Huw Foster

UK bass player

Haim – ‘If I Could Change Your Mind’ bass playalong

There’s some killer playing all over the first Haim album, but I think this one stands out for me. The pattern in verse 1, with its 16th notes jumping between octaves, is deceptively difficult.

Although Este Haim exclusively uses a Fender Precision for Haim’s live shows, to my ears the bass on this track sounds like a Jazz. At least that’s what it sounds like initially – the tone changes a bit in the pre-chorus, so it could be a variety of basses throughout. At any rate, I thought my recently-acquired Hayman 40/40 would be perfect to attempt this tune. With both pickups on, it sounds like a beefed-up Fender Jazz.

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Posted on by huwfoster in Playalongs, Video

RuthAnne – ‘Love Again’

One evening last November I tracked bass on this single by RuthAnne, and last week it finally dropped. It sounds huge! It’s always interesting how a track can evolve after a recording session – I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a gospel choir on the record when I played my part. Thanks to George Moore for getting me involved.

For those who are interested in this sort of thing, here’s some gear chat! I used my trusty Anaconda UJ5-E bass, direct into the desk via my Noble preamp. If I remember the session correctly (and this is pushing it – it had been a long day!), I used the neck pickup only for a warmer and fatter sound.

If you want to hear other tracks I’ve recorded as a session musician, you can follow my Session Cuts playlist on Spotify. 🎚🎛

Posted on by huwfoster in Audio, Video

Hayman 40/40

Just got my 1975 Hayman 40/40 bass back from the workshop. I started playing it this morning and felt inspired to write this short ditty. Enjoy!

(I was going to do some more work on the audio mix, but decided it sounded fine as it was when I finished editing the video. So, my signal chain is just bass into my Noble preamp, bass & treble boosted a bit, with no further EQ or compression in Ableton Live. It’s probably the first time in years I haven’t put Vulf Compressor on a mix.) 😅

For those interested – I bought this bass a couple of months ago via Basschat. Hayman were a short-lived British luthier, and the 40/40 was the only bass they produced. The company later evolved into Shergold Guitars, which is still running today – although they don’t make basses anymore. This particular instrument was restored a couple of years ago by Basschat member discreet – below is his informative write-up on this bass, with some backstory on Hayman too. If I decide to sell this bass at some point, I’ll point the buyer in the direction of this post so they know exactly what they’re getting!

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Posted on by huwfoster in Instagram, Video

The White Keys return to Under The Bridge, Friday 15th Feb 2019

Circa 2008, some friends at Leeds College of Music put together a band to play covers gigs. Now, over 10 years later, we’re still doing it.

Every so often The White Keys play a public showcase. We’re back at Under The Bridge for the fourth time on Friday 15th February 2019. Come and party with us! Expect to hear some old classics, some reworked arrangements, and an epic show finale.

Tickets available here.

Posted on by huwfoster in Gigs, The White Keys