MEGADETH Bassist: 'I'd Rather Be Happy In My Life Than Always Try To Prove A Point'

Jeff Treppel recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson for RoadrunnerRecords.com. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RoadrunnerRecords.com: Did the maturity you gained from having some distance from the band facilitate the process of putting together "TH1RT3EN"?

Ellefson: Well, I look at it like, I'm here to be the best bass player I can, regardless of who writes the songs. We all throw out a lot of ideas, both lyrically and musically, bring different ideas to the table. I just know from working with Dave [Mustaine] that there comes a point where, when he wants to get his songs done, he wants to get his songs done, and stay out of the way. Just let that happen. By and large, my attitude is, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? And I'd rather be happy in my life than always try to prove a point. So that's the maturity level, I think, all of us had in this, which is like, man, let's just make the best riffs, the best songs, let's get them down and everybody show up and do the best part, because that's what makes it feel like a true MEGADETH album, when everybody is able to do their best on it.

RoadrunnerRecords.com: So do you feel "TH1RT3EN" stacks up against the classic albums like "Rust In Peace" as far as your playing goes?

Ellefson: I think so, I'm really happy with my playing on it. I think what you hear is the thrash metal approach that you always hear on MEGADETH records, but you also get the eight years of experience that I had away from MEGADETH working with a lot of other bands, writers, producers, musicians that really developed and evolved my playing in so many other ways. It's probably why I was able to come in and knock out a whole record in three days, because I had those years of those experiences there. To me, the bass is really tight with the drums and guitars, and yet it's very liberated, a lot of different movements that haven't been heard on previous records. There's just sort of a simplicity there's a simple progressive nature about it [laughs]. I don't think I've really been able to combine those two elements until this album.

RoadrunnerRecords.com: How would you say this MEGADETH lineup compares to lineups you've played with in the past?

Ellefson: Well, like ["TH1RT3EN" producer] Johnny K said about [guitarist] Chris Broderick, "He's very capable of playing anything we need him to play," which is true. That's the kind of player Chris is. He's very Chris practices eight hours a day, his chops are superb and Chris is a guy who works really good under direction. Shawn Drover [drums] is probably the best friend MEGADETH could ever have, because even though he wasn't there in the beginning, he breathes MEGADETH. He really understands what is at the core of MEGADETH and the music. And I think for Dave, knowing that he had me back as his right-hand man, he knew that he had a solid band under him, and he didn't have to stress about having to reeducate or educate or teach people how to play his music. He knew that whatever he wrote, we could play. And I think that was a major source of stress off Dave's head, and it allowed the whole project to be relaxed, and as a result we were able to make a MEGADETH album in 10 weeks.

Read the entire interview at RoadrunnerRecords.com.