Web Extra: Cursive's Matt Maginn

Matt Maginn on His Influences & Cursive’s Creative Process

“I started playing bass because Tim [singer/guitarist Tim Kasher] and I both wanted to play instruments, and he got a guitar. I spent a lot of time learning other people's songs in order to learn how to put them together myself. I remember learning David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ and realizing how interesting bass could be. I was into the Clash, REM, Fugazi, Quicksand, and Flea’s playing in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm on an off whether I like the band, and I’m not too into slapping, but Flea has a brilliant sense of how to tie his melodic playing with the drums successfully.

“Tim and Ted [guitarist/vocalist Ted Stevens] are the main songwriters in Cursive, and Tim wrote all of the songs on Mama, I’m Swollen. We’ve always worked the same way. He comes in with an outline of a song played on acoustic guitar. I get a feel for the basic changes and the overall vibe. I work with the drummer to provide a different rhythmic approach, spruce things up, and make it as interesting as possible. We take the tunes from acoustic to rock and roll.”