Tim Commerford

Last updated

Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford rage.jpg
Commerford in 2007
Background information
Also known as
  • Timmy C
  • Y.tim.K.
  • Tim Bob
  • tim.com
  • S.W.I.M.
  • Tim the Bassist
Born
Timothy Commerford

(1968-02-26) February 26, 1968 (age 57)
Irvine, California, U.S.
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Bass guitar
  • vocals
Years active1988–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Spouse
Aleece Dimas
​
​
(m. 2001;div. 2024)​
Website ratm.com

Timothy Commerford [2] (born February 26, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, respectively, he has also been the lead singer and bassist of the bands Future User and Wakrat.

Contents

He was ranked eighth on Paste magazine's list of "20 Underrated Bass Guitarists" in 2014. [3]

Early life

Commerford was born on February 26, 1968, in Irvine, California. [4] Growing up, he was a fan of Rush, Gene Simmons, Sid Vicious, Steve Harris, and Geddy Lee. [5]

Career

Audioslave (2001–2007)

Commerford performing with Audioslave at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005 Tim Commerford Montreux Jazz Festival 2005.jpg
Commerford performing with Audioslave at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005

After de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, music producer Rick Rubin suggested the three remaining members of Rage get together with then-former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, and "see what happens". [6] The newly formed Audioslave later released their eponymous debut album in November 2002, [7] which would attain triple platinum status. [8]

Future User, Wakrat and 7D7D (2014–present)

Commerford co-founded the band Future User, together with Jordan Tarlow (keys), Jon Knox (drums) and producer Brendan O'Brien (guitars). Commerford plays bass and is the vocalist of the band. Commerford hid several months under the S.W.I.M persona on the first music videos, before unmasking himself in the "Mountain Lion" video. [9] The "Mountain Lion" video featured road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, a close friend of Commerford, [10] while a skateboarding Commerford appears to inject himself with a steroid. [11] [12]

Tim Commerford Performing at Red Rocks in 2016 Tim Commerford Performing at Red Rocks in 2016.jpg
Tim Commerford Performing at Red Rocks in 2016

In 2015, he formed "punk and hardcore-influenced band", named Wakrat. The band also features drummer Mathias Wakrat and guitarist Laurent Grangeon. The band debuted their first single, "Knucklehead", in September 2015. [13]

In 2022, Commerford launched a new project, 7D7D, with Mathias Wakrat and Jonny Polonsky. The group debuted their first single, "Capitalism", in November. [1]

Other contributions

Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk contributed to Maynard James Keenan's side project Puscifer and his album "V" Is for Vagina on the track "Momma Sed". Both have taken part in the production of Dave Grohl's 2013 Sound City soundtrack, with the track "Time Slowing Down". In 2010, Commerford was interviewed and appeared in the documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage . [14]

Personal life

In 2001, Commerford married his longtime girlfriend, Aleece Dimas. They have two sons together. In November 2018, the couple announced they were divorcing, finalizing their divorce five years later in 2024. [15]

Commerford is a self-described "conspiracy theorist". In a Rolling Stone interview in 2015, he claimed that the Moon landing was faked and he confronted Buzz Aldrin about it at a John Cusack movie premiere. In the same interview, Commerford also stated that he does not believe ISIS is real and cast doubt upon the ISIS beheading videos: [16] [17]

They're not real. They're high-def. They have a soundtrack. The parts of those videos that you couldn't fake are edited out. At first, I thought it was edited out by our government so our kids wouldn't be seeing it on the Internet, but no. That's the way those videos came. The knife starts to cut the neck, and then it fades out. There's too much stuff that doesn't look real. They've edited out the parts that would be too hard to fake. We created Jihadi John and ISIS so we can go drop bombs. [16]

In December 2022, Commerford revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier in the year, and had undergone surgery prior to going on tour with Rage Against the Machine that summer. [18]

Artistry

Technique

Commerford plays bass with his fingers and prefers not to use a pick, explaining, "I don't play with a pick at all. Chris Squire is the only pick player that I like. I don't even consider using a pick on the bass as bass playing; that's more like playing guitar on the bass. But (Squire) had that that kind of pick/thumb together that made this just unbelievable sound. Like 'Roundabout,' the bass sound on that is still one of my favorite bass sounds of all time, just the tone of it. But fingers are the only way to fly for me, man." [19]

Equipment

Commerford has been using various Music Man StingRay basses since 2016, a brand he has liked since his beginnings with Rage Against The Machine. [20] MusicMan released several custom Artist Series basses in 2021 and 2024. [21] [22] He previously used Fender Jazz Basses with Fender Precision Bass necks and Lakland basses. [23]

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 Hadusek, Jon (November 28, 2022). "RATM Bassist Tim Commerford's 7D7D Unveil Debut Single "Capitalism": Stream". Consequence . Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  2. ↑ "CLOCKWORK". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Barrett, John (July 9, 2014). "The 20 Most Underrated Bass Guitarists". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 2163. ISBN   9780857125958.
  5. ↑ Graff, Gary (June 14, 2015). "FBPO Exclusive Interview with Tim Commerford". For Bass Players Only. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  6. ↑ Irwin, Corey (November 18, 2022). "20 Years Ago: Audioslave Arrives With Powerhouse First Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022.
  7. ↑ Albano, Ric (February 25, 2015). "Review: Audioslave". Modern Rock Review. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ Porche, Brent (November 18, 2022). "Audioslaves Debut Album Turns 20!". 93-3 FM WMMR . Archived from the original on December 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ Tilles, Jay (January 27, 2015). "Who is Future User? New Band Reveals Identities in Exclusive Interview". Radio.com . CBS Corporation . Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  10. ↑ Andriakos, Jacqueline (January 27, 2015). "Lance Armstrong Makes Cameo in New Drug-Related Music Video". People . Time Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Lance Armstrong Talks Trash in RATM Offshoot Future User's 'Mountain Lion' Video". Rolling Stone . January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Mandell, Nina (January 27, 2015). "Lance Armstrong makes cameo in new music video about PEDs". USA Today . Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Bowar, Chad (September 25, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine Bassist Tim Commerford Forms New Band Wakrat Read More: Rage Against the Machine Bassist Forms New Band Wakrat". Loudwire . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  14. ↑ Greene, Andy (June 16, 2010). "Rush "Fired Up" By Career-Spanning Documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  15. ↑ Bell, Sadie (January 10, 2024). "Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine's Divorce Finalized over 5 Years After His Wife Filed". Archived from the original on January 11, 2024.
  16. 1 2 Newman, Jason (October 2, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine Bassist Gives Band Update, Talks ISIS, Trump". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  17. ↑ Hartmann, Graham (October 2, 2015). "Rage Against the Machine's Tim Commerford: 'I Don't Believe ISIS Is Real' Read More: RATM's Tim Commerford: 'I Don't Believe ISIS Is Real'". Loudwire . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford reveals prostate cancer". BBC News. December 13, 2022.
  19. ↑ "FBPO Exclusive Interview with Tim Commerford". forbassplayersonly.com. June 15, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Rig Rundown - Tim Commerford". YouTube . October 18, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Ernie Ball Music Man: Tim Commerford Artist Series StingRay Bass". YouTube . July 29, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Ernie Ball Music Man: Tim Commerford Artist Series StingRay Bass". YouTube . November 20, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Tim Commerford – Fender News & Tech Talk". fender.com. September 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2014. I like Jazz basses. I've been playing Jazz basses with Precision Bass necks, and I'm almost thinking that I want to switch to Jazz Bass necks, because I have one regular Jazz Bass out here on tour and I end up playing that one because it's the most comfortable one for me.
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