Many will remember Kim Gardner as the bassist with UK acts The Birds, The Creation and Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, who played a significant role in the British Rock Invasion of the 1960s. “He is the reason I'm here doing what I do,” Eva Gardner told Bass Player when speaking of her father's influence in 2019.
“I just grew up with it. I remember I had a slumber party with my school friends when I was seven years old. We were all hanging out and I picked up a bass guitar and was like, ‘I'm going to be a bass player!’ I didn't know what it meant at the time and I could barely even pick it up! I would just drag it along the floor.
“I didn't actively pursue it until later on, but I definitely wanted to be a bass player like Dad. I got really into his bands, like The Birds and The Creation. They became some of my favourite bands when I was in high school.”
Article continues below“He was really supportive – both of my parents were. I remember them coming to my first gig ever and Dad helping me with my amp. He was my roadie – I think he was actually kind of jealous!”
Having completed her formal training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Gardner set out making a name for herself on the L.A. live circuit, before going on to tour with the likes of the Mars Volta, Veruca Salt, Moby, Gwen Stefani, Cher and Pink.
A member of Pink's band since 2007, Gardner auditioned at S.I.R. studios on Sunset Boulevard. “My family owns a British pub in Hollywood, and they were holding auditions right across the street. It was during one of my shifts so I got the manager to watch the bar while I ran over and tried out.
“The audition was cool – some of the live arrangements had changed from what I had learned, but it went really well and I got a call that night to say I had got the gig. I was told to pack for three months, learn four albums’ worth of material and be ready to leave in three days!”
“With Pink, we have so much fun together in everyday life – you know, just day-to-day stuff – and it translates onstage. When you are in a touring band you have to see the same people every day; you are essentially living with them. You can be the best musician in the world but if you are a jerk it can be really tough.
“Personality is a big part of it: just being cool and getting along with everyone. We are all just having a good time together up there.”
When it comes to gear, Gardner is quick to endorse her Fender Precision and Rotosound strings, as her dad once did.
“My dad's favourite bass in the whole world was his 1962 Fiesta Red Fender Precision. Sadly, he passed away, so now I have my dream basses – my dad's. They are mostly vintage basses, so I prefer not to travel with them.
“I actually had a tribute to my dad's old 1962 Precision made, and it looks as if it was brand-new out of the factory in 1962.”
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