JON LAWHON - BLACK STONE CHERRY

Bass tips and key advice from the rockin’ BSC bassist

The Kentucky-based quartet Black Stone Cherry have spent close to two decades reaping the rewards of their successful blend of rock, metal, country, and blues—with a stable line-up that shows no sign of deviating from their chosen path. Bassist Jon Lawhon, joined by frontman Chris Robertson, guitarist Ben Wells, and drummer John Fred Young, is on super-solid form on BSC’s new album, The Human Condition, recorded in his own facility, Monocle Studios. If you’re interested in finding out about the principles that have kept this band sane and loaded with epic bass parts, read on...

Find the right band

“It’s essential that you find like-minded people to play music with. The goal is to achieve a level of success that will allow you to travel all over the world and do what you love on a daily basis, right? Imagine that: You spend years of your life rehearsing, writing, playing local venues, and nearly starving at times, all for a chance to secure a future in this industry.

“One day, you sign a deal, record an album, find a label, and before you know it, you find yourself on a real tour in a van. Everything’s great, life is good, you’re finally, really, doing it. Then you witness the decline of western civilization... you wake up one day, and realize that you can’t stand half of your band. You disagree on everything. You find yourself stuck in that van.