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Interview: April Kae On Creative Process, Gear, Social Media, and Touring with Fever 333

We had the pleasure of speaking with April Kae about her creative process, gear setup, social media approach, upcoming tours with Fever 333, and more.

By Magesh MageshContributing Author

Photo credit: @danalaurengoldstein

April Kae is a powerhouse bassist, singer, songwriter, and producer. She has worked with Kirk Douglas of The Roots, Latin pop icon Ricardo Arjona, and singer-songwriter Caroline Kingsbury.

April has over 1.5 million followers across her social media platforms. 

Magesh Magesh, Musicngear: You have such an amazing feel on the bass guitar! Do you have a specific routine for practicing your instrument?

Thank you! For me, practice is all about finding that sweet spot between discipline and playfulness. As I’ve been working toward my debut as a solo artist, I’ve been focusing on honing my own creative voice, experimenting with new sounds, and pushing my musical boundaries to figure out what feels genuinely authentic to me.

I injured my hand last year, and that was a harsh reminder that, just like athletes, musicians have to warm up their muscles before they play.

This is my go-to - I always do this before I jump into a song: 

But honestly, the heart of my routine revolves around exploring different genres and experimenting with new ideas to keep things fresh and exciting. I always suggest beginners start by playing songs they already know and love because it’s built-in motivation to practice.

I spent a lot of last year drilling Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, and my current “study song” is Teen Town by Jaco Pastorius. 

Lately, I've been incorporating songwriting into my daily practice, looping melodies and riffs, and deciding what feels good and should be included in my songs. 

Also, something I swear by is filming short bass jams regularly. I’ve noticed it really boosts my creativity and helps me stay connected with my audience.

Musicngear: You have over 900k followers on Instagram. Can you explain the feeling of knowing that this many people love your music and what you create?

It’s an incredible feeling knowing that so many people connect deeply with my music and creative expression. When I shifted my presence toward sharing my journey as a bassist and artist, that's when I truly found my voice and began resonating on a deeper level.

Music has always been the most genuine way for me to communicate, and letting people see this authentic, vulnerable part of myself has completely changed my life.

Above all, it's an immense honor and a profound responsibility to have my music and voice embraced by such a beautiful and supportive community.

Musicngear: You've played jazz, rock, funk, and punk music. Is there anything that links these styles?

Totally. To some people, jazz, rock, funk, and punk are completely unrelated, but for me, they’re all about expressing raw authenticity. These genres give emotional truth, rebellion, and self-expression. 

I performed at Coachella 2025 both weekends with SAINt JHN and had the opportunity to bring my love of all these different genres together. 

Jazz taught me freedom through improvisation, rock showed me how to channel my passion and intensity, funk gave me groove and swagger, and punk is all about rebellion and unapologetic honesty. 

And all four of these genres are deeply rooted in the history and creativity of the Black American experience.

Something people find surprising is that before playing jazz, I started out on upright bass playing classical orchestral music. And I’m so grateful for the technique and fundamentals I learned.

Playing lots of different genres, I’m always looking for genuine connection, where I can show up fully as myself and inspire others to do the same.

Photo credit- @bandgedoe
 

Musicngear: Most people struggle to get followers on social media. How can new artists build up their online fan base?

There is so much about being an artist that is different than what it used to be. You have to be a videographer, editor, and copywriter. You have to be your own marketing team, etc. You are also a scientist because there has to be a bit of experimentation to figure out what content format is resonating with people. And then you put on your data analyst hat to analyze the numbers.

All that to say, if you’re struggling to grow a following, please know that it is not easy. 

But we can do things to help ourselves: things like posting consistently. If you want numbers, making sure you stick to a pattern makes a huge difference. 

Posting once a week for 7 weeks will get you way better results than posting every day for a week and not posting again for two months.

But building an authentic community base is also so important, establishing a base that stays with you for the long haul. You don’t just want people to see your stuff; you want them to stay, comment, engage, and then come back and do it repeatedly.

Musicngear: Can you talk about the equipment you use?

Just this week, I had the opportunity to work with Ohma microphones to create a custom pink and magenta mic. I love their microphones, the way they sound so true to life, and really capture the warmth in a room. It was such a great experience going to their factory and building something perfect for me with one of the founders, Char Gibbs.

I use this mic every day. As a bassist and singer, I love how it’s great for bass AND vocals. I can’t say enough good things about it. 

The Fender American Professional II Precision Bass is my favorite bass model, and I have a few signature models with Fender that they’ve made just for me, inspired by this bass.

Gallien Krueger is my favorite bass amp brand, my first ever amp was GK, and it’s still my main practice amp! I’m thrilled to announce I’m officially a GK artist.

For practice amps, I basically own everything in the Spark line and use all of it in different aspects of my practicing, from at home, to on the tour bus, to backstage…

I produce in Logic, and I’ve been really into amp modelers for the past few years for my effects. Live, I use the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, and when I’m producing, I use the UA modelers and Guitar Rig 7.

That said, I love my EarthQuaker Devices and Boss pedals!

I also recently got a Boss RC-505 MKII looper that I’ve been experimenting with and am excited to share soon in live shows and online.

My absolute favorite headphones are the Sony MDR-7506 Professional Closed-Back Headphones. I’ve used tons of headphones over the years, and for the past decade, have kept coming back for these. 

For vlogging, behind-the-scenes, and bass lessons, Sennheiser has a fantastic new mic for content creators called the Profile Wireless. It’s a 2-channel microphone system that I really love.

Musicngear: What projects are you currently working on?

Right now, I’m deep in preparation for my solo debut as an artist. I'm writing a series of singles set to release starting mid-2025.

Earlier this year, I worked with Ricardo Arjona on his visual album, and I’m so excited for that to drop! To kick off festival season this year, I performed with SAINt JHN both weekends of Coachella, which got me really excited for playing all three Warped Tour stops with my band Fever 333 this year.

It’s a vibrant, rewarding season. I'm bringing all these creative threads together to build something deeply personal that feels true to me.

Vans Warped Tour:

June 14-15 Washington, D.C. 

July 26-27 Long Beach, CA 

Nov. 15-16 Orlando, FL 

Fever 333 Functions:

July 28th - Hawthorne - Portland, OR

July 29th - Madame Lou’s - Seattle, WA

July 31st - Goldfields Midtown - Sacramento, CA

Aug 1st - Neck of The Woods - San Francisco, CA

Aug 2nd - Strimmer - Fresno, CA

Aug 3rd - Soma Side Stage - San Diego, CA

Aug 5th - Meow Wolf - Denver, CO 

Aug 6th - Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO

Aug 8th - The Rock - Tuscon, AZ

Aug 9th - Backstage Bar, Las Vegas, NZ 

Connect with April Kae
Instagram // TikTok // Website

About Magesh Magesh

Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour. He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk

Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com

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