Bridesmaid
The Columbus, Ohio band Bridesmaid has two bassists, Bob Brinkman and Scott Hyatt. Hear them roar
Ohio bass duo Bob Brinkman and Scott Hyatt deliver the friendly fuzz
“I’M WILLING TO BET THAT THE GREATEST BASSIST WHO EVER LIVED IS JUST SOMEONE THAT WE’RE NEVER GONNA HEAR OF”
Bridesmaid is instrumental and consists of two bass players and two drummers. “We mostly play heavy riffs – stuff that it’s fun to bang your head to a little. To date, we’ve done a split with Sun Splitter from Chicago, and one of the Heavy Haze compilations,” say Bob Brinkman and Scott Hyatt. Let’s hear more...
Scott We’ve also self-released two full length albums, 2013’s Breakfast At Riffany’s and 2016’s International House Of Mancakes. We’ve primarily toured the Midwest and East Coast DIY circuits, and are just as happy playing your local metal bar as we are your living room, although that often results in local ordinance violations of the sound variety. Currently, we’re in the writing process for a 2019 release with subsequent touring… so hit us up about that living room of yours.
Bob I got into bass when I quit piano and school band, but I wanted to play in a band with my friends. I convinced my parents to buy me a bass for my 14th birthday by playing at a local church’s youth services. Twentyfive years later I’m still playing… the church part didn’t stick.
Scott I started back in middle school when most of my friends played guitar and drums. I picked it up just as a way to play in bands with friends, but ended up loving it to the point where it became a lifelong passion and claimed much of my hearing in the process.
Bob I learned on a four-string and I mostly play tuned B A D G. To get the intonation right I use a fivestring set minus the E string, and the nut is filed out to accommodate the thicker string. Sean Bowers at the Guitar Repair Company does most of the work on our basses; he suggested it because he was tired of wrestling with with them so much to get them to stay in tune and intonated.
Scott I do play a five-string in a couple other projects where speed isn’t always a necessity, but a huge bottom end sure is! I also enjoy the challenge of remaining creative in a ‘limited’ environment such as a four-string.
Bob The secret of playing bass well? I’ll let you know when I figure out how to play well. I get by on practising and making sure I’m having fun with whatever I’m playing live.
Scott Practise relentlessly. Run scales and modes while watching TV or anytime you’re bored. From a songwriting perspective, pay attention to the bass-lines of genres that you don’t currently play – you’ll find ideas that creep over into your actual playing. The best music is that which pushes boundaries, and it starts with keeping an open ear.
Bob I’m willing to bet that the greatest bassist who ever lived is just someone that we’re never gonna hear of, who just plays in their bedroom or small club gigs just for fun.
Scott Or maybe Sid Vicious… when his bandmates unplugged him.
Bob Earthquaker Devices out of Akron brought us into their artist programme last summer. I was talking to a rep at a festival we were playing about how impressed I was with the Pyramids pedal, and things just sort of fell into place from there.
Scott We’re currently a part of the Earthquaker Devices artist program, for amazing-sounding tones and effects. If White Castle is listening, holla at your boy.