By Britt Strickland
It’s hard to miss the warm, rhythmic bass work of session player Matthew Seligman. For well over a decade he recorded and performed with a great number of well-known and influential artists such as Thomas Dolby, David Bowie, and Tori Amos. But Seligman makes no secret of where his heart is: It’s with his original band, the groundbreaking and somewhat obscure Soft Boys. No list of the greatest groups you’ve never heard would be complete without them. In Cambridge, England, during the late-’70s punk revolution, the Soft Boys toiled away at courageously un-trendy but inspired psychedelic guitar-pop. The group finally collapsed in 1981 with weak label support, little fanfare, and poor record sales. Before going into that gentle good night, though, the band slipped one last album into rock history’s subconscious: 1980’s Underwater Moonlight.
Since then, the Soft Boys have had a measure of vindication through the acknowledgment of noted successors: REM, the Replacements, and Sonic Youth have all cited them as a major influence. With last year’s CD reissue of Underwater Moonlight (with 26 extra tracks), the group reformed for a successful reunion tour.
Now with a second tour and the first new Soft Boys album in 22 years, it’s a good time to check out this underrated group and its talented bassist. The new CD, Nextdoorland, is an unexpectedly vibrant and creative return that features some of Seligman’s best bass work in the band’s history, particularly the tunes on “Side Three,” a seven-song CD of cutouts. (Check out “Strings” to hear the 47-year-old’s expressive use of his tuning machines.)
When Matthew joined the Soft Boys in 1980, he was a relative beginner replacing a very capable and distinctive player. He intuitively met the challenge with a punchy, “boogie” style that sounded more like Donald “Duck” Dunn than previous bassist Andy Metcalfe, who had a bright, Chris Squire-like approach. Quickly locking in with drummer Morris Windsor, Seligman began to fill a pocket underneath the ringing two-guitar sound created by singer/guitarist Robyn Hitchcock and Kimberley Rew (founder of Katrina &the Waves). But as quickly as they came, the group disbanded in 1981, and Seligman began his session career. Whether it was at Live Aid with David Bowie or cutting hits with the Thompson Twins, Seligman was rarely in the wrong place. Unfortunately, in 1992 Matthew grew weary of show business and his hired-gun lifestyle and hung up his bass.
Perhaps the first man to go from world-class session bassist to English barrister, Seligman began studying law and became a practicing civil attorney in London. A decade later with the Soft Boys reunion—and with creative side projects like Snail (with former Siouxsie &the Banshees guitarist Jon Klein)—Seligman’s Fender Jazz is back in action.
You have a history of playing with great songwriters. How do you approach creating bass lines for them?
Bass is about a decision. It’s not about a note, but rather having judgment, and sometimes just deciding not to play. I don’t know what the process is that goes through my head. When I hear music I think, If I’m listening to this as a record, what should it have? A bass player should be much more of a listener than the other musicians. The irony of the bass is that it comes second, but it should sound like it came first. You have to think of the question that the music is the answer to.
A lot has been said about the dual-guitar team of Robyn Hitchcock and Kimberley Rew. Where do you fit into the equation?
I play with them by not playing with them—leaving them to play what they do. With the Soft Boys, it wouldn’t help to try and keep up with Robyn and Kimberley. I am always trying to think basic and simple. I am just heading for the bottom. They take care of the top.
What part do you think tone plays in a bassist’s appeal?
The way to find a good bass player is to listen to his sound. Sound is everything. It is not made by an amp or an instrument; at least 80 percent is made by the person. Don’t worry if you don’t have the right amp. Believe that you can make that sound with your fingers. How do you make a trebly sound? Play it harder.
Who are some of your bass influences?
I grew up next door to [Darts keyboardist] Hammy Howell in Wimbledon. He inspired me to play music in the first place. My main bass influences are Paul McCartney, Free’s Andy Fraser, and Tina Weymouth with Talking Heads. Even though McCartney is the godfather, Fraser is the guy who made me want to play bass. He would leave huge, ridiculous gaps in the music before reggae was popular. I learned all of that from Andy Fraser.
Tell us about your fretless work with Thomas Dolby.
Tom knew that I was a blank sheet of paper, because it was still quite early in my career. So he would give me assignments, like learning fretless bass. I loved having something new to do. I got a fretless Ibanez Musician. The tone wasn’t great, so I got a contact mike—a C-Ducer—and built it into the back of the neck, just where it meets the body. Fretlesses sound good when they aren’t plugged in. We tried to pick up that tone; you can hear it on The Flat Earth. I think it really sounds like a double bass.
Which basses do you use?
I use what I have always used: a black Fender Jazz with a maple neck. I think it’s from the early ’70s. But bass players should not love their instruments. The trouble with loving an instrument is you have put your center outside of yourself. But you have to feel that you can play any bass. It is you—not the bass.
As for amps, I don’t know; we hire a new one wherever we go. Actually, I have never heard a good bass amp. Now that I have a Line 6 Bass POD, that is my live rig. I have even played with no amp—straight to the PA, which they send back to the monitors. But I love having my sounds in a box.
Do you use the POD to record?
Yes. Just simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.
What initially interested you in playing synth bass with Thomas Dolby?
Playing a note with a bass string and then triggering a synthesizer is a much more fragile chain than just triggering the note with a keyboard. So we thought, I’ll just learn to play synth. “She Blinded Me with Science” was my first Dolby assignment on synth bass; I used a Moog Source.
Why did you leave the music industry?
Music is not a competition, but at the time I thought it was. I’m not a session man, but I admire the guys who are. Some have such great technique they can play well even when they aren’t feeling well. I can’t do that; if I feel bad, I play bad. So I trashed the whole thing. The irony was that by doing that, all my love of bass returned.
The reason I am playing bass today is that my daughter Daisy was born. When I see her I just have to be honest. If there is anything I could show her in life, it’s that you should live your life. I have to be what I am. Bass has been this deep part of me, my health, and happiness. It is a deep part of oneself that can speak.