Music

Now That’s Bass

by Pete Roythorne

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“Bass and Drums Aren’t Two Instruments… They’re One” | Smiley Barnard | The Rhythm Section

August 19, 2026 · 56 min

The Rhythm Section: Smiley Barnard What do bass players look like from the other side of the drum kit? Welcome to The Rhythm Section, an occasional Now That’s Bass series where I turn the tables and talk to drummers about the bass players…
“You Can’t Just Be a Bass Player” | Marcel Pusey on Building a Life in Music

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Bass player, composer, producer, educator and music entrepreneur Marcel Pusey has built the kind of career that rarely gets talked about enough. Rather than relying on one gig, one band or one big break, Marcel has spent decades creating…
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What actually gets a bass player hired — qualifications, chops, contacts, versatility… or something else entirely? Philip Mann has spent nearly 30 years building a career across performance, education and publishing. He studied with Jeff…
The Bass Found Me | Dan Hawkins on Building a Life in Music, Teaching & Never Stopping Learning

August 3, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

What does a sustainable career as a professional bassist really look like? In this episode of Now That's Bass, Pete sits down with bassist, educator and online creator Dan Hawkins to explore the journey from an 11-year-old schoolboy…
The Secret Isn't Talent, It's Consistency | Jimmy Sims on building a lasting bass career

July 27, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min

Everyone talks about getting "the big break." Jimmy Sims doesn't believe it exists. Having toured and recorded with artists including George Ezra, Brian Ferry, Amy Macdonald, Mika and Dido, Jimmy has built one of the UK's most respected…
Nobody Owes You a Gig | Chris Horrocks on Building a Modern Bass Career

July 20, 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

What does it actually mean to be a professional bass player in 2026? Chris Horrocks (That Guy On Bass) joins Pete to talk honestly about building a sustainable music career that combines session work, weddings, content creation, YouTube…
From Postman to Paul Weller | Andy Lewis on saying yes to everything

July 8, 2026 · 57 min

Most musicians spend years trying to plan the perfect career. Andy Lewis did something different. From discovering bass through Mod music, soul and funk... to becoming Paul Weller's bassist almost by accident... to building a hugely…

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About the show

Now That’s Bass is a podcast about the real world of professional bass playing. Hosted by bassist Pete Roythorne, the show features frank conversations with working bass players — touring musicians, session players, educators and gospel players — about what it actually takes to sustain a career in music. No fantasy. No gear flexing. Just the reality of the job. The podcast is also part of a personal mission. Just before Christmas Pete was made redundant. Approaching his 60th birthday, he decided it was time to stop talking about doing something serious with his bass playing and actually do it. So he’s getting back out into the bass world. Each episode features honest conversations with bass players who’ve built real careers — touring internationally, working in sessions, teaching thousands of students, and sustaining a life in music for decades. Along the way Pete asks the questions many musicians want answered: What does it actually take to make a living playing bass? How do you build a reputation? And how do you stay in the game long term? If you’re serious about bass — not just the instrument but the long game of being a musician — this podcast is for you.