“I wound up joining Spinal Tap in Phoenix and played bass along with Adrian Belew on Big Bottom. It was a huge comedy honor”: The chance encounters that led Abby Travis to play bass with Beck, Elastica, The Bangles and The Go-Go’s

Abby Travis describes herself as a “pinch-hitter of bassists”. That tracks, considering she’s filled four-stringed space for Beck, Elastica, The Bangles and The Go-Go’s when they were in need. She also has her solo work, released under the name Sumo Princess.

But she’s aware that, some of the time, her efforts go under the radar. “There are people who listen to music and don’t even know what the bass sounds like,” she tells Bass Player. “But they move their heads or their asses! The bass is what makes us groove to the music. It’s a physical thing.”