METALLICA Bassist's Wife Discusses Her Art

Radio Metal recently conducted an interview Chloé Trujillo, wife of former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES/OZZY OSBOURNE and current METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Radio Metal: You painted some of Robert's bass guitars: these can be particularly seen on your web site. What's your process when you customize a bass guitar? Do you work directly with Warwick basses?

Chloé Trujillo: The first bass guitars I did weren't for Warwick: it practically happened by accident. Robert had a wooden bass guitar entirely blank, he gave it to me telling me to do something on it and as we were in Paris, I had at my disposal, in my grandfather's cellar, all my poker-work material. I therefore started to work on this bass in Paris with my old material, and as it was for Robert, I wanted to do something in relation to him so, like for my paintings, I didn't plan anything: I just started to think of him and this Aztec calendar just came out right away. We were renting at the time a small flat in Paris, we stayed there three months, and it was during this time that I finished my first bass guitar. He loved the result and immediately gave me another one. After that, he found that Warwick bass guitars sounded better so he gave me one and thence, he would give me another one every time. I met the guys of Warwick at the NAMM show (L.A's music convention). They invited us and kindly offered a bass guitar to our son. They asked me if I would be interested in painting other guitars. They sent me two of them which had been used on the METALLICA tour for the Canadian and Mexican shows. Since then, I received an e-mail from them and they're going to send me two other bass guitars that I'm planning to paint. This adventure started by accident in Paris and was followed by a snowball effect.

Radio Metal: Could you do an artwork for a METALLICA record?

Chloé Trujillo: For me, it's possible. If they ask me, I'll say yes, but I don't want to push the whole thing. I'm not that opportunistic but if the idea comes from them, I'll never say no, it would be a huge honor. Recently, I drew two new picks for Robert, but the thing came from his tech who said to me that they needed new ones and so he wanted to know if I could design them. It really pleased me a lot! This guy is someone that I've known for years, he knows that I'm an artist, but it was only for this occasion that he asked me to do it. I've never forced the whole thing, I prefer being asked and I would accept with pleasure: I like it when things come naturally.

Radio Metal: Before he joined Ozzy and after METALLICA, Robert was known because of its slapped bass line, and his funky side: he was one of the most renowned funk-metal bass players. For some time now, we don't hear him doing these kind of lines: do you know how he feels about that? Does he miss that and would he like to reintroduce it in his regular playing?

Chloé Trujillo: He's very happy to be in METALLICA. All the guys get along well together, everything's fine, but it is true that when he plays at home, these funky lines always come out: I think he misses it. I imagine that METALLICA is certainly going to write a new album, but I don't know exactly when: I'm not in the band to know what's going on. However, every time this happens, Robert is very active, he likes to write a lot, and I know that he loves all this "funky" side. He listens to metal, to lots of differents bands, even new ones, but he's also into funk. I know that when he has his bass with him, he plays a maximum of slapping funk lines: it's something he has indeed in him.

Read the entire interview from Radio Metal.