Groove Podcast: Joe Principe of Rise Against
Joe Principe from Rise Against feels like one of those bass players who was built by the scene before he ever fully understood the instrument.
Growing up outside Chicago, Joe came into music through skateboarding, Thrasher, stolen glimpses of punk culture, and the kind of all-ages shows that could change the wiring of a kid’s life. Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, Anthrax, DRI… it all fed the same fire.
Before Rise Against became one of the defining melodic hardcore bands of the past 25 years, Joe was cutting his teeth in 88 Fingers Louie, one of the early Fat Wreck Chords bands, and building the musical instincts that would later shape Rise Against from day one. He co-founded the band in Chicago in 1999, and his playing has remained a crucial part of their identity ever since… fast, melodic, aggressive, but always deeply aware of what the song needs.
In this conversation, recorded while Rise Against was in Montreal for two shows, Joe and I go back to the early punk scenes, the strange thrill of hearing your song on the radio when radio was supposed to be “the enemy,” and how punk moved from basements and skate videos into major-label culture without fully losing its teeth.
We also dig into bass itself… why melody matters, how players like Klaus Flouride, Karl Alvarez, Matt Freeman, Fat Mike, and Frank Bello helped shape his ear, and why he still sees himself as a bit of a bass purist in a world of tracks, clicks and digital polish.
Joe is especially thoughtful on what happens when live music gets too perfect… when the lurch, sweat, and human drag of a band gets flattened into something sterile.
We talk about Rise Against’s long-standing commitment to message, community, and resistance, and how their new All Rise Together art project gives fans a creative way into that world.
It’s a conversation about punk, bass, politics, aging, technology, and why one kid in the room can still make the whole thing worth it.
Also worth checking out is Rise Against’s latest album, Ricochet.
Enjoy the conversation…
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