Red flags? Should I run?

[Kipp Harrington]

Is it just me, or is this songwriter/BL showing me some red flags? Should I try to back out gracefully? This is a long story, but you might enjoy it.

BL is the female singer and songwriter. She has a guitarist and drummer and is just seeking a bassist to round out the group. Because we are all busy adults, she's realistic about time commitments (something I like!) and suggests a "virtual audition." I can record over two of the band's rehearsal tracks and send them back. Works for me.

So, I take a pass at the tracks and send them along. She is appreciative and complimentary but says she has a few "changes." She sends me a handful of sound clips: either her plunking out a bassline on the keyboard, or clips of her old bassist playing on the tune. ("I really like what he did here.") Mostly she's asking me to play less, which is not such a big deal.

But I asked her, "just so I'm clear, is this still part of the 'audition,' or are we collaborating on the songs now?" She says I should still come in later for an in-person audition, but she'd love it if I could re-record the samples. Okay, sure, I guess.

So, I do that. And because she didn't say it needed to be note for note, and honestly, I don't have the time for this crap, I don't learn all of her old bassist's parts precisely, but I cop the vibe of it. I send it back.

Now, I am asked to go back and study it again and resubmit. And she sends me some weirdly nitpicky notes. Like, if I played three quarter notes and two eighth notes, she sends me four straight quarter notes. I'm thinking: this is still an "audition?" Can we not just work this out in rehearsal? And she says---which I think is telling---"Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians have had trouble with this song."

Am I being a jerk, or is this BL going to be really difficult to work with?

Red flag(s) for sure. At least if you ask me. High maintenance stuff. No thanks.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Is it just me, or is this songwriter/BL showing me some red flags? Should I try to back out gracefully? This is a long story, but you might enjoy it.

BL is the female singer and songwriter. She has a guitarist and drummer and is just seeking a bassist to round out the group. Because we are all busy adults, she's realistic about time commitments (something I like!) and suggests a "virtual audition." I can record over two of the band's rehearsal tracks and send them back. Works for me.

So, I take a pass at the tracks and send them along. She is appreciative and complimentary but says she has a few "changes." She sends me a handful of sound clips: either her plunking out a bassline on the keyboard, or clips of her old bassist playing on the tune. ("I really like what he did here.") Mostly she's asking me to play less, which is not such a big deal.

But I asked her, "just so I'm clear, is this still part of the 'audition,' or are we collaborating on the songs now?" She says I should still come in later for an in-person audition, but she'd love it if I could re-record the samples. Okay, sure, I guess.

So, I do that. And because she didn't say it needed to be note for note, and honestly, I don't have the time for this crap, I don't learn all of her old bassist's parts precisely, but I cop the vibe of it. I send it back.

Now, I am asked to go back and study it again and resubmit. And she sends me some weirdly nitpicky notes. Like, if I played three quarter notes and two eighth notes, she sends me four straight quarter notes. I'm thinking: this is still an "audition?" Can we not just work this out in rehearsal? And she says---which I think is telling---"Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians have had trouble with this song."

Am I being a jerk, or is this BL going to be really difficult to work with?

At some point I would just say “Well if you know what you want the bassline to be so well, how about you just play it your damn self!!! deuces”

 

[Nevada Pete]

I'd have asked after the first go-round "so, do I get the gig?". There's only one answer that would have even tempted me to pursue it further. And when she came back with her nit-picking suggestion to "go study it" and resubmit I'd have said "chart it out in standard notation and I'll play it". I'll bet that would have been the end of the "audition" (hopefully!). But if it didn't, the subject of compensation would probably have nixed it.

If some BL or songwriter wants me to work like I'm their employee, they gotta pay me like I'm an employee ... from day one.

I very strongly second this! Its exactly what I was going to say, but RustyAxe beat me to it! For my money, he gave you the answer.

 

[Slevage]

I’d say thanks for the opportunity and move on.

 

[DoctorZee]

Some folks can work with folks like her, I would have bowed out after her first reply.

That's why I tolerated it at first, I guess. I actually don't mind working with people who have a particular sound in mind and are demanding about it... but they need to be more talented, more articulate, and with more potential than I see here. She doesn't know how to work with actual musicians.

Now, working on crafting a tasteful and professional email to bow out...

 

[One_Dude]

I am thinking there is a reason the BL is avoiding a face to face audition/rehearsal. She says it is a time issue, but what she is doing also takes time and effort. I suspect there is another reason. Maybe the entire band is "virtual" and doesn't really exist, or maybe as someone else suggested she is trying to get her "original" music rounded out by getting you to finish it for her.

