Reader Spotlight: Lyndsey Torrez

We’ve featured more than a few readers here who have super cool parents. Add Lyndsey Torrez to the list (thanks to his dad).

Lyndsey is the No Treble reader in the spotlight for the week of March 30th, 2015.

Bio:

I hail from Austin, TX but live in College Station, TX. I have spent a good part of 15 years playing the bass for various groups in the BCS area. My first introduction to music was given to me by my father who showed me two vinyls, Led Zeppelin’s ZoSo and Boston’s Boston, along with three chords at a young age. My dad’s words were this regarding the three chords, “…if Creedence Clearwater Revival can do it, then you can too..”. It was at that point my love affair with music and playing began.

Location:

College Station, TX, USA

Day gig:

I work as a Laboratory and Greenhouse Manager at Texas A&M University; actually have worked for the University for close to 10 years in various laboratories.

Years experience:

15 Years

Bands & Gigs:

Currently I am playing with a group called Parker Heights, they are a Texas Country band based out of College Station, Texas. In the recent months i have had the pleasure of cutting a new album with them at Stormy Cooper Media in Houston, Texas.

Aside from playing with this group, I pick up gigs from time to time to keep busy; most of which are in the Country genre. I have had the pleasure of performing in front of many well know Texas Country acts (Pat Green, Kevin Fowler, Grainger Smith, etc.) a few Nashville acts (Colt Ford and The Cadillac Three) and some other acts like Sister Hazel and Blue October.

Some of my more notable gigs have been Taste Addison, Dallas Cowboys Pre-game Entertainment and The Texas State Fair.

Gear:

My Current Pedalboard:

• TC Electronic Polytune Noir
• MXR: Bass Envelope Filter
• MXR: Bass Fuzz Deluxe
• MXR: Bass Chours Deluxe
• EHX: Freeze
• MXR: Carbon Copy
• TC Electronic: Hall of Fame Reverb
• Eden WTDI

Amps:

• SWR Super Redhead (or Crown XLS1000) with SWR WorkingMan Pro 4×10 cab

Basses:

• Modded MIM Fender Jazz (Modify with after market parts, Warmoth jazz neck, DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups and a Stellartone Tonestyler, 15 position switch).
• Modded MIM Fender Precision bass (Modify with a jazz neck)

Why I play the bass:

Formally started on the violin in Junior High, but move to a school district with no Orchestra Program, so I had to drop the instrument; end up playing sports more, 4 to be exact. Picked up the guitar in Junior High and High School, and started playing with my church and in a Christian punk band formed from a few guys from the praise and worship group.

When I enrolled in college I knew I wanted to keep playing with groups, so my freshman year I bought my first bass; it was only $100 – and pretty cheap – but it got me started. My first group was a Brit-Rock band and the groups after have been in the Texas Country scene.

My bass superpower/claim to fame:

The one bass superpower, or complement, that I get is that I have a ‘Phat Pocket’, I tend to hear this more from drummers :). In Country music that is a must, but I also like to throw in some rock and a little funk elements into the mix, tastefully of course.

My influences:

Rob Pope from The Get Up Kids, Kristian Dunn from El Ten Eleven, Stormy Cooper from Roger Creager and Marcus Miller. These four artist encompass the musical styles I really enjoy most. There are a few others, but these four are at the fore front of my influences.

More on the web:

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram