Brian Fox

Bassist Brian Fox is the latest flurry in the mighty Tempest gale. Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, Brian's first experiences playing music came in the form of parochial-school guitar lessons. Observing the overwhelming number of Bass Player Wanted ads on music store walls and local music mags, the enterprising young Fox picked up a 4-string in 5th grade and never looked back.

After playing in pit orchestras and rock bands through high school, Fox attended UCLA to enroll in the school's Department of Ethnomusicology. While there, Brian took theory and performance classes in Indian classical music (sitar, tabla, and vina), Afro-Cuban percussion (with Francisco Aguabella), Ugandan traditional music, and Balkan folk music. For his junior year, Fox elected to study abroad to focus on Irish traditional music at University College, Cork. At UCC, Brian took private instruction on uilleann pipes, whistle, and bodhrán, as well as courses in Irish dance and language. Fox is a dual citizen of the US and Ireland.

Returning to UCLA to graduate, Brian deepened his study of Bulgarian folk music, taking private lessons with Vassil Bebelekov, one of the country's top bagpipers. Following a pair of research trips to Bulgaria, Fox began pursuing an advanced degree in Ethnomusicology.

Concurrent to his graduate studies, Brian played in a rock band comprising some of UCLA's top Jazz Studies students. Blending jazz, rock, and a touch of funk, his band Pseudopod soon began generating a buzz around Los Angeles clubs. After recording two independent albums, the band was snatched up and signed by Interscope records. Upon the release of their major-label debut, the band hit the road on tours with such acts as Maroon 5, Blues Traveller, O.A.R., Train, Live, G. Love & Special Sauce, the Dixie Dregs, and the Dave Matthews Band.

After a couple years of touring, Pseudopod returned home to Los Angeles and decided to end its run. Getting wind of an opening at Bass Player magazine, Fox hastily threw together some writing samples and applied for a gig as an Assistant Editor. He was hired. Six years later, Brian is now Editor in Chief at the magazine. As Editor, Fox has interviewed hundreds of bass players, from superstars like Flea, Les Claypool, Adam Clayton, and Steve Harris to lesser-known up-and-comers.

Gear
Warwick Thumb Bass 5-string
SWR Redhead

Discography
LITTLE BLUE FUZZY THINGS, Shot From Guns (1993) Self-produced
PSEUDOPOD, Pod (1998) Self-produced
PSEUDOPOD, Rest Assured (2001) Bonobo
PSEUDOPOD, Pseudopod (2002) Interscope
BAKSHEESH BOYS Baksheesh Boys (2003) Self-produced
SQUARETAPE EP (2007) Self-produced