Conversations with Jaymi Millard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaymi Millard.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my musical life as a Sax player at 8 years old, in concert band/jazz band, etc…In a dark corner of the house sat this old upright bass that I would mess with occasionally. The more I played with it, the more I was interested in it, and began to teach myself how to play it at 12 yrs old. At the same time, my mother was an accomplished accordionist and had a jazz quartet/combo years before.

The more I messed with the bass, the more she had an idea that we could play together, and with the help of Fake books, we began to play at private parties and events. We had a complete PA system and she had an early midi drum machine that we would use to play standards. In the midst of this, I began to take a real interest in hard rock and was not liking the fact that Black Sabbath riffs didn’t sound right on the upright. (Also, during this time, I was part of a Croatian orchestra and was learning traditional native instruments called tamburitza and dancing and singing in Croatian/Macedonian/Dalmatian languages.) I rented an electric bass from a local music store to figure out my hard rock needs and that began basically the adventure that I am currently on! I have played for various bands over the years. Some of these bands/artists are:

Tree 63
EverShip
Mark Slaughter Band and Slaughter (the band)
Ryan Weaver Country
Bass Tracks/Sounds for the Kemper MW RockPack
Applehead
Soooo many sessions, and too many artists to list!

I currently endorse Yamaha and Jaydee basses, Ampeg amps, Kalium Strings, and Tech 21 pedals, gotta have the right tools for the job!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have always known that a musician’s life-especially a “hired gun”-is an up-and-down ride. There are times when the road has been fast and easy, with no bumps, and other times when the wheels came off and I wondered where the next show was coming from. The struggles can come through a variety of directions-whether from an artist or from a manager or simply choosing which gigs/shows and if you can do them based on timing/pay etc. I am sure any or all of us who have toured consistently can share some challenges.

These days, it seems that some of the biggest hurdles involve travel, especially when dealing with airlines and airports. I think I have been fortunate as I have worked with and continue to work with artists who maintain awesome levels of integrity in dealings with their band members while balancing their own needs. The 90/10 rule always applies. 90% of the gig is hanging, the other 10% is the actual stage time. A struggle for many I have seen is to be a good hang and it is a learning process. To this point, I have not had the challenge of playing with/for someone who is NOT a good hang… I am TRULY thankful!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The electric bass is my weapon of choice. As I said earlier, I learned on upright-even arco and slap, but I am not necessarily known for that. Currently, I am providing bass tracks for people across the world as well as playing tour dates for a couple of different bands/artists. I am also currently working with a legacy artist on a new album and there are plans to tour that as well. I have a youtube channel that I use to demonstrate basses and pedals and have been told that people use it as a reference when wanting to buy a bass similar to the ones I have tested. I am known as the Pinkbassman as all of my basses are various shades of Pink. That is a story unto itself and goes back a number of years. Because of the literal quantity of basses I have owned over the years, I have shared knowledge of certain brands and consistently receive requests to review and look over basses for others looking to purchase. Some of that knowledge went into a self-published book called “Pinkbassman’s Quick Guide to Buying Vintage Basses” and can be found on Amazon.

One of the reasons I spend so much time with artists and am able to partner with them is because I choose to be substance free and that means I am disciplined to be on time and efficient in how I approach their material. I am usually the first one on the bus, or to the plane and I encourage healthy living to maintain a strong ethic and lifestyle…who wants to stop playing when they don’t have to????

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Early on, my mother was trying to convince me to play the accordion.

I remember hearing Linda Ronstadt’s Hurt So Bad song on the radio and I was more focused on the guitar and drum parts…..so much for the accordion! It was a great thing that my mother was musical as she was the initial push for me to play SOMETHING. I wanted drums, so I got Saxophone….oddly enough, sometimes the bass now sounds like a sax line….go figure…

Pricing:

• Master track for a song for $200
• Live dates out of town are $250 a day
• A long tour is negotiable
• In Nashville negotiable depending on the scenario.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinkbassmanmusic.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/pinkbassman
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pinkbassmanmusic
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/bassjaymi 

Image Credits
Tonya LeeAnne