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Lani Ford, how long have
you been playing bass? 10 years.
Where are you based ?
New York City, USA.
Did you play any other instrument
before you started playing bass?
some piano, violin, a little guitar.
Are your parents or relatives
involved in music? Every woman in my
family except me is a classically trained pianist.
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? Stormy Monday.
What was your very first band?
Officially, The Bicycle Dogs...there were bands that never got off the
ground, much less a name before that.
What other bands were you a member
of? Killah Pang, The Love Pirates,
The Heather Larkin Band, W/Dylan, Temptress, The Wood Nymphs, Sweet Ami,
Desolation Angels.
Tell us about some musicians you have shared a stage or studio with?
Stage--Patti Rothberg, Sami Yaffa, Lenny Kaye, Syl Sylvain; Studio--Patti
Smith, Ronnie Spector.
Tell us about your current band?
Stark is a 3 piece rock band with
Lani on bass and lead vocals, Jonesy on guitar and Greg Schiff. We have a
featured back-up singer sometimes--Lizzy Bogart. All original music
written by Lani Ford.
How did you come to start this band?
I started this band with friends I
made at Tobacco Road's open mic nights.
What's your main bass?
Where was it made? 1983 Fender P--American made.
Have you a preference for active or
passive electronics? I like active,
but feel I have more control over sound with passive.
What type or brand of strings to you
like best? La Bella flatwounds.
How often would you change your
strings? Not enough, about once
every 6 months...like one of my heroes, James Jamerson.
Who did you listen to as
a young teenager? Van Halen, AC/DC,
Ted Nugent, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Cure.
Tell us about any CDs you may have
recorded/released? Stark's CD "The
Curse" came out in 2004 with 13 tracks. We had lots of college radio play
in the Northeast as well as internet play.
Has anything funny
happened with a fan or fans? A fan
ripped my shirt to pieces right off me at Don Hill's once.
Tell us about any magazine you have
been featured in or on the cover?
New York Waste Magazine several times - there was a 2-page
interview/feature in the Summer, 2005 issue, The Deli, New York Sugar
What other instrument would you most
like to play? Piano
What was the best concert you were
ever at? My first one - a day long
Texas jam where I got on the shoulders of some stranger during Ted Nugent.
If forming your ideal live band,
what instruments would you have with you onstage?
Hard to say, I hate overkill, but switching
to other string instruments here and there, like banjo, mandolin and piano
could be cool. I'd love to have a violin or viola sometimes, even a flute,
but no horns.
Do you see the bass as a solo
instrument? Yes, but not for me.
If you could be taken to a concert
anywhere on earth tonight, who would you want to see live?
The Rolling Stones
What CD are you listening to most
these days? Liz Phair,
witechocolatespaceegg
Do you have a pet?
Yes, a chihuahua named Streak.
Where would you most like your band
to play? Amsterdam?
What is your birth date?
July 6
Do you have any "bassist" jokes to
share? What happened when the bass
player locked his keys in the car? The drummer couldn't get out for 3
hours.
Thanks Lani. See Links page for the
Stark website - Ed. |
