Joe Principe
Encyclopedia
Joe Principe is the bass guitar
ist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the punk rock
band Rise Against
. He primarily uses Fender basses, Mesa amps and cabinets, and he uses pick-playing exclusively.
He is also a strict vegetarian, an animal rights
advocate and actively promotes PETA
with his band.
, Minor Threat
, Bad Brains
, the Descendents
and other like minded bands. Starting out in Chicago
punk band 88 Fingers Louie
. After 6 years of touring and releasing records with the band, Joe formed Rise Against with singer/guitarist Tim McIlrath
, former 88FL guitarist Mr. Precision, and drummer Brandon Barnes
. In 2002, Mr. Precison left and was replaced by Todd Mohney
, who was replaced by Chris Chasse in 2004, who was later replaced by guitarist Zach Blair
in 2007. Rise Against released their first two records (The Unraveling
, and Revolutions per Minute
) on Fat Wreck Chords
, and their next three (Siren Song of the Counter Culture
, The Sufferer & the Witness
, Appeal to Reason
) on Geffen
, and their latest album Endgame
was released on Interscope
.
In the spring and summer of 1994, he worked for a few months at Rotz Records, in the infamous basement warehouse. He was fired for incorrectly packaging CDs for The Offspring
's third album Smash.
Joe currently resides in suburban Chicago with his wife, Elena, their two children and dog, Dante.
He had also stated his favorite food is pizza. In fact his fellow bandmembers confirmed the fact that it was common for Joe to eat pizza every day. He even has a 'Pizza' tattoo, as seen on the Generation Lost
DVD documentary.
Along with fellow bandmates Tim McIlrath and Zach Blair, Joe is straight edge
.
poised to sustain Rise Against’s momentum, Principe has continued his own steady improvement as a musician. Previously a busier player, Joe focused on refining his interactions with the other instruments. “I made a conscious effort to let the guitars shine and to keep the rhythm with the drums. I didn’t want to do anything too flashy.” For most of the album’s tracks, Principe extended this no-frills approach to his tone. A pick and a touch of distortion were his building blocks, with a handful of studio rigs allowing him to find the right tone for each song: “I recorded with around five different setups, so we were able to blend whatever we wanted.” However, Principe did allow himself to try something radically different on The Good Left Undone
, which features a mellow break led by a layered bass-chord dirge. “Yeah,” he laughs. “That was four tracks of bass using an EBow. I imagined something where there wouldn’t be any attack from the bass—just sound. The engineer, Jason, said, ‘We’ve got to get an EBow.’ So we did.”
Though he took more of a supporting role on Sufferer & the Witness, Joe still added a tasteful selection of his trademark fills and runs. “I did more low-register bass fills this time. Usually I go to the upper octave on a fill, but this time I stayed low.” Principe credits this move to years of playing along with his favorite recordings. “I spent hours and hours sitting next to a boombox, pressing play, rewind, play, rewind, and trying to learn other peoples’ parts.” In addition to training his melodic sensibilities by ’shredding with albums by Rancid
and The Descendents, he also sweated along with NOFX
and thrash metal
bands such as Anthrax
to develop his speed and stamina.
Principe is as humble discussing his own playing as he is discussing his influences, and the sincerity of his approach to both shows in his bass lines. “They’re probably not much for anyone else to listen to, but the melodies I play remind me of the Descendents. That influence came out on this album more than any other, which is one thing I’m pretty proud of.”
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
. He primarily uses Fender basses, Mesa amps and cabinets, and he uses pick-playing exclusively.
He is also a strict vegetarian, an animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
advocate and actively promotes PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
with his band.
Biography
Joe began his musical career at age 15, learning to play by ear and influenced during his formative years by Bad ReligionBad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, the Descendents
Descendents (band)
The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...
and other like minded bands. Starting out in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
punk band 88 Fingers Louie
88 Fingers Louie
88 Fingers Louie is a band from Chicago, Illinois which was formed in 1993.They play a style of hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, and punk rock. In 1993 they released their debut 7", Go Away. After disbanding in 1999, members Joe Principe and Dan Wleklinski went on to form the punk rock band Rise...
. After 6 years of touring and releasing records with the band, Joe formed Rise Against with singer/guitarist Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
, former 88FL guitarist Mr. Precision, and drummer Brandon Barnes
Brandon Barnes
Brandon Barnes is an American musician and producer from Denver, Colorado. He is best known as the drummer for the punk rock band, Rise Against. Barnes is the only member of the band who is not straight edge.-Biography:...
