Demonterious “DETOXXX” Lawrence Talks His LEH Basses
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Demonterious Lawrence emersed himself in music at the age of six thanks to his involvement with his family’s church, which inspired him to pick up the drums until he shifted to bass in middle school. Taking his rich gospel roots along with him, he began gigging all over town and landing major session work including recording on Kendrick Lamar’s 2014 album Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, Phife of A Tribe Called Quest’s 2022 album Forever, and a slew of other records. His skill in the studio and inquisitive nature led him to becoming a producer and composer, which keeps him constantly busy behind the boards tracking music for other artists, while providing the rich low end he’s become known for.
His work with soul singer Avery*Sunshine has placed him on stages all over the world, along with the role he held as the cultural ambassador to the U.S. facilitating workshops on American music through the American Music Abroad program with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Now that’s his musical prowess has him in constant demand, Lawrence, affectionately known as DETOXXX, can always be found with his LEH basses whether he’s tracking grooves in the studio or exciting crowds with his thunderous stage presence. We caught up with DETOXXX to discuss his best studio advice, his inspiration as an artist, and why he loves his LEH basses.
What’s been keeping you busy recently?
Lately I’ve been touring with Avery*Sunshine in support of her new album, and I’ve been recording a lot of bass and producing from home. It’s been interesting to see the shift in how much work I can get done without being in the same room with other musicians. This never would have been the case years ago! When I’m not on the road, I still play at church for fun and support local artists.
You came up playing in the church, as so many great players have. How much do your gospel roots influence your playing today?
My gospel roots are so integral to the musician that I am today! Gospel at its core has a foundation in blues, so the soul of a lot of what I play is derived from that feeling and emotion. Gospel gave me big ears and helped me to become spontaneous and reactive musically. It helped me to understand how a song or even just a chord progression could set just the right mood to convey a message. I think most importantly, I’ve learned how to flow with what’s going on in the moment and when to push or play harder and when to pull back.
What was it like playing on Kendrick Lamar’s 2014 album Good Kid M.A.A.D. City?
For me, that was one of those lucky moments we all hope for in music. I got called to come play on some tracks for some producer friends of mine and we worked through a few songs and they were shopped to major labels to see if anyone would bite. At the time Kendrick Lamar was a star on the rise and happened to pick one of the songs that we worked on, and it ended up being the first song on his first major label album.
A few months later I was driving out of town to a gig when one of the band members mentioned that Kendrick’s album had just come out and we should play it. I said to myself, “I think I’m on this album…” It’s easy to lose track of what you’ve played on when you’ve worked on multiple songs with different studios and producers. That album went on to go platinum and was nominated for album of the year at the Grammy’s.
You also got to work with hip-hop legend Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest. What was that experience like?
I co-wrote the music and played bass on a song called “Dear Dilla” for Phife, an ode to one of his dearest friends that had passed. I worked on this song with Phife’s manager and unfortunately Phife passed before I could get to meet him. Being a fan of both Dilla and A Tribe Called Quest, it was cool to be able to write and play in a way that captured the essence of that era of hip hop and give Phife what he needed to be comfortable rapping over it. Interesting fact, this song is in the exhibit on Hip Hop in The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture.
The music of Avery*Sunshine seems incredibly fun from a bass standpoint.
This gig is so fun! At any moment in the show, I may be playing Soul, R&B, Gospel, Jazz or Funk! We play the records, but she leaves room for interpretation and my own personality. She’s a great keyboardist herself and I love bridging the gap between her chords and the drums while the guitar colors it all in. She’s great at reading the crowd and knowing how to keep them engaged, so our set can go anywhere at any time and no two shows will be alike! Variety keeps the gig fresh for me. Every musical experience that I’ve ever had comes out in this gig. I don’t say this lightly, but Avery*Sunshine is my dream gig! I was blessed get my dream gig relatively early in my career and I’ve been spoiled in a great way by the experience. She and the band are truly like family, and it makes touring fun, even on those very long days. My goal was always to be with an artist whose music I didn’t mind playing every night, and this music is definitely fun to play.
You served as a cultural ambassador to the U.S. through the American Music Abroad program with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Was that one of the more fulfilling roles you’ve had?
