Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 180
NIK
Interview by Rául Amador
Nik West
nikwestbass.com
facebook.com/nikwestmusic
Twitter @nikwestbass
Some of the band(s) I Play With:
Solo Artist, but has appeared
with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics),
Prince, John Mayer, Marcus
Miller, Marilyn Manson,
Sugarland, Sheila E.
Gear I Use:
Fender Jazz Deluxe, Fender
Original 60s TeleBass, Fender
Dimension Bass
Endorsed By:
Fender, DR Strings, Warwick
amps, EBS pedals, Extreme
Isolation Headphones, Universal
Audio.
Click to view Nik’s April 2012 Video
Cover Interview in Bass Musician
Magazine
What made you decide to play bass?
I was a guitar player from age 13, until I heard
and ACTUALLY listened to MJ’s “Wanna Be
Startin’ Somethin’” when I was 16.
How/Where did you learn to play?
I grew up in the church, so I was around
amazing musicians that always pushed the
boundaries and made music FEEL good! So
that was somehow embedded in my veins very
early. My dad taught me guitar, so I applied
what I learned to bass and started watching
YouTube videos for the rest. I never went to
school or learned officially; I am self-taught.
Who are your musical inspirations, both
male and female?
Males: Since I am an artist that happens to
play bass, I would have to say Sting and Larry
Graham, because they are artists/vocalists that
happen to play bass just as well as they sing. I
also learned bass chops and tone by listening
to Jaco, Larry Graham, and Louis Johnson.
Females: Rhonda Smith was the first woman I
was introduced to. I didn’t know of any women
that played the way the guys played, and when
someone told me about Rhonda, it was OVER!
LOL! There are other great female players out
there like my pals Tal and Espy as well, but