. In 2002, Mr. Precison left and was replaced by Todd Mohney
Todd Mohney
Todd Mohney is an American guitarist, who formerly played guitar for the melodic hardcore band Rise Against. He is from Joliet, Illinois and currently resides in Los Angeles. He was active in The Killing Tree side-project band with Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath. The Killing Tree hasn't played...
, who was replaced by Chris Chasse in 2004, who was later replaced by guitarist Zach Blair
Zach Blair
Zach Blair is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based hardcore punk band Rise Against. He is originally from Sherman, Texas.Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of hardcore punk group Only Crime along with his brother, Doni Blair, who currently plays with...
in 2007. Rise Against released their first two records (The Unraveling
The Unraveling
The Unraveling is the debut full-length album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on April 24, 2001, and distributed through Fat Wreck Chords. Mass Giorgini produced the album at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana, in December 2000. It is the only Rise Against studio album on...
, and Revolutions per Minute
Revolutions per Minute (Rise Against album)
Revolutions per Minute is the second album by American punk rock band Rise Against. It features the single "Like the Angel" as well as a cover of Journey's single, "Any Way You Want It". The album is considered by many long-term fans to be overwhelmingly their best work.The album had a limited...
) on Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
, and their next three (Siren Song of the Counter Culture
Siren Song of the Counter Culture
-Personnel:Rise Against*Tim McIlrath – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Joe Principe – Bass, backing vocals*Chris Chasse – Lead guitar, backing vocals*Brandon Barnes – Drums, percussionArtwork*Shepard Fairey – Cover illustration...
, The Sufferer & the Witness
The Sufferer & the Witness
-Personnel:Rise Against* Tim McIlrath – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar solo on "Prayer of the Refugee"* Joe Principe – Bass guitar, backing vocals* Chris Chasse – Lead guitar, backing vocals* Brandon Barnes – Drums, percussion...
, Appeal to Reason
Appeal to Reason
The Appeal to Reason was a weekly political newspaper published in the American Midwest from 1895 until 1922. The paper was known for its radical politics, lending support over the years to the Farmers' Alliance and Populist movement before becoming a mainstay of the Socialist Party of America...
) on Geffen
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, and their latest album Endgame
Endgame (Rise Against album)
Endgame is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Produced by Bill Stevenson, it was released on March 15, 2011. Rise Against began work on the album in September 2010, after completing touring in support of its previous album, Appeal to Reason, in mid-2010...
was released on Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
.
In the spring and summer of 1994, he worked for a few months at Rotz Records, in the infamous basement warehouse. He was fired for incorrectly packaging CDs for The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
's third album Smash.
Joe currently resides in suburban Chicago with his wife, Elena, their two children and dog, Dante.
He had also stated his favorite food is pizza. In fact his fellow bandmembers confirmed the fact that it was common for Joe to eat pizza every day. He even has a 'Pizza' tattoo, as seen on the Generation Lost
Generation Lost
Generation Lost is a DVD documentary by the punk rock band Rise Against. It contains a documentary entitled How We Survive, directed by Davy Rothbart, and the songs "Injection", "Like the Angel", "Black Masks & Gasoline", and "Paper Wings" performed live at a show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles...
DVD documentary.
Along with fellow bandmates Tim McIlrath and Zach Blair, Joe is straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
.
Details
With the follow-up The Sufferer & the WitnessThe Sufferer & the Witness
-Personnel:Rise Against* Tim McIlrath – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar solo on "Prayer of the Refugee"* Joe Principe – Bass guitar, backing vocals* Chris Chasse – Lead guitar, backing vocals* Brandon Barnes – Drums, percussion...
poised to sustain Rise Against’s momentum, Principe has continued his own steady improvement as a musician. Previously a busier player, Joe focused on refining his interactions with the other instruments. “I made a conscious effort to let the guitars shine and to keep the rhythm with the drums. I didn’t want to do anything too flashy.” For most of the album’s tracks, Principe extended this no-frills approach to his tone. A pick and a touch of distortion were his building blocks, with a handful of studio rigs allowing him to find the right tone for each song: “I recorded with around five different setups, so we were able to blend whatever we wanted.” However, Principe did allow himself to try something radically different on The Good Left Undone
The Good Left Undone
"The Good Left Undone" is the third single from Rise Against's fourth full-length album, The Sufferer & the Witness. In June 2007, they announced that they would be holding a contest to determine who could make the best video for the song...
