Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah, MonstrO, bloodsimple, Skrew)

     As a bass player not many people have influenced me more than Kyle Sanders. He is an incredibly talented musician from Atlanta. His brother Troy is the man on the low end for Mastodon and his other brother Darren is a well known guitar tech around the music world. It is safe to say that this family has a ton of not only love for music but also a genuine talent for playing music. Right before I did this interview I found out Kyle was going to be joining the band HELLYEAH for the upcoming tour in support of their new record "Blood for Blood". Thank you so much Kyle for taking time for the interview and the new gig with HELLYEAH.

     Patrick Houtz (PH)---Well first off Kyle and up front congratulations on the Hellyeah gig. That is an awesome bass player position to have.

     (PH)---Every band you have played in that I know about has been great. What memories do you have of the skrew days?

     Kyle Sanders (KS)---Skrew was another great time in my life. Played with some great players in that band..and Adam Grossman was / is a good friend to me. Some fun heavy ass music for sure.

     (PH)---What was one the of the best experiencing you gained from playing with Bloodsimple? 

     (KS)---Making both bloodsimple records were great experiences for me. As far as touring goes , we did a lot of great tours…Mudvayne , Slayer , Mastodon , Soulfly , Disturbed,,, Playing through out Europe (and on stage) with Alice in Chains was probably the highlight for me. I met Chad Gray with bloodsimple. He signed us to his label , which then connected us with Warner Bros. And now I'm in a band with him. Crazy how it all works out…. persistence is the key. 

  

     (PH)---MonstrO is incredible. I actually saw you guys open for Hellyeah. What has been going on with MonstrO?

     (KS)---MonstrO is yet another great band in my eyes…more diverse than my previous bands which is great. MonstrO is still a band .. we have each just been doing our own thing. Juan has been focusing on his artwork , Bevan is out doing shows with Static-X , I think Charlie has a band in Miami , and then there's me.

     (PH)---How did the Hellyeah gig happen for you?

     (KS)---I've had a long great relationship with Chad… from touring Mudvayne / bloodsimple to HELLYEAH / bloodsimple and HELLYEAH / MonstrO. Got to know those guys really well and consider them brothers. It was really just a 'meant to be' kind of thing.

     

     (PH)---Being that you are one of my bass heroes. I was just curious what is your favorite touring bass setup rig wise?  

     (KS)---I used to use more effects etc.. in the past but now am a 'less is more' kinda player. Been beating on solely Warwick basses for the past decade and mix up Mesa Boogie and Ampeg heads and cabs. Always have a sans amp in the mix and sometimes play around with other distortion and wah pedals but mainly keep it simple. Solid bass with Ampeg / Boogie combos…can't go wrong!

     

     (PH)---Where is your favorite place to play? Any certain cities or venues that have really stood out to you over the years?

     (KS)--- I love Spain and Australia as far as other countries…. and I like a nice old theatre / church type venue…somewhere kinda beautiful yet creepy. Places with old basements you can roam around. Always been a fan of playing my hometown in Atlanta and then touring thru Texas and the mid-west is always good times.

     (KS)---See ya out there man!

     (PH)---Thank you so much Kyle! Check out the links below to see what his bands are all about.

MonstrO 

bloodsimple  

HELLYEAH