James Newlin

Main Instrument: electric bass guitar
Other Instruments: acoustic guitar, backup vocals, mandolin, electric guitar

I started playing electric guitar in 1996 and picked up the bass about three years later. I was really into 90s rock when I started (Bush, Nirvana, Green Day, Nada Surf) and I first learned to play songs from my favorite bands from TAB in guitar magazines. Early on I also borrowed my parents’ acoustic guitars for practice and got some lessons from my dad and stepdad. Like many musicians, I started out playing in the band. I played trumpet and then switched to percussion in my final two years of high school. I also played electric bass guitar in the school’s jazz band and learned a lot of my theory from that. I’ve recently taken lessons from Mark White (Spin Doctors) and in the late 90s I took lessons from Keith Vivens.

I was in engineering school between 2002 and 2007 (BS and MS) in which I didn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to music. Once out of school I started playing in a few local bands before joining Kennedy Bakery (2008) and The Julys (2009). I’ve also played with Maryanna Sokol (2010).

Day Job: By day I’m a structural diagnostic engineer. What is that you say? Well, I sometimes get to hang off of tall buildings like a window washer to look at the facade. I also walk parking garages, run test equipment, and look at concrete cracks.

Influences: Some of my favorite bands over the years have included Metallica, Alkaline Trio, Andrew Bird, Yeasayer, Ben Folds, Jenny Lewis, Arcade Fire, Live, The Killers, Nada Surf, Modest Mouse, Primus, Rush, Silverchair, The Walkmen, and 311.

Gear: I play a Takamine Acoustic Guitar, Elrick Bass Guitar, Ibanez SR905 bass, TC Electronics bass amp, and Genz Benz 2×10 cab.

Birthday: September 10, 1983

Hometowns: I was born in Houston, TX. I then lived in Sugar Land, TX until I was 12 when my mom moved us to Baytown, TX and Highlands, TX until I went off to college in 2002. For college I was in Austin, TX, Charlottesville, VA, and College Station, TX until 2007 when I moved to Houston. I currently live in the University Place neighborhood in Houston.