"Rising Bassist" Phil Anthony Interview
www.Instagram.com/ParplaysMusic
Interview by Roger Zee (01/08/21)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to play the bass? Name your major influences.
PA: My dad introduced me to bass. Always the most supportive and positive influence. In one of my earliest memories, I remember my father playing an old '63 Fender Precision Bass in our basement. To this day, I can still hear his exact, bass line to the Ducky Song! So we definitely shared the passion. I always loved the bass but didn’t actually pick it up until high school.
I took piano lessons but that fizzled out in grade school. When I entered high school, I joined the band program where they gave me the clarinet. When I went to talk to my band teacher about picking another instrument, I saw a bass hanging on the wall. So I fibbed and told him I played the bass. Haven’t looked back since!
Oh man! So many influences. Early on, definitely Jazz, Fusion, and Funk. I studied with an incredible bassist named Kip Sophos. He really introduced me to so much music and that's where it all started! After College, I found my love for the P bass and just playing great songs. I adore great writing and playing in any genre or instrument. But as far as bass influences go, I have to say Pino Palladino, Sean Hurley, David Labruyere, Will Lee, Duck Dunn. And the list goes on and on! It grows everyday. And now living in Nashville, the list just doubled! Guys like Steve Mackey, Jacob Lowery, Tony Lucido, so many great players! But right now, I’m super into Tom Bukovac, a session guitarist down in Nashville. He’s the most musical dude.
I primarily play the bass. But I do call myself a guitar dabbler! And now I'm obsessed with the instrument. I feel like it's really helped my overall musical understanding by giving me a different perspective! The past couple of years I've also done a lot of producing and writing. So the guitar and piano serve as great tools!
RZ: Talk about some of the musicians and groups you've worked with.
PA: I really started working as a bassist the summer after my senior year in High School. I always wanted to become a freelance player, so I tried to put myself in a position to play any gig anywhere! Then I found myself in the studio really loving that process of just creating on the spot. That’s where I really wanted to spend my time.
So lucky to work with a lot of really cool people. But always feel strange rattling off names. Recently I've worked a lot with Engineer/Producer Sam Stauff, Nick Mullady of Aron Street, Andrew Weiss, Pete Francis ( of Dispatch), Dave Brooks of Brooks of York, Blessing Offor, Dante Palminteri. My main passion project's working as producer and bassist with Melissa Erin. We've played music together for about ten years in various groups. But, I’m really excited about her new solo project.
RZ: I enjoyed Mosa at the 2019 Pleasantville Music Festival. How did the band come together?
PA: The band Mosa consisted of Melissa Erin, guitar/Vocals/writer; Jesse Kessler, keys/harmonies; John Venezia, drums; and myself, bass/guitar. And I must include Sam Stauff as the fifth member of the band, engineer. The cool thing about it, we're all such great friends. Always fun to join in a passion project with your buds! Travel together, make music together, hang and all grow together. We experienced the musical ups and downs as well as what happened personally outside of that. Not only just a great hang. I really enjoy playing with Melissa as a writer/singer and player. She’s an all around bad ass!
Melissa and I've played music together since 2011. We really started pursuing Mosa a couple years back. It only made sense to include the other guys because we worked and played gigs together anyway! We tried other personnel options, but it just felt right with our buds. We always just tried to play anywhere we could -- from coffee houses to bigger rooms and stages. Mosa would tour either full band or as a duo with Melissa and myself. We loved doing the SOFAR Sound circuit. They're always supportive and flexible, especially for independent bands that need to fill dates in different cities. We obtained a residency at Rockwood Stage 1. Mosa also toured nationally on an indepedent level and opened for acts such Martin Sexton, Scars on 45, and Guster, all in 2019. So cool to play locally at the Pleasantville Music Festival and get to share the bill with some of our favorite artists in front of friends and family!
The real fun for me came with recording Mosa. In the past, I always just played bass on records with no real creative input other than trying to get the right part. Which I love doing! But, with Mosa, I discovered my creative side. I must thank Melissa for her openness to letting me chime in. Just so much fun producing and recording with the group. Melissa would bring a song in and we would track basics all live with vocals, guitar, bass, and drums in a room. Then we would layer up with percussion, harmonies, keys and guitars. That's where I found my obsession with guitar and production. We made it our goal to always to keep it super organic! This experience lead me to working with other artists and producing their songs and records!
