WHEN PAUL D'AMOUR WALKED AWAY FROM TOOL IN 1995, DURING THE recording of Ænima, he had one mission: to avoid letting his role in that band define him forever. Known solely at the time as the heavy-picking bassist behind powerful songs such as "Sober" and "Prison Sex," D'Amour immediately began taking on projects that showcased his diverse range as a musician: he played guitar in the psychedelic pop band Lusk, formed a cover band called Replicants, flaunted his multi-instrumentalist chops with his solo project Feersum Ennjin, and composed music for movies and television shows.
But after years of redefining himself and sidestepping his identity as a bassist, the 47-year-old has come full circle. On the self-titled debut by his new band, Lesser Key, D'Amour is picking up right where he left off: coaxing signature tones from Music Man StingRay and Rickenbacker basses, and channeling elaborate rhythms and dark melodies in the pursuit of ultimate creativity.
How did your time in Tool affect you as a musician?
That experience changed my DNA. To go from 0 to 100 miles an hour in the span of a year was incredible. All of a sudden, we were playing in front of huge crowds, and we had a ton of success. It gave me a lot of confidence to do anything I wanted to.
Do you have any regrets about leaving Tool?
I wish it had been a better vehicle for me to create in, but it just wasn't. Their creative process is excruciating and tedious, and I guess I never felt the desire to play a riff 500 times before I can confirm that it's good; that's why it takes them eight years to write an album. I always wanted to do other things, and it felt like I was too much in a box with that band. They're set up where the bass player does the bass part and the guitar player does the guitar part and so on. I couldn't be stuck in that paradigm—it's too stifling. I'm not just a bass player; I'm a creator, I wanted to have a bigger role, and it just wasn't happening in that situation. In the end, I knew leaving was the right decision.
What inspired your writing for Lesser Key?
I was just trying to find the power in the songs. The melodicism was already there, so I wanted the role of my bass to be powerful and make a big impact. I wanted to add that punchy "Paul D'Amour sound," so I tried to do that thing, whatever that thing might be.
How did you create your tone this time around?
The record had to be done quickly, so I used guitar rigs for the basic sounds; a guitar amp can give you a nice tone and some warmth. My pick work dictates most of my sound. I can play through a lot of different basses and amps that are nothing alike, and it will always sound like me. If you could put a grand piano through a Marshall, that's how I would best describe my sound.
How does your writing style change from project to project?
I just follow the thread. I feel like songs write themselves if I stay open and become a channel for creativity. It comes from wherever it comes from, but I haven't figured it out yet. It's the universe, I guess. I keep finding that emotion and following it, and then it keeps building on itself. When I listen to my songs, even though they're vastly different, I feel like there's a common thread that connects them all no matter what the project is.
What drives you to write such in-your-face bass lines?
I'm not a background player. I never have been, and I never want to be the guy who hangs out by the drums and just walks the dog. I like to write impactful parts and rock them out. There's no reason the bass shouldn't be right up front. I always believe that my parts are more important than the guitar player's. BP
Lesser Key, Lesser Key [Sumerian]
BASS Rickenbacker Chris Squire Signature 4001CS, Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay
AMP Ampeg SVT-CL head, Ampeg SVT-810E 8x10 cabinet
PEDALS MXR M-80 DI, Darkglass B3K bass overdrive, Electro-Harmonix POG2, Electro-Harmonix Memory Man
STRINGS D'Addario FlexSteels, medium gauge
http://www.bassplayer.com/october2014[1]
Random Tool Social Media thread
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
From Reddit:
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Okay, the last sentence says it all, he wanted to be more important then Adam within Tool.
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Thing is, the bass parts in Tool are just as important as the guitar parts. The bass shapes Tool's sound more than the vast majority of rock bands out there.
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Alright, fine: I'm pretty close to forgiving you for stooging us all with the FEERSUM ENJIN LP. You've summed up everything I've suspected about TOOL.Do you have any regrets about leaving Tool?
I wish it had been a better vehicle for me to create in, but it just wasn't. Their creative process is excruciating and tedious, and I guess I never felt the desire to play a riff 500 times before I can confirm that it's good; that's why it takes them eight years to write an album. I always wanted to do other things, and it felt like I was too much in a box with that band. They're set up where the bass player does the bass part and the guitar player does the guitar part and so on. I couldn't be stuck in that paradigm—it's too stifling. I'm not just a bass player; I'm a creator, I wanted to have a bigger role, and it just wasn't happening in that situation. In the end, I knew leaving was the right decision.
That said, the lead single from your new band is awful.
O love will you read the letters I will send to you.
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Sober, 46&2 etchellboy wrote:Thing is, the bass parts in Tool are just as important as the guitar parts. The bass shapes Tool's sound more than the vast majority of rock bands out there.
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As in, "shit D'Amour wrote"? Yeah, no one is denying his awesomeness.not tyson wrote:Sober, 46&2 etchellboy wrote:Thing is, the bass parts in Tool are just as important as the guitar parts. The bass shapes Tool's sound more than the vast majority of rock bands out there.
Sorry man, not sure what you meant.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Yes, as in what Paul wrote, I still love him more than what's his name.
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Based Justin.
