Award winning producer / songwriter / bassist Josquin Des Pres has written the theme song to a new indie film directed by Michele Kanan, Bodyman. Out this month, the action thriller stars Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do) and Tom Arnold (True Lies). “The song is called “For God and Country,” Des Pres explained. “It was commissioned, and I was asked to write to that exact title, which is not something I would naturally gravitate toward, but it is a process I know well.” For the past 30 years Des Pres has written extensively for television, “including reality shows, where you are often given a title, concept, or brief and asked to create something that fits the narrative. So, this was very much in my wheelhouse. I approached it the way I always do: find the human angle, make it real, and build the song from there.” Since 2000, I’ve worked in television across more than 40 networks, writing and producing music for a wide range of programming.
Des Pres has also been busy with his Track Star Studios in La Mesa, recently recording Sara Petite (“with major players including Kenny Aronoff, Aaron Sterling, and John Jorgenson”), Thea the Band, and Billboard charting singer songwriter Anna Danes, “as well as a couple of tracks with Jason Mraz.”
He’s also been working with actress / singer Laura Marano, best known for her work on Disney show, Austin & Ally (2011), with a new single due in September. “She’s already part of two released duets with Brazilian artist Lucas Mamede: “Como Se Chama,” which Laura co-wrote, and “Cali Sun Rio Nights,” which I wrote with her,” Des Pres said. “Both are released worldwide through Universal Music Brazil and published by JoNa Music Group, my publishing company with Michael Natter,” he continued. “We are now developing two more duets with Laura, one with a French artist and one with a Spanish artist. This connects directly to the vision behind my label, Utonium Music, distributed by Virgin Music Group, which I founded with Roxanne Stone.” The label is built around the idea of “songs without borders”—pairing artists from different countries and cultures to create multilingual, multicultural pop duets that feel organic and natural.”
Des Pres wears a lot of musical hats. Which role is his favorite? “Over the last 10 to 15 years, definitely producer first, with the occasional role as songwriter and composer for television,” he commented.
Beyond his studio work and songwriting (he’s worked with the likes of Bernie Taupin), Des Pres has had influence on generations of musicians through a series of music instruction books he’s written. To date Des Pres has penned 18 books: 16 instructional books for bass and guitar and 2 books on the music industry. “I started writing bass books around 1990, as I was moving away from being a studio bass player and more into record production, songwriting, and eventually television,” he recalled. “Writing the books kept me connected to the bass during that transition. One sold extremely well, and after that the publisher kept asking for more.”
Which book has been his biggest success? “Bass Fitness is by far my best-known book. It has sold over 500,000 copies, helped greatly by its endorsement from Berklee College of Music, its placement in the Berklee bookstore, and its recommendation by the chair of the bass department.”
What’s next for Des Pres? “Producing more local artists when I find the right connection,” he said. “For me, the personal connection comes first. Before I even discuss music, I like to spend a week or two talking with an artist to understand where they’re coming from and how I can best contribute.”
www.trackstarstudios.com
www.UtoniumMusic.com
Books by Josquin Des Pres:
Creative Careers in Music
Reality Check
Instructional Books by Josquin Des Pres
Bass Fitness
Guitar Fitness
Slap Bass Essentials
Muted Grooves for Bass
Simplified Sight Reading for Bass
Fretless Bass
Hip Hop Bass
70’s Funk and Disco Bass
First Bass
J.S. Bach for Bass
Classical Masterpieces for Bass
Daily Chop Builders for Bass
Encyclopedia of Bass Riffs
The New Sound of Funk Bass
Essential Reading Skills for Guitar
Classic Funk and R&B Bass