, which features a mellow break led by a layered bass-chord dirge. “Yeah,” he laughs. “That was four tracks of bass using an EBow. I imagined something where there wouldn’t be any attack from the bass—just sound. The engineer, Jason, said, ‘We’ve got to get an EBow.’ So we did.”
Though he took more of a supporting role on Sufferer & the Witness, Joe still added a tasteful selection of his trademark fills and runs. “I did more low-register bass fills this time. Usually I go to the upper octave on a fill, but this time I stayed low.” Principe credits this move to years of playing along with his favorite recordings. “I spent hours and hours sitting next to a boombox, pressing play, rewind, play, rewind, and trying to learn other peoples’ parts.” In addition to training his melodic sensibilities by ’shredding with albums by Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
and The Descendents, he also sweated along with NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
bands such as Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
to develop his speed and stamina.
Principe is as humble discussing his own playing as he is discussing his influences, and the sincerity of his approach to both shows in his bass lines. “They’re probably not much for anyone else to listen to, but the melodies I play remind me of the Descendents. That influence came out on this album more than any other, which is one thing I’m pretty proud of.”
Gear
- Bass Fender American Vintage '57 Precision (tuned EbAbDbGb)
- Joe Principe Signature Specimen Aluminum Bass Guitar
- Ernie Ball Regular Slinky strings
- Dunlop Nylon 88mm picks
- EBow (in studio)
- Seymour Duncan Basslines Pickups (Quarter Pound)
Discography
With Rise AgainstRise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
- Transistor RevoltTransistor Revolt (demo)-Personnel:Rise Against*Tim McIlrath - lead vocals*Mr. Precision - guitar, backing vocals*Joe Principe - bass, backing vocals*Toni Tintari - drums, percussion...
(2000) - The UnravelingThe UnravelingThe Unraveling is the debut full-length album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on April 24, 2001, and distributed through Fat Wreck Chords. Mass Giorgini produced the album at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana, in December 2000. It is the only Rise Against studio album on...
(2001) - Revolutions per MinuteRevolutions per Minute (Rise Against album)Revolutions per Minute is the second album by American punk rock band Rise Against. It features the single "Like the Angel" as well as a cover of Journey's single, "Any Way You Want It". The album is considered by many long-term fans to be overwhelmingly their best work.The album had a limited...
(2003) - Siren Song of the Counter CultureSiren Song of the Counter Culture-Personnel:Rise Against*Tim McIlrath – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Joe Principe – Bass, backing vocals*Chris Chasse – Lead guitar, backing vocals*Brandon Barnes – Drums, percussionArtwork*Shepard Fairey – Cover illustration...
(2004) - The Sufferer & the WitnessThe Sufferer & the Witness-Personnel:Rise Against* Tim McIlrath – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar solo on "Prayer of the Refugee"* Joe Principe – Bass guitar, backing vocals* Chris Chasse – Lead guitar, backing vocals* Brandon Barnes – Drums, percussion...
(2006) - This Is NoiseThis Is NoiseThis Is Noise is the first EP by Rise Against. It was released on July 3, 2007 in Canada, and January 15, 2008 on iTunes by Geffen Records. The EP features 5 songs....
(2007) - Appeal to ReasonAppeal to ReasonThe Appeal to Reason was a weekly political newspaper published in the American Midwest from 1895 until 1922. The paper was known for its radical politics, lending support over the years to the Farmers' Alliance and Populist movement before becoming a mainstay of the Socialist Party of America...
(2008) - Rise Against / Anti-Flag (2009)
- Rise Against 7"Rise Against 7""Grammatizator" / "Voice of Dissent" is a single by the American punk rock band Rise Against, released May 12, 2009, on Fat Wreck Chords.According to the band, the single was a result of a bet the band lost to NOFX frontman and Fat Wreck Chords chairman Fat Mike, to release an exclusive 7" vinyl on...
(2009) - EndgameEndgame (Rise Against album)Endgame is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Produced by Bill Stevenson, it was released on March 15, 2011. Rise Against began work on the album in September 2010, after completing touring in support of its previous album, Appeal to Reason, in mid-2010...
(2011)