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Atreyu's Marc McKnight

By Pamela Porosky | October, 2007

With epic itineraries that read more like The Odyssey than your typical tour route, Southern California’s Atreyu has been a staple on the metalcore scene since 2002. For his part, Marc McKnight makes sure each show is as high-energy as the last, attacking the stage with unequaled energy and intensity. As McKnight explains, he’s often forced to adapt the intricate lines he wrote for the band’s latest, Lead Sails Paper Anchor, to accommodate other crucial onstage duties: running, jumping, singing, and beating the snot out of his 4-string.


With such a hectic tour schedule, how do you stay focused?
I practice a lot. I have a bass on the bus, and sometimes I just sit and play. When I’m bored or when they’re setting up the gear, I walk around while playing. I’m there to do a job, so I’m sure to get ready for it.

Do you warm up with anything specific?
I stretch for half-hour or more, just to get my body loosened up. Then I put on my bass. I spread out my fingers and just crawl up the neck, starting on the E string. I also warm up my right hand so I can play as fast as possible.

How has your style developed with Atreyu?
I joined right when the band was recording The Curse [Victory, 2004], so I had to learn that, plus all the parts from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, which Chris Thomson played on. They were all pretty straightforward. For A Death Grip on Yesterday [Victory, 2006], I stepped up to throw in more lead bass lines. This new record has even more of that.

Are there any particular bass lines from Lead Sails Paper Anchor you’re looking forward to playing live?
I sing on “Slow Burn,” so that’s going to be a challenge. When I’m singing and playing, I can’t do all the fills that I do on the record. I get as many as I can, but some of them would be impossible. I definitely took more chances when recording that song.

What’s something you’ve learned lately, either on the road or in the studio?
I’ve started teaching myself music theory so I can communicate better with other players. I wish I’d taken lessons when I first started playing bass—the things I’ve learned have helped a lot.

What’s one of your greatest strengths as a player?
If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s tour! But it can get very monotonous. You have to find something that keeps you centered. If you don’t, the only time you’ll be happy is that hour onstage. For the rest of it, you’ll be going insane.

Is it the same kind of insanity that comes from being trapped in a studio for months at a time?
That can be hell too, but that’s a whole different story.

CAN BE HEARD ON

Atreyu, Lead Sails Paper Anchor [Hollywood, 2007]

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