I believe that being in a band is a "hands on" effort and all of the electronic wizardry we have today does not replace that process. Maybe the BL knows you will recognize that she is a fraud once you meet in person. If I were to continue to persue this situation my next response would be that we either meet in person or I'm out. Good luck, and please let us know how this turns out.

Thump on,

One_Dude

 

[Frank77]

At some point I would just say “Well if you know what you want the bassline to be so well, how about you just play it your damn self!!! deuces”

My thoughts exactly.

She doesn't seem to want to interact with other musicians and see where they can take her music - she wants you to be nothing more than her backing track. I can't work with people like that. If you know so much better, have at it.

 

[ArtechnikA]

It may be a test to see where your boundaries are -- but I don't much like such tests myself...
At this point, I'd be pushing back myself: "That's all you get for free..."
You can either take your wage as a session guy, or set an appointment for the band photo -- I don't think there'd be much middle ground for me.

 

[DWBass]

I'm curious to hear the song. She sounds very nitpicky. If she liked the last bass player's lines, why isn't she using his? Maybe she drove him off. She needs a lesson in collaboration.

 

[thebreakman]

I'm pretty sure that I would say the hell with that band.

 

[jchrisk1]

She sounds like a control freak. Run.

 

[dalkowski]

Step.

 

[RustyAxe]

At some point I would just say “Well if you know what you want the bassline to be so well, how about you just play it your damn self!!! deuces”

I've done that with a singer/rhythm guitarist who was constantly making "suggestions". I just handed him my bass and said, "here, show me". He looked at it like it was a live bomb. And that was that, no more suggestions.

 

[FerK]

"I will be happy to do this collaboration to a much greater length after the audition. Do we have a date when we could meet? How about XXXXX date?".

 

[interp]

Run, Forrest, run.

 

[songwriter21]

The only person I could see having gotten away with acting like this, is Prince...because he was Prince. If you got that gig, then you could play with anyone.

 

[Stewie]

Chew off your leg and run.

 

[denhou1974]

This ...
As a band member I always welcome suggestions but ultimately I play what I think sounds best.
Same as my 'day' job ... I'm very experienced in this area. Let me do my work.

 

[two fingers]

Is it just me, or is this songwriter/BL showing me some red flags? Should I try to back out gracefully? This is a long story, but you might enjoy it.

BL is the female singer and songwriter. She has a guitarist and drummer and is just seeking a bassist to round out the group. Because we are all busy adults, she's realistic about time commitments (something I like!) and suggests a "virtual audition." I can record over two of the band's rehearsal tracks and send them back. Works for me.

So, I take a pass at the tracks and send them along. She is appreciative and complimentary but says she has a few "changes." She sends me a handful of sound clips: either her plunking out a bassline on the keyboard, or clips of her old bassist playing on the tune. ("I really like what he did here.") Mostly she's asking me to play less, which is not such a big deal.

But I asked her, "just so I'm clear, is this still part of the 'audition,' or are we collaborating on the songs now?" She says I should still come in later for an in-person audition, but she'd love it if I could re-record the samples. Okay, sure, I guess.

So, I do that. And because she didn't say it needed to be note for note, and honestly, I don't have the time for this crap, I don't learn all of her old bassist's parts precisely, but I cop the vibe of it. I send it back.

Now, I am asked to go back and study it again and resubmit. And she sends me some weirdly nitpicky notes. Like, if I played three quarter notes and two eighth notes, she sends me four straight quarter notes. I'm thinking: this is still an "audition?" Can we not just work this out in rehearsal? And she says---which I think is telling---"Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians have had trouble with this song."

Am I being a jerk, or is this BL going to be really difficult to work with?

Yeah run.

If she is being that picky during the getting to know you period, being in a band with her will be a nightmare.

Honestly? I think she's trying to con you into recording a bass track for her..... whether you join the band or not.

If you really want to give it one more shot, ask for a get together. Tell her you'll be glad to get together and jam, but there won't be any more recordings until then.

 

[40Hz]

But if I listen to my intuition, I think two things: I think these 'online auditions' are actually finishing demos she needs,

My first thought when I read the OP’s posts. 99.9% probability.

and her last reply was worded incorrectly: "Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians had trouble WITH ME" .

Diagnosis: Diva.

What already went down is merely a harbinger of things to come.

Recommendation: Stop working for free for an ingrate. Walk away.