Matthew Skillz: Bass Banga

Photo by Jody Miller

With the resume he’s amassed in his music career, it’s hard to imagine that Matthew Skillz has only been playing bass for 15 years. His deep pocket, undeniable grooves, and use of melody and harmony shows all the depth of a player who has been harnessing low end their entire life. But for the Chicago native, it was something that felt innate the second he picked up a bass. His musical prowess quickly landed him gigs performing alongside the likes of smino, Jamila Woods, Ravyn Lenae, Lili K, and many others before he decided to partner with his longtime friend, That Dood Nate, to start Club Crib, a collective that produces and releases music of all styles.

His latest break came when he was discovered by Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas, who immediately asked him to join his outfit, where you can now catch him headlining festivals and performing among the biggest stages in the world. His work on her recently released album The Heart, The Mind, The Soul found him collaborating with music icon Robert Glasper in the studio, which resulted in Skillz’s tremendous bass work being featured at the forefront of the music. While he credits his hands and his skillful thumb technique as the secret of his tone, his acquisition of an LEH bass changed his sound forever. Now you when you see him on stage, you’ll never catch him without an impeccable groove or his LEH 5-string.

What was it like recording Tank and the Bangas’ new album, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul?

Tank is my sis and she hit me up and told me she had Robert Glasper coming in the studio and she wanted me to head in to record. I went in for two days and we cut 8 songs. It was a lot of music, but when you love what you do your mind goes on airplane mode and you’re focused in. When you’re creating with an icon like Glasper, it just incredible. It’s so easy working with him. Everything just flows and it’s effortless. 

 How did you first join up with Tank?

I was out performing with another artist in 2018 and we played the AfroPunk show and Tank went on before us and I was on the side of the stage after we played and I see a short woman come up behind me and tap me and she said, “excuse me, sir, who are you? I need all of your information.”  It turned out to be Tank. I did my homework and listened to her music and it was incredible. I put up a cover video on Instagram and she was sold. I joined right up with them.

 What’s it like playing with that band?

It’s really fun because it’s so open. You have a lot more liberty with being more expressive on bass with her. Certain artists you just play the record exactly as it is, but with her you get to go off. She literally encourages you to have that confidence and liberty. And she makes you move! You can’t just stand there, you’ve gotta engage that crowd and get down with it.  It’s definitely a character builder as an artist and I love it.

Photo by Jody Miller

What is it like performing with Jamila Woods?

With Jam, she loves to hear the bass first when it comes to creating music, so that’s always the first thing to go down when I’m working with her. I’ve been playing with her since 2015, so we’re locked in. She’s another one who trusts you and just wants you to do your thing. As a bassist I just have to compliment her voice because it’s so much softer. My approach has taught me how to have better dynamics when it comes to other artists. With Jam, she taught me how to approach music on a softer side, which has been valuable.

 What was the experience like of playing on the Tonight Show with smino?

It was surreal. It happened so fast and that caught me off guard. They give you like 3 minutes to perform and then it’s gone. It’s all previously recorded and then they air it at night. The way they move is so crazy where every second counts. Once that red light hits, it’s like oh snap, it’s time to play!

 Tell us a little about Club Crib.

It’s a production company that me and my brother from college, That Dood Nate, started. I started playing bass in 2009 and I met him in 2010, and we started making music together. He made music in the studio, but I was just a performer and I’d never thought about recording music at all. As time progressed I started getting more intrigued by what he was doing and I wanted to learn the process. We decided we could make our own music in the crib instead of going out to the club, so that’s how we named it Club Crib. We started making music during the pandemic and we’re a production hub. Nate does mixing and mastering and I produce and perform the tracks.

 What led you to start playing bass back in 2009?

It was me, my mom, my auntie, and my cousin and we went down to a gospel festival in Chicago to check out some music and I was playing drums at the time. There was one choir that had an amazing Chicago bassist named Thaddaeus Johnson and I heard him playing and I knew I had to learn how to play bass. That’s right when I started playing.  

You use a lot of thumbing on bass. Describe your playing technique.

A lot of people think that they need a $5,000 bass to get tone, but tone is really in your hands. When we first start out most of us play with our thumb, so that’s how I originally began. I use a lot of palm muting, which does a lot dynamically. If I’m playing with a singer with a strong voice then I’m going to play harder, but a lot of artists nowadays are really smooth, so the thumb goes well with that. Really, I just did a lot of homework on YouTube University [laughing].

What is your ideal bass tone?

One of my absolute favorite producers is J Dilla and every time I hear his bass lines it’s that warm, subby sound. My thing with bass is that I want you to feel me, and that’s the sound I’m going for. Of course I want to be heard, but it’s more important to be felt with bass. I want my tone to have a voice as well. It needs that bottom and that umph. My main 5-string is really warm because I’m not a gritty player.

How did you first learn about LEH basses and when did you first play one?

I learned about Leh through Instagram. I was scrolling one day and I saw a guy named DetoXXX playing one and I had never seen a bass like it. I clicked on the Insta link and I knew I had to get my hands on one. I had a gig out at Brooklyn at the time and the warehouse wasn’t far, so I went to get my hands on one and I instantly put in an order.

What was your first impression of the bass when you got it?

I was just like Damn! When I got it I was on tour and Ellis had just moved to Portland and they let me know my bass was ready, so I picked it up in time for the second show of the run. I was like, oh my god, what is this?! It just took over as my bass from then on.

 What was it like working with Ellis on the build?

It was easy peasy, like butter. It was so smooth and Ellis explained everything for me to comprehend. It was perfect. If you’re not big on terminology or circuitry, Ellis breaks it down for you so that everything is right on the bass and exactly how you want it.

 What is it about LEH basses that you love?

The tone and the feel. I love to be different. I’m not the type of person who has everything that everybody else has. I like to explore and get different sounds and tones. Not a ton of players play 5-string PJ’s, as most players use 5-string Jazzes.. I love the warm tone of it. Ever since I got it, everybody asks me what kind of bass it is and they love it. I give them the whole breakdown on it. And it’s so light too. I can’t play that thing all night.

You’ve been playing you LEH basses live a lot. What sets them apart from your other basses?

The tone is in your hands, but the type of attack this bass gives me is like nothing else. It feels like I’m ridin’ a new Rolls Royce. You can tell it’s made by love. Ellis actually hand crafts these basses, while most other basses are made in a factory. That’s what makes a difference. Big companies put together instruments from machines and mass produce them, but Ellis’ basses you can tell were made by hand. Everything is so smooth and meticulous. The neck is fast as hell and it fits in my hands perfectly. It’s incredible. I need to get another one now.

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