Stephen ‘Thundercat' Bruner – 'Bass Traverses Different Worlds'

Want to learn the secrets of the universe? Then you’d better join us as we sit down with Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner, the pre-eminent bassist of his generation. This one goes deep!

- By Joel McIver. Photography: Getty, Parker Day, Eddie Alcazar

Stephen Lee Bruner is a fascinating character. The Grammy-winning songwriter’s mind functions on a different level to that of the rest of us, at least judging by the conversation we have below, which steps away from the usual bass topics into deeper territory. Over the years I’ve found that some musicians simply express themselves better with their music than they do with words, and this definitely applies to Bruner, who records under the name Thundercat for reasons that appear to be closer to spiritual than commercial.

Listen to his current fourth album, It Is What It Is, for evidence of this: It’s a restless, groovy blend of electronica, funk, jazz and rock, with multiple bass textures throughout, and a wry lyrical perspective that disguises as much as it reveals. Produced by his long-time collaborator Flying Lotus and featuring contributions from fellow innovators such as Kamasi Washington and Childish Gambino, the album showcases Bruner’s phenomenally deft bass style, delivered on his unique signature six-string bass, the famous Ibanez TCB1006. The uncategorizable nature of it all is mirrored in Thundercat’s career, which started with the thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies and the neo-soul queen Erykah Badu before expanding to include music of all stripes.