Mosa as a band went their separate musical ways during the whole 2020 craziness. Mostly because we all relocated. We're still the best of friends. John moved down to Philly to pursue his passion project Wack Cheddar and Melissa and myself moved down to Nashville.
Melissa and I still work on her project that now goes under the name “Melissa Erin.” This Fall, she just released three acoustic singles. We're working now on a few, full-band singles. I've got say that working with Melissa really changed my outlook on music. It changed my mindset from wanting to be the bass guy to wanting to be the song guy. And I'm so grateful for that!
RZ: Tell me about some of the bigger and better venues you've played.
PA: Over the past ten years, I've played some really cool places! It’s not always so much about the size of the venue but rather the venue's vibe! I always really enjoy playing cool rooms in NYC. Some of my favorites include The Cutting Room, The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, and Piano’s. But, The 55 Bar and Rockwood Music Hall remain my two favorites -- not only great sound, but so much vibe!! It’s more than just a gig, It’s a really cool community! I'm just old enough to have experienced some of the clubs that no longer exist. I worked at Sullivan Hall and Kenny’s Castaway’s right when I started playing! Actually, I worked my first paying gig at the Mercury Lounge on Houston Street! I’ve also played a lot of really cool festival gigs such as Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA; Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale, NY; Pleasantville Music Festival in NY; and Arrowood Farm in Accord, NY. Anywhere I don’t have to carry an amp's a win!
RZ: How has your move from Westchester, NY to Nashville, TN worked out?
PA: Born and raised in Yonkers, NY, I entered the NYC and Westchester music scene late in High School. I loved growing up right outside the city surrounded by so many monster players and great music!
Working as a session player always fascinated me. So Nashville made sense. Mid Pandemic, I finally jumped and made the move down South! So far, I really love it. It’s such a warm and welcoming vibe. Great people and awesome players. I haven’t even fully experienced it yet because of all the craziness 2020 brought. I arrived in June and have to say I made some great friends. I found the Big Dogs in town super supportive and welcoming!
RZ: What basses and amps do you currently use?
PA: Oh Boy! Let’s just say I have a thing for old P basses! Over the past few years I've started trading my way up to my dream instruments! Though I definitely thinned the herd to make space upon moving down to Nashville. Right now my two main basses include a Sunburst 1966 Fender Precision with La Bella Rounds and a Sunburst 1965 Fender Precision with La Bella Flats. But I use them all! I also really love Bluesman Vintage, based right outside Nashville. One of the first people I met in Nashville, John Scott's extremely welcoming. He makes some great guitars and basses. I own a terrific El Dorado he just built! I also play a Duesenberg Hollow body strung up with flats!
As far as amps, I just run an Ampeg B-100r. Love an old B-15! For recording I just go DI into a BAE 1073!
RZ: Do you teach private lessons?
PA: I do. I've loved teaching for the past ten years! I offer a variety of classes including bass, guitar, ear training, songwriting and overall musicianship.
RZ: How's the Pandemic affected you? What's on your horizon?
PA: Crazy times! Definitely an insane year for everyone and we're all looking to put it behind us and move forwards. It's definitely impacted work -- recording, touring, gigging… I absolutely slowed down to figure what's next and what I truly want to pursue. Hence the move down South! So I'm happy and optimistic to make it work. I just want to play music and make some friends! I hope to get involved in the Nashville session and touring scene as a bassist -- now doing remote bass tracks and teaching. I look forward to getting involved with playing, writing and producing with Melissa Erin! Also, looking to dive into the world of producing a bit more.
RZ: Describe your philosophy as a producer.
PA: The song always comes first. Organic. Embrace simplicity. Trust your ears and instincts.
RZ: What advice do you give to up-and-coming musicians?
PA: Be you. Do what you love. Trust your instincts.
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
PA: Another "Oh Boy" question! Ha ha. Have to say the most special's pursuing Melissa’s project. It’s great because we're just playing music with all of our friends and riding the roller coaster together! But as far as unusual gigs, I’m going to have to give that to playing on a cruise ship as a sub for two weeks. I flew in last minute, hopped on the ship, and within 45 minutes of getting there, found myself playing "Ice Ice Baby" for "Live Band Karaoke" with passengers just off the shore of Galveston, TX.
YouTube - Mama's Got Brand New Shoes - Mosa
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