Maddie Jay: "I feel like it was an advantage transferring from bass to guitar… which is a controversial statement!"

(Image credit: Sara Paige)

“I feel kinda lucky to be making music right now in LA at a time when everyone wants something new, quirky and different,” says session player and songwriter/producer Maddie Jay, noting how even just 10 years ago, there were so many more boundaries in music. “Now you have Billie Eilish as the biggest popstar and she’s super niche, when you think about it...”

Like many musicians, the Canadian relocated to LA with hopes and dreams of making it as a session bass player. Landing work as soon as she arrived was something she found “very encouraging” and for the next year and a half, she dedicated herself to becoming the ultimate hired gun. There was only one problem - she’d grown weary of focusing on other people’s music…

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Amit Sharma

Amit has been writing for titles like Total GuitarMusicRadar and Guitar World for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences as a guitar player. He's worked for magazines like Kerrang!Metal HammerClassic RockProgRecord CollectorPlanet RockRhythm and Bass Player, as well as newspapers like Metro and The Independent, interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handled lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).