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Credit: Jon Modell
Perched proudly over the experimental metal scene somewhere between the pounding rhythms of Meshuggah and the technicality of early ’80s Frank Zappa is Car Bomb, a resolutely hard-hitting New York quartet with enormous energy.
Having arrived with a bang in 2007, the band’s debut album, Centralia, was released via Relapse Records. Subsequent albums have been independently released through Bandcamp, including their most recent, Tiles Whisper Dreams.
“It’d be nice to have an army of people working your music, but the cost of that privilege is far greater than the benefit,” says bassist Jon Modell. “Gone are the days of trying to break a record through terrestrial radio. The internet changed that paradigm, so the need for a record label has decreased tremendously.”
“Bandcamp gives us the ability to maintain creative control at a mere fraction of what a label would take for those same services. Plus, how many horror stories have you heard of bands getting screwed by their label?”
Asked what the secret to good bass playing is, he tells us. “As a bass player, my role is to keep it all together. I’m looking to provide that foundation with the drums, and to keep things as tight as possible.
“I also take on the roles of business manager, tour manager, bookkeeper, purchasing agent, and merch shop guy. We all have commitments outside of the band, so time is an ever-diminishing commodity, but I’m firing on all cylinders!”
When did you first take up the bass?
“I got my first bass guitar when I was around 14. I’d been playing piano up until then, and was getting into heavier music. I wanted to be in a band and there were no bass players around.”
Who were your early bass influences?
“John Paul Jones, Geezer Butler, Cliff Burton, and then someone turned me on to Stanley Clarke.”
Are you the same bass player you were on the early Car Bomb records?
“Those early recordings and performances represent me moving from one kind of bass player to another. I was struggling with picking and going for a completely different tone, as well as trying to figure out our overall sound.”
Credit: Getty Images
“Prior to Car Bomb, most of the music I was used to playing was tonal, with lots of two-handed tapping and intricate rhythms. I played a six-string bass with my fingers, but Car Bomb opened me up to playing with a pick, and seeing if my right hand could cooperate with the demand.
“There was still a rawer element to Demo – Three Song Sampler and Centralia. You can kind of hear us evolving on the w^w^^w^w record, heading to where we ended up on Meta. That album definitely changed our trajectory.”
What’s it like playing with Greg Kubacki?
“Greg is such an interesting guitar player, and his use of effects has forced me to learn how to bend notes in really interesting ways. It’s also given me a greater understanding of polyrhythms and metric modulation.”
What sort of gear did you have in those early years?
“I had a huge rack full of gear – an SVT 5 Pro, Fender 5-string P-Bass, Line 6 Bass Pod Pro, DBX 166XL compressor and a pair of SansAmp RBI’s. I play through an SVT 810, so between the rack and the cabinet, I was lugging well over 200lbs to every gig! I still have most of that gear.”
What kind of bass are you playing these days?
“I’ve been playing a Dingwall NG2 since 2015. When we were preparing to record Meta, I was looking for something that could cut through Greg’s massive tone, and I saw Nolly’s Make Total Destroy video, and that was it. I went on a tear to find one as they were not nearly as available as they are today.
“I’ve since picked up another NG2 with the old soapbar pickups. I also have some NG3s now, but that first NG2 is the bass I used to record Meta, Mordial, and the new Tiles Whisper Dreams EP. It just sounds a little grittier than the rest.”
Credit: Jon Modell
How were sessions for the new EP?
“We’re a strange band in that we all record ourselves. Greg tracks drums with Elliot at Joe Duplantier’s Silver Cord studio, and the rest of us all record at home.
“Greg is the main songwriter for the band and many of the songs are still being written while we’re recording them. We also never know what the vocals are going to be until they’re mostly done. So, the whole thing is a little ass-backwards, but I’d say it’s equal parts frustrating and rewarding.”
Do you enjoy recording?
“I do, but if you were standing next to me while I was doing it, you wouldn’t think so! I scream at myself a lot, but this isn’t the kind of music you just sit down and nail the first time you play it.”
What’s the biggest challenge?
“I’m always worried that I won’t be able to play the material. There’s a lot of really intricate stuff and I’m never sure that I’m capable of pulling it off. It’s rhythmically challenging, but it’s also so damn quick sometimes!”
Do you play with a pick or fingers?
“Car Bomb opened me up to playing bass with a pick. Now I’ve been a pick guy for so long I’m afraid to play fingerstyle!”
Are you the type of player who spends days going for that perfect take?
“I spend a lot of time trying to get it perfect. I might struggle, but something in me believes that I can do it. That belief really drives me.
“Nailing a part that you’ve been struggling with is such an incredible feeling. I’ll listen back to the take and gleefully bask in that feeling of satisfaction.”
The track Blindsides sounds ferocious. How would you typically develop a bass part like that?
“It’s all about what the song calls for. Greg always provides a great outline, and he has such vision for the journey of the song.
“Many of our songs require the signature Car Bomb jackhammers, and big sweeping bends. Blindsides breathes and offers up some big open parts for me to noodle around. So again, whatever the song needs is the driver of my decision making process.”
What bass sound do you aim for?
“I think my favorite is Dan Rathbun’s bass tone with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. I always have Sleep Is Wrong in my head. Although I don’t think it would necessarily work for Car Bomb.
“I strive for a bass sound that has thick low-end, but I still want people to hear the articulation of what I’m playing. I pick the strings pretty aggressively, and that gnarly sound is what I want people to hear.”
Are you a bass player who spends hours practicing?
“My life is jam-packed, but I’m always trying to find the time. I certainly allocate more time to practicing if we’re getting ready to record or to go on tour.
“It’s like exercising or eating right. I feel like we all walk around knowing exactly what we should be doing, but we don’t always make the best decisions.”
What’s been your most memorable tour?
“We have been extremely fortunate to have some titans of metal take us out with them. Gojira still holds such a special place in my heart as Joe and I have been friends for the better part of two decades.
“I find it quite interesting that we can tour with Animals As Leaders, Periphery, and Between the Buried and Me, and get love. We can also tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah and get love.
“We also had some less-than-ideal tours in the early years. In fact, I’d recommend everyone check out our documentary, Why You Do This.”
How bright is the future for Car Bomb?
“The new EP is out. We have tours in the UK, Europe and Australia this fall. We are working on some US touring for spring 2026, and we’re planning a full-length release next year. So, I’d say our future is about 27,000 lumens bright!”