Ha ha, pun.
Ha ha, pun.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Paul was good in his own way. Justin is a better bass player though, and based on output I'd say a more creative artist. Everything Paul has done since leaving Tool has been a little bland for my tastes.
I think it's funny that he says he left Tool because it was too creatively stifling, yet since he left they've been arguably far more creative than they were on Undertow.
Regardless, I reckon it would have been really interesting to see where Tool had gone with Paul staying in the band...
I think it's funny that he says he left Tool because it was too creatively stifling, yet since he left they've been arguably far more creative than they were on Undertow.
Regardless, I reckon it would have been really interesting to see where Tool had gone with Paul staying in the band...
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Completely and totally agree. FEERSUM ENJIN EP was so fucking promising. It was just unreal.hellboy wrote:Paul was good in his own way. Justin is a better bass player though, and based on output I'd say a more creative artist. Everything Paul has done since leaving Tool has been a little bland for my tastes.
I think it's funny that he says he left Tool because it was too creatively stifling, yet since he left they've been arguably far more creative than they were on Undertow.
Regardless, I reckon it would have been really interesting to see where Tool had gone with Paul staying in the band...
Paul has always been THAT KID in my class. Really smart (to a fault, almost). Always willing to point out how capable he is. But never, ever gave me any reason to think that he would ever fulfill his potential.
Cold thing to say, yeah, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.
O love will you read the letters I will send to you.
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Some wrinkles to all of this:
-Maynard actually wrote the Sober bassline...
-Bass is definitely super prevalent and always has been in Tool, yet I can still see what he's saying. There's a lot of fighting and hurt feelings when you truly write by committee as Tool does, and it doesn't take much to throw the mojo off to the point where you just have to go/it isn't a good working relationship
-All the members of Tool have fully admitted to their tedious process, so this isn't really news (although it's the first time I think Paul himself has addressed it). Whatever, I believe in the reasoning behind their process and there's almost no song of theirs that I do not love completely so... keep it up, I suppose (even IF I suspect that I'd love their "earlier draft" versions just as much, AND we know that they'll sometimes chase something down for months only to end up at the beginning again)
-Maynard actually wrote the Sober bassline...
-Bass is definitely super prevalent and always has been in Tool, yet I can still see what he's saying. There's a lot of fighting and hurt feelings when you truly write by committee as Tool does, and it doesn't take much to throw the mojo off to the point where you just have to go/it isn't a good working relationship
-All the members of Tool have fully admitted to their tedious process, so this isn't really news (although it's the first time I think Paul himself has addressed it). Whatever, I believe in the reasoning behind their process and there's almost no song of theirs that I do not love completely so... keep it up, I suppose (even IF I suspect that I'd love their "earlier draft" versions just as much, AND we know that they'll sometimes chase something down for months only to end up at the beginning again)
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Another thing, May Jay admitted in the all Tool issue of Revolver that they fired Paul.
One more, if you watch old interviews of them on YouTube or whatevs, you can tell May Jay didn't like Paul.
I'd imagine Paul interrupting during "maynardisms" didn't help either.
Also, what Joey said.
One more, if you watch old interviews of them on YouTube or whatevs, you can tell May Jay didn't like Paul.
I'd imagine Paul interrupting during "maynardisms" didn't help either.
Also, what Joey said.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Oh the competition for who gets to address the audience is so palpable in those early live recordings! It's fascinating to listen to/watch. It's also telling that Maynard is the only one who's ever said they "fired" him. Adam even directly contradicted this in the Q&As last year.
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I don't know.
Maynard sang on that Replicants project Paul did after he left Tool.
Maynard sang on that Replicants project Paul did after he left Tool.
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I'm also not sure how reliable that Revolver issue is. I've heard a lot of contradictions over the years.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
What!? Tool has no history of ever intentionally misleading the media/fans.UndKeineZwEier wrote:I'm also not sure how reliable that Revolver issue is. I've heard a lot of contradictions over the years.
Preposterous.
Ki77aan
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Not entirely convinced it was Tool in this scenario.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
Hawking all manner of merch (still waiting for the MJK targets and/or used tissues to reappear). A little light (read NONE) on the actual Tool news.Ravenpig wrote:Newsletter is up. It's, um, interesting?
Nothing new there.
Ki77aan
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
No shit, Sherlock.
I was referring to the style he wrote it in.
I was referring to the style he wrote it in.
Hey! Denty!
Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
It was a funny read, but now news (as expected). Those posters are quite cheap.
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Apparently, they were selling some signed posters at $250 a pop. What. In. The. Everloving. Fuck?
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Is that unreasonable? I honestly have no idea when it comes to this kind of thing.badkittygothgirl wrote:Apparently, they were selling some signed posters at $250 a pop. What. In. The. Everloving. Fuck?
I was going to buy one for my friend in Australia, but I don't think I can afford it.
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
They had 4 or 5 from the 2010 MN show I think. Yes, $250 each.badkittygothgirl wrote:Apparently, they were selling some signed posters at $250 a pop. What. In. The. Everloving. Fuck?
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Re: Random Tool Social Media thread
As far as the other posters... they had a lot of them. Over 100 available with many and some had 200.
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