“I had an injury from from using my fingers too much… using the pick actually saved my hands”: Social media bass sensation April Kae burned out her hands from nonstop playing, producing and editing – playing with a pick was her saving grace

April Kae is a bass sensation who has managed to turn TikTok virality into a globe-trotting career. As the bassist for the rapcore outfit Fever 333, Kae is noted for her off-white P-Bass and smooth basslines. However, upon joining Fever 333, Kae had to adapt to playing high-intensity riffs. This new territory required playing bass with a pick, a challenge that came with an unexpected saving grace.

“I think if there's any challenge, to be honest, it's playing with a pick,” says Kae in an interview with MusicRadar. “I think some of those riffs just don't really work with fingers. I think it's fun to play them [with fingers], and it can work at home, but I think playing with the band and playing in that riff-based style [works better with a pick].

“Adjusting to the pick has been a new challenge. I love playing with my fingers. I feel like it's part of the dance. I dance with my body and my hands, and it extends to my fingers. I’m trying to figure out how to do that with the pick and have the precision that I want. I think it's a challenge, but in a fun way, like a video game. I've got to master this level so I can do the next thing.”

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However, using the pick also had a pretty significant positive impact on her health. “I had a hand injury from overuse, from using my fingers too much,” she reveals.

“Musicians have to be content creators and videographers and everything, right? That's a lot on your hands if you're an instrumentalist. I fucked my hands editing and producing.

"Literally, I was editing, producing video, producing music, producing bass and playing bass – and it fucked my hands up. You're not supposed to use your hands to do every single thing in the day, right? So using the pick actually saved my hands. I like that I can do both now and incorporate both in my playing because I now have that versatility and I think it'll really help my longevity as a player.”

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Fever 333 will be hitting the US in October and early November, before kickstarting their mainland Europe tour in mid-November and wrapping up with a UK leg in late November/early December.