Vicky Warwick has built the kind of bass career many musicians dream about.

From London to New York and now Los Angeles, she's toured the world with artists including Charli XCX, Big Time Rush and Maisie Peters, performed on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel and The Graham Norton Show, and built a reputation as someone people genuinely want to hire.

But this conversation isn't about fame. It's about what actually happens behind the scenes.

Chapters

00:00  Start

00:44 Handling the travelling

03:26 Starting her bass journey

06:33 Realising this is a career

08:22 First big break

12:22 First taste of serious touring

15:16 How do you keep getting hired?

20:11 Does it help to play multiple instruments?

22:06 Are BVs essential these days?

25:08 Re-establish a career in different cities

30:11 Biggest lessons you've learned 3

3:50 Coping with the realities of touring

39:05 Most honest piece of advice about music career

40:12 What advice would you give your younger self?

46:38 Bass line everyone should learn and why?

We discuss networking, auditions, mentorship, touring, moving countries, building a reputation, and why being a great bass player is only part of the equation.

If you're serious about building a career in music, this episode is packed with practical advice from someone who has done exactly that.

In this episode:

• How Vicky accidentally discovered the bass

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another bass player.

#BassGuitar #BassPlayer #MusicCareer #CharliXCX #SessionMusician #TouringMusician #BassLessons #NowThatsBass #MusicIndustry #BassCommunity

Steve Lawson: Building a Music Career Without Chasing Fame

What if the goal wasn't more followers, more views, or a bigger platform?

What if the real goal was building meaningful music, genuine community, and a sustainable creative life?

In this episode of Now That's Bass, Pete Roythorne sits down with bassist, educator, writer, technologist and PhD holder Steve Lawson for one of the most thought-provoking conversations on the channel so far.

Chapters for easy listening!

00:16

Introduction

02:48

How did you come to playing the bass?

09:11

What was the turning point for you in your bass career?

16:10

What was the catalyst for your evolution into solo bass?

25:31

How did you start to embrace technology to develop your career?

50:02

Is it easy today to push the boundaries of bass?

01:03:36

Why we need to more than chase clicks and algorithms

01:11:56

What's you advice for bass players coming into the industry today?

01:28:33

What bass line should everyone go away and listen to?

01:34:18

How did your PHD influence your attitude to music?

The conversation explores everything from creativity and community to social media, attention spans, music education and what it really means to build a life in music in 2026.

Whether you're a bass player, musician, creator or simply interested in how artists navigate the modern world, this episode is packed with insight.

In this episode:

Key Takeaway

"Make the music the thing."

A powerful conversation about building a career around purpose, community and creativity rather than chasing validation.

#SteveLawson #BassGuitar #BassPlayer #NowThatsBass #MusicCareer #Bandcamp #SoloBass #BassLessons #MusicianLife #IndependentMusician #BassCommunity #BassEducation #VictorWooten #MichaelManring #TonyLevin

Bass player, journalist, reviewer, YouTuber and working musician Mike Brooks joins Now That’s Bass for a brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to survive as a professional bass player over three decades in the music industry.

From discovering bass through Duran Duran and landing his first professional gigs in the ‘90s, to building a long-term career through covers bands, networking, journalism and YouTube, Mike shares the realities most musicians never hear about.

This episode dives deep into how the music industry has changed, why communication matters more than chops, the collapse of traditional gig circuits, and the mindset required to build a sustainable life in music in 2026.

No fantasy. No gear flexing. Just the reality of the job.

#bassplayer #bassguitar #brooksysbasscorner #musicindustry #sessionmusician #basscareer #bernardedwards #chic #basspodcast #nowthatsbass

In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete talks to Andrew McKinney, current bassist with Pulp and The James Taylor Quartet, course leader for performance at BIMM London, and a player whose career has taken him through TV, theatre, funk, soul, session work, education and major international stages.

Quick Links to Chapters

00:31 Introduction

Andrew talks honestly about how a cello-playing school kid became a professional bass player, why depping has been central to his career, what it really takes to be a “safe pair of hands”, and how he dealt with stepping into very different musical worlds — from the groove-heavy James Taylor Quartet to the textural, creative demands of working with Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. This is a conversation about preparation, taste, confidence, imposter syndrome, musical relationships, and why being hireable is about far more than chops.

In this episode:

Subscribe for more honest conversations with working bass players about building a real career in music.

#BassPlayer #AndrewMcKinney #Pulp #JamesTaylorQuartet #BassGuitar #NowThatsBass #SessionMusician #BassCareer #JarvisCocker #Bassist

Jonny Dibble has built a loyal following in the bass world by doing something surprisingly rare: making bass gear feel honest, relatable and genuinely useful.

