Today, we sat down with bass player Mark Hopkins from RivetSkull to discuss inspiration to write music, heroes and much more! Be sure to check out Mark playing the bass with his band RivetSkull below after the interview on Spotify!
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
The thing that inspires us to write comes from the music we grew up on. There were so many great bands and musicians when we were young. Back then we wanted to emulate them and they continue to inspire us today.
Inspiration for individual songs can come from anywhere. It could be a feeling or a situation happening in current events. It could be a relationship, current or past. It’s really anything that causes you to spend time thinking or feeling. Making music is communicating a feeling to someone else with sound.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
Of course, heavy metal played a big role in our young lives. It spoke to each of us. That is the music we thrive on and continue to make.
But there are many bands that have influenced us from punk to metal to even pop! We had many ways that we were exposed to new music. Listening to the local rock station meant we might hear Black Sabbath, Heart, Pink Floyd, The Police, Rush, and Iron Maiden all in a row.
And of course, MTV was a big deal when we were young. Can you believe they used to play music videos on MTV? They played a very wide variety of music because there just weren’t that many music videos, initially. That meant we were exposed to a lot of bands we probably never would have sought out on our own.
All musical input is good. It influences you whether you realize it or not. Have an open mind and enjoy everything!
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
One musical hero that immediately springs to mind is Randy Rhoads. He was an incredible guitarist and very successful with Ozzy. Yet, he continued to take guitar lessons even as he toured the world with the Blizzard of Ozz. He was, and still is, an inspiration to keep improving as a musician. Playing music can be a life-long pursuit. It’s exciting that you never have to stop learning and growing.
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
Well, in my day job, I’m a computer programmer. So, I’m very lucky to already do the two things I love, playing music and programming computers. But I’m also very excited about clean energy. I think we have a real opportunity to make a huge impact on the lives of people in the future. I believe we will reach a time when we’ll have an economy that is not based on destroying the natural resources of our planet. I would love to contribute to that pursuit.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create
music?
If you don’t currently play music, start now! It’s never too late, nor too early. Keep going, it will be hard but you will get better. Don’t compare yourself to anyone except you from the past. Are you better than you used to be? Yes! Progress! Can you be better? Of course, don’t stop! Playing music can feed your soul for your whole life. Do it for yourself and take time to enjoy your own creations.
Listen here:
