Are there specific things you work on to expand your ability?
Not particularly. I find that no matter how much you rehearse, it’s always different on the gig. It’s a strange thing; you practice for weeks and give it your all, but on the gig your arms are killing you and you’re fingers are bleeding. It’s like sports: If you’re a football player, you can train all you like, but nothing’s quite like going out there and playing. At rehearsal you only play at 50 percent; live it’s 300 percent.
You play relentless, driving lines, yet you make it seem effortless. What have you learned about matching your physical presence and your lines?
The biggest thing is being relaxed and comfortable. A certain line might sound complicated, but once you’re relaxed, it’s amazing what you can do.
What are some things you do to put your individual stamp on the music?
We never limit ourselves to trying to put any kind of individual mark on anything. We just work on the songs together. It goes beyond individuals; the band becomes one thing. Sometimes, we try anything. For example, the way we play “Knights of Cydonia” from the new album is quite different from how we’ve played any other song. We’ve always been really open to playing in a way that we’re not used to or that’s not necessarily normal.
What would you say are your strengths as a bass player?
I’ve never really settled into one particular style. A lot of bass players become absolute geniuses in one particular area, but don’t venture out—whereas I am probably not a genius and not particularly great, but I try different things.