band - F5 1.1.08 interview w/David Ellefson
Revered as one of the greatest bass players in heavy metal history, former
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson continues to pump out great new music
with several new projects, including the Scottsdale, AZ group F5. With
another album on the horizon, David and the band
seem geared to turn alot of heads in 2008......
BP: So many questions, so little bandwith... First off, thanks for the
interview, and Happy Holidays. Was Santa Claus good to you this year?
DE: Yes, I ended up on Santa's 'nice' list which made for a good holiday
season.
BP: Most people know you as the former bass player for Megadeth,
and while that's in the past, I know it's hard to escape. Does that
bother you, knowing that you may never get away from those
monikers, or is it an advantage which helps grab attention for your
new band(s)?
DE: I don't mind it because it is a huge part of my life's work and I
hold that work in high esteem. As for any new stuff I do, many fans
come to check it out and I really encourage those projects to live on their own merits and not rest on my past laurels. These past few years I've really branched out and done a lot of new things which I consider all part of successfully moving on with life.
BP: Your intro to "Peace Sells..." is one of the most recognized bass lines in recent metal memory. How did it come about that it was used for MTV News, and how cool was it hearing your own personal stuff on TV once every hour?
DE: As far as I know MTV uses what they want for their programming and that one is certainly a nice feather in the cap!
BP: Thinking back, what was the high point and low point of your career with the band?
DE: Playing the festivals were always high points...not clinching one of those seven Grammy nominations was a bit of a disappointment.
BP: It was rumored that you were filling the bass position in Metallica after Jason Newsted left the band. Any truth to that, or total BS?
DE: I think they've divulged in recent years that they held formal auditions and I was not a part of them.
BP: You're currently doing some work for Peavey right?
DE: I assist them as a liason with their artists. I've been an endorsee of theirs since 1996 and also have my Zodiac Scorpio DE signature bass guitar with them, too.
BP: Let's talk about your new band, F5. I know former Megadeth drummer Jimmy DeGrasso was recently recruited, but tell me a little more about what makes F5 tick.
DE: F5 has been a very cool new vibe of a band for me. It's different then what I did previously in many ways and I see that as a bold and positive transition, something that was very important for me to step up and move forward musically and personally. The F5 music is heavy but we always keep an eye on the melody so the music actually develops into a memorable song instead of just being heavy for heavy's sake, or doing some wank for the musician's to get their rocks off. Everyone in the band contributes to the writing which helps it stay fresh. It's a real band collaboration, which is a refreshing environment to work in.
BP: How did you guys get together?
DE: In 2002 I produced some tracks for several of the F5 member's bands that they were in at that time. During that process I made note that some of these guys would be good to hire in on other productions I would be doing, or possibly even do some writing with at some point. Then, in early 2003 a couple of us got together and jammed for an afternoon. Instantly, there was a great vibe and creative buzz in the room. That got us excited, which was cool, because I was not in any way looking to start a new band at that time.
F5 has been a real blessing for me because it helped open me up creatively in ways
I hadn't done before. It made me feel optimistic about doing something brand new,
which can be scary after not having to do that process for many, many years
up till that point. It reminded me that I started playing for the love of being in a
band so that camaraderie is something we try to maintain when we work
together in F5.
BP: I read that a new album may be in the works for Spring '08. Are you
guys in the studio yet? If so, tell us how it's going so far and what you expect
from the record.
DE: We entered the studio in October and are in the finishing stages of the mix right now. Our motto has been "heavy, but melodic" which defines the sound of the band but leaves the door open for us to be musically flexible and creative in our songwriting.
I think this new record is a huge leap forward for us because we went into it wanting to raise the bar and see how far we could go with it while still retaining the F5 sound. That mindset seems to keep us from getting boxed into a niche and keep things really fresh and interesting for the listeners. It is turning into a very progressive record. A cool second album in my opinion.
BP: Tour coming up in the Summer of '08?
DE: Touring will schedule around the actual release of the album.
BP: You've also been involved in several other successful acts in the past few years right?
DE: Yes, my phone rings regularly to (get) involved in things and I like to be part of as many of them as I can. Generally, I like to get involved in things from the ground up, when possible. If I am part of the creation of the music, or at least some of the recordings, it helps me feel a bit of that 'pride of ownership' when we take it out on the road.
BP: Who are some the new bands that you're into these days?
DE: Some of my favorite metal shows this past year for me were Dragonforce, Lamb of God and Static X. Live, those bands really bring it and are very entertaining.
BP: What would you say to the young, unsigned musicians and bands that might be reading this, who wish to make a career in today's music industry? (As we all know, things have changed dramatically). Does a band even need a label supporting them these days?
DE: Most really good rock n' roll bands are fundamentally the same. The beauty, drama and chaos of them stems out of the reality that they are born out of some type of dysfunction, and based on any common sense, are theoretically doomed to fail. I think this is what makes being in a band so cool, the fact that you might actually beat those odds!
The cast of characters you need to fill all the roles in a band's chemistry are pretty varied and being able to make them all co-exist can certainly be interesting. However, in the beginning I don't think most artists approach music as a living and that is what makes the really good bands so authentic.
The good news is that in today's music business more and more bands can, and should, do things themselves and not wait around for the record business to come knocking on their door. Let's face it, even the labels are now trying to figure out how to make a buck anymore.
Also, with digital recording and tools on the Web (Myspace, Youtube and online distribution) bands can do a lot to get recognized on their own instead of waiting around for a label to be their one and only meal ticket. It also means the old model of the record business may not be there much longer to finance and support you like they did in years past. In reality, there is now a better chance a band can get in the game and promote their stuff, which is what most musicians really want anyway.
BP: Anything we forgot to mention?
DE: Not that I can think of, or should I say, too much to remember at this point anyway..
BP: Alright, thanks so much my friend. Let us know when that new cd comes out, and yes, we'd love to review it for you. Best wishes and good luck with all your musical endeavors. We've enjoyed your work, and can't wait to hear what comes next.
DE: Thank you for checking in with me. More new stuff to come in 2008!
-Randy Mallett, BannedPromotions.com
( www.bannedpromotions.com/dellefsoninterview )
Visit F5 online at;
Visit David online at;
www.myspace.com/davidellefson1
( Photos courtesy of davidellefson.com, myspace.com/davidellefson1, & f5theband.com )
