Bass is the place

unFact picks up the Jesus Lizard’s low end

LONE EXPOSURE: David Wm. Sims

When I think about the greatest rock bands of the ’90s, one that instantly springs to mind is the Jesus Lizard. The true anchor to the Lizard’s bite was the propulsive bass playing of David Wm. Sims. Now that the band have stuck the fork in with their farewell tour, Sims has reappeared as a solo artist, unFact, and reinvented his trademark sound by casting his bass through loops and effects, the end product playing both a supporting role and a melodic lead. The Mirror spoke to Sims during a tour stop.

Mirror: How did you come up with the idea for this solo project?

David Wm. Sims: I’ve kind of wanted to do a solo show for a long time. When I lived in Chicago, I saw a show by Doug McCombs from Tortoise and it kind of planted the idea in the back of my mind. Last summer I saw Noveller and Animal Hospital and some others and I was just really inspired. It’s still very much a work in progress.

M: A lot of solo artists seem to be satisfied with just recording. How important is the live performance for unFact?

DWS: It’s really all about the live performance. That night that I saw Noveller and Animal Hospital, the thing I was most impressed by is that they weren’t using pre-recorded material and were building everything right there in front of you.

M: What are the benefits of being a solo artist?

DWS: Well, I record everything in my apartment, and to tour, I just need to rent a car, so it’s a lot cheaper. It can be weird though because you can feel really exposed and naked when you perform and I’m still just getting used to it. The real learning curve for this kind of music is just trying to learn to ride the train wreck if the pieces don’t come out the way you planned, and sometimes that can also be really cool.

WITH NOVELLER AND LES BEYOND AT
CASA DEL POPOLO
ON SUNDAY, AUG. 29, 9 P.M., $10