That was absolutely one of the most fulfilling and memorable times of my life! In the beginning, you think that you’re getting paid to go do some gigs and play some American music in other countries, only to find that it shapes your view of the world and humanity in the most unbelievable ways. It was my first time traveling abroad, and to meet and live in the midst of other cultures really gave me a more grounded perception of the world. I met people with the most incredible personalities, tried foods while learning it’s historical context, chatted with people to learn how their societies work and what they value, and did cultural exchanges through song. As it turns out, the music was just a vehicle to get us there and the purpose was more about experiencing other cultures while learning more about myself and the kind of person I’d want to become.
What is your best advice for bassists in the studio?
My best studio advice is to always serve the song appropriately. For me this means allowing the song to answer questions like:
* Which instrument is the focus of the song? This helps me determine how intricate the bass part should be.
* What kind of tone does this need (dark, bright, vintage, modern)?
* Should I play with or against the kick drum?
* Are there melodic moments that I should double?
* How much space should I leave in the song?
* How does the energy of the song flow? Should I play the whole time? Or are there moments when I should lay out? When do I help push the energy or help reign it back in?
* Where is the best place to play the bass line on the neck? (It may sound better to me on the B string, but then it may not have much presence in the mix).
Most times a producer can guide you in the right direction, but from my experience, if you can quickly figure this out in a session it makes everything much easier and less time consuming.
And how does being a producer inform your bass playing and vice versa?
When I play live, I’m always considering the song form and how each section needs to feel. It’s almost as if I’m producing my bass part live. I’m always listening to the artist and the other players around me to match energy and intensity so that I can be cohesive with the band, much like I’d do recording or producing.
How and when did you first play an LEH bass?
Kinda crazy, but when Ellis mentioned that they were starting to make LEHs, I just ordered one. It wasn’t until many months later that I was able to put my hands on one for the first time at NAMM, and I knew for sure I had made a great decision by following my intuition. Ellis is one of the best people ever who I’ll follow wherever the journey leads!
What was your first impression of the bass when you got it?
I absolutely loved it right out of the box. It was easy to play, sounded phenomenal, and was very well constructed. There were no flaws in the build. Tonally it was well balanced, articulate and very versatile. It’s the nicest bass I have ever owned.
What is it about LEH basses that you love?
I honestly love the fact that I have something that’s unique, but familiar at the same time. I love that LEH basses are the product of forward thinking and pushing the evolution of the instrument, and not just making another copy. I love that the headstock stands out and is immediately recognizable. I love that you can feel Ellis’ love and passion in the instrument!
What is it like working with Ellis on your builds?
Ellis is so dope when it comes to builds! First of all, it’s amazing within itself just to be able to speak to Ellis directly when trying to spec out a build. I had never had a luthier to be as excited as I was about each build! You could hear the joy in their voice just at the possibilities. Ellis has this way of hearing my ideas and in the best way guiding me to choices that were 10x better that I could have imagined. The communication of progress is always great, and I got pics along the way. It’s not just a phone call or email, it feels like getting one of your good friends to make something special for you.
What sets LEH basses apart from your other basses?
Other than looking better than any other bass that I own, my JetStream is easily the lightest, best sounding, most comfortable bass I’ve ever played. The overall footprint of the bass is smaller than my other full scale basses (which I love!) And the neck profile fits my hand perfectly! I had always felt like you get the best out of an instrument when allow the instrument to tell you how it wants to be played, but my LEH allows me to play in a way that’s best for me and it easily handles anything I throw at it. I don’t have any compromises in construction or design that I have to account for when I play this bass. I can simply focus on the music.
Who are your biggest influences on bass?
Christian McBride for his dope musicality and impressive compositions, Derrick Hodge for the strong foundation that he provides and his effortless ability to infuse jazz sensibilities in the repetitive patterns of hip hop and R&B, John Patitucci for being an all-around competent and agile player, and Dane Alderson for his fearlessness on bass!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about bass?
The best bass advice I’ve ever been given, and I think about this every time I play, is:
Don’t always play what you feel, but whatever you play, make it feel good. Sometimes you can hear something really cool in your head, but it may not be appropriate in the moment. Whatever your bass part is, make it feel so good that anything else other than that part just wouldn’t feel right in that space!
