasing Skjold Design Guitars' brand new Cathedral model bass! I'm expecting to finish and release the arrangement in a few weeks time, so definitely stay tuned for that. I'm also in the process of some other really big things that I can't quite comment on at the moment, so be sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up to speed on all of my latest news and music: http://www.instagram.com/mikehall.bass
Tell us where fans can access your music.
Fans can check out my music at: http://www.mikehallbass.com
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