|
|
Lee Foral
Model(s) Used:
BTB
Band:
After the Burial
| | | |
|
|
Ibanez: What originally inspired you to want to play in a band and play bass?
Lee: My dad was a musician, and he toured his whole life. It was a totally different genre, Country & Western. There were always instruments sitting around the house, so I got interested in it. I think that probably sparked me at a young age.
Ibanez: Was he a bass player, too?
Lee: No, he's a guitar player. He plays "fiddle" as he says [laughs], not violin of course. Like I said, it's Country & Western music. He toured throughout the 70s and 80s, and he's retired as a musician now. I guess I grew up with it, but he wasn't there that much. He was always on the road.
Ibanez: What drew you to the 5-string Ibanez BTB bass?
Lee: I was playing 4-string for a long time. I was playing more aggressive punk rock and hardcore at the time. So I didn't really need the lower range. I got a 5-string when I joined After the Burial out of necessity. The first one I got was an SR305 bass. When I started playing in the lower range more, I wanted to get something that carried the lower frequencies better. I noticed that the BTB had a longer neck scale. It also had a bigger body. So I tried one of those out, and it seemed right.
Ibanez: What was the music scene like in Minnesota when you guys were starting out?
Lee: I joined in about 2004, and we started playing shows right away. I would say that the scene was smaller. I don't think there were as many kids going out to shows. The local scene just wasn't happening that much. It was hard for us starting out, but our shows just seemed to keep building every time. A couple of other bands were really starting to pick up too, like the Dead Hands Rising. So it seemed like the scene started to grow, at least for heavy metal. Around 2005, the shows started getting a lot better.
Ibanez: How does Justin and Trent's use of 8-string guitars affect the way you attack the bass parts and the sound you shoot for?
Lee: I don't know that it's really changed things from a bass playing perspective. They're doing a lot more stuff that's rhythmic, and rhythm is really important throughout this band. I have a tuning that's kind of unique. I'm tuned to an octave below them. So that's been interesting to try and set the bass up and get strings that work well with that tuning. I would say the tuning has changed the bass playing more than anything else. Getting used to that was interesting. I also had to get used to muting strings a lot and trying to keep all the rhythms really tight sounding. Previous to playing with 8-string guitars, I was used to playing a lot looser. That really forced me to tighten things up.
Ibanez: Do you have any favorite tracks on "Rareform"? Any favorites to play live?
Lee: I think "Aspiration" is a lot of fun to play live. "Ometh" is a lot of fun to play live. "Aspiration" is a little slower, and it's got a lot of good grooves to it. I can get lost in that song pretty easily.
Ibanez: How has the Crush Em' All Tour been going for you guys?
Lee: It's been going really well. San Diego was a lot of fun. The White Rabbit in San Antonio, TX is always awesome, too.
Ibanez: What do you guys have planned for the rest of 2009?
Lee: Once we get off of this tour, we're booking a couple of shows around our area. Then, we have some tours lined up for the summer. I can't say what they are yet, because they haven't been confirmed. We should be out for a little bit in April before all that starts up.
Ibanez: What are you listening to right now?
Lee: Yeah, there's a couple of things I'm listening to right now. I've been listening the crap out of the newest Band of Horses album. I've been listening to Red Sparrows all the time, too. Then, Pantera of course [laughs].\r\n\r\nFor more info on Lee Foral and After the Burial, visit their website:\r\nhttp://www.aftertheburial.com
|