In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete sits down with the bassist, YouTuber and co-host of the In The Pocket podcast to talk about affordable basses, social media, gear obsession, bass culture and what it really takes to build an audience online as a musician.

Jonny shares how a Harley Benton review during lockdown accidentally launched his content career, why he believes flashy playing can actually make gear demos less useful, and why most bass players misunderstand what social media is actually good for.

There’s also plenty of bass nerdery along the way — including P Basses, StingRays, SansAmps, preamp pedals, tribute bands, favourite bass lines, and why The Lion King contains one of the most underrated bass performances around.

Whether you’re trying to grow a music channel, build a bass career, improve your tone, or just love talking gear, this is a refreshingly honest conversation about modern bass playing and online music culture.

If you enjoy the show, please follow, rate and share Now That’s Bass wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this episode of Now That’s Bass, Pete talks to professional bassist Matt Round, known for his long-running work with James Morrison, as well as playing with Archive, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, and currently holding down bass duties on the spectacular ABBA Voyage show.

Matt brings a refreshingly honest, funny and grounded perspective on what it really takes to build a long-term career as a working bass player. From the pressure of auditions and the realities of rejection, to why “always be good” matters on every gig, this is a conversation packed with practical advice for bassists who want to work, improve and stay employable.

There’s also plenty for bass nerds: ABBA bass lines, Carol Kaye, The Chain, the beauty of whole notes, and why playing less can often make you more valuable.

#NowThatsBass #MattRound #BassPlayer #BassGuitar #ABBA Voyage #JamesMorrison #BassPodcast #WorkingMusician #SessionMusician #BassLessons #BassCareer #MusicCareer #BassGuitarist #BassPlayersOfYouTube #CarolKaye #TheChain #AshdownEngineering

Danny Sapko joins Now That’s Bass for a frank, funny and insightful chat about punk bass, originality, YouTube, AI, and the reality of building a career in music.

From his early love of McCartney and the Stranglers to becoming one of the most distinctive voices in the online bass world, Danny talks about finding success by finally being himself — Yorkshire accent, humour, opinions and all.

We also dig into the harder side of modern musician life: session work, side hustles, wedding gigs, copyright blocks, AI-generated music and why more players need to protect the human side of art.

What does a 35+ year career as a working bass player really look like?

In this episode, I sit down with Yolanda Charles MBE — one of the UK’s most respected session bassists, whose credits include Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Jimmy Somerville, and work alongside legends like Brian May and Hans Zimmer.

We get into the real story behind that career — from random phone calls that led to major gigs, to the relationships and reputation that kept the work coming for decades.

Along the way, Yolanda shares hard-won insights on musical feel, why bass players are often the true bandleaders, and the skills that actually separate working musicians from everyone else.

This is an honest, grounded conversation about longevity, musicianship, and what it really takes to build a life in music.

No fantasy. No gear flexing. Just the reality of the job.

Key topics:

#BassPlayer #YolandaCharles #BassGuitar #SessionMusician #MusicPodcast #BassPlayers #MusiciansLife #Groove #MusicCareer #NowThatsBass

Ian Martin Allison joins Now That’s Bass for a brilliant conversation about bass, teaching, social media, creativity and building a career on your own terms.

From the story of how he first picked up the bass, to the bad teacher who shaped his approach to education, to the way he built a loyal audience online by leading with value, Ian shares honest, funny and thoughtful insights throughout. This episode also digs into sideman life, creative fulfilment, income streams, collaborations and the importance of being unapologetically yourself.

#NowThatsBass #IanMartinAllison #BassGuitar #BassPlayer #BassCommunity #MusicIndustry #MusicianCareer #BassEducation #CreativeCareer #Podcast #walbass #tool #justinchancellor #mxr #labellastrings #mikelull

Session bassist Russell Carr joins Pete on Now That’s Bass for a refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to build a long-term career as a working bass player.

From playing with Skin and The Blockheads to teaching, function gigs, gear choices and the power of word of mouth, Russell breaks down the real-world side of life as a musician: groove over flash, professionalism over ego, and why being a safe pair of hands matters.

If you want a realistic, encouraging look at bass careers beyond the fantasy, this episode is packed with insight.

#NowThatsBass #RussellCarr #BassGuitar #SessionBass #BassCareers #WorkingMusician #BassPodcast #GiggingLife #MusicIndustry #BassPlayers