Bass and Baseball: AJ DeMar living the dream as a professional musician and baseball player

Photos courtesy of AJ DeMar.

Dailyreggae.com caught up with AJ DeMar, bassist for Thrive and Soulwise, who is living the dream as a professional musician and baseball player for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

Great to meet you AJ! We’d love to learn about your journey as a musician and how you started playing in the band, Thrive.

My dad is a trumpet player and in second grade, I wanted a trumpet to be just like him. When I got to Junior High in the Worship band, I noticed there wasn’t a bass player, so figured I should learn. I got my first bass in eighth grade. It was awesome! There were two guitar players and I thought bass would be easier to learn, so I kind of gave up the trumpet, because I was embarrassed walking around campus with a trumpet (laughs). It felt a little cooler once I got to high school to play the bass. I was in all the band classes for four years in high school.

I got a scholarship to two colleges, played in jazz band and Worship bands, and met Matt Masih. He had his band Matt Masih & The Messengers and he was playing in Thrive. I would go to the house parties and jam out with these guys. Once I was done with college and playing professional baseball, Thrive needed a bass player. Matt was the keys player and remembered me from college. He was like this guy is pretty good! I played gospel music, so he thought I’d be pretty good.

I hopped in four or five years ago. They put me into the van and I’m learning their songs in the van. We stopped at a Guitar Center and I learned their set. We opened up for Through The Roots and Anuhea all through California, Oregon, and Washington. That was my first tour ever.

I was so thankful for the opportunity and then they started booking me for tours and shows. That’s how it all came about. Shout out to Matt Masish, Aaron, Kiki, Kenny, and Dalton our manager. Thrive is amazing people and good vibes. I love their lyrics.

Buddah was Through the Roots’ bass player. He took me under his wing and taught me a few things. He is nasty. He’s got his solo project, which I’m in love with. Corrick Watson is an amazing guitar player in the Thrive family. He sits in on any show he can. We love him and he’s on our recordings. Anuhea is a friend of mine now. The connections through Thrive and them playing for ten years are amazing. I feel blessed to be in the family.

Tell us about Thrive’s latest release, Rest Easy.

Aaron our lead singer lost a brother. I think that’s about him and the time in the world. Losing Kobe Bryant when we released it around that time hit home to a lot of people.

Nico from Tribal Theory had a loss in his family. I think we all experienced it. The timing of the song was awesome.

Thrive is working on a new album. What’s the process been like?

Yeah, HIRIE, is another friend we’ve toured with. We recently had an epic tour with her in Utah. They have a few musicians recording on the album, and they are all monsters. I have no hard feelings to have Andy Flores on the bass on some of those tracks. He’s also taken me under his wing.

I’m a baseball player. I grew up wanting to be a baseball player and my Dad also pushed music. I’m always learning. I’m lucky to be part of the band and to learn from Andy has been chill.

I imagine there is some similarity between baseball and music. It’s something that you must practice a lot to play at a professional level and you have people coming out to watch you and enjoy seeing you do what you have practiced, learned, and perfected. To you, what is the similarity and how does one help the other?

One of the first things I ask my baseball players and pitchers is do they like to be on center stage? In music, if you haven’t practiced, you get exposed. Whatever you’ve been putting in with your band and on your own, when you get on that stage, there is no more thinking.

You get to have more fun. You’ve got to love being on stage. Practicing, working on your craft every day, and not being satisfied. Being a part of a band or baseball team. There is nothing better than being a part of something.

That’s so cool you get to do both!

I’m blessed. Hard work and genetics. My Dad is 6’3. My best friend in Soulwise, Kevin Eichhorn’s dad won two World Series. That’s how Soulwise came about. When Kevin and I were done playing baseball, we started Soulwise and were like let’s make it to the big leagues in reggae music. We went to Cali Roots one year and fell in love. Hopefully, Soulwise will be on that stage.

Everything happened because of baseball and music! What a connection!

Do you have any upcoming shows with Thrive?

I’m getting married on May 30th! We have a show the night before at Roaring Camp Railroads opening for Tribal Seeds on May 29. They have their old bass player coming who is a monster and you’ll love him. Opening for Tribal Seeds is a dream come true, they are one of my favorites.

We’ll also be playing the Dry Diggins Festival in August.

When Thrive is making music, do you usually get in a rehearsal space and kind of jam it out? Do you normally have a few members songwriting that come in with a full song, or is it kind of all over the place?  

Aaron and Kenny live in Gualala, California, which is off the coast way up north. They’ll cruise into Santa Cruz and we’ll meet in a rehearsal studio, or sometimes we’ll meet in Santa Rosa in a rehearsal studio.

You have to come in with your parts locked in. Everyone is so professional. We’re in the pocket. And we’re starting to work with backtracks. All that helps us take it to a new level.

You recently signed to play professional baseball again with The Volcanoes! How is it going?

I feel like I have my toe dipped in a lot of things right now. The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league team. They were an affiliate with my favorite major league team, The Giants. The Giants aren’t currently using them, but a brand new professional baseball league is being started. The Portland Mavericks, Salem Senators, and other teams are playing.

I got drafted! I moved up to Portland with my fiancé to start a new life up here closer to family and got invited to coach at 503 Baseball Academy, which is the elite travel baseball program in the area. The owner is the Volcanoes pitching coach, and he heard about me playing in Japan. He invited me to coach and welcomed me to the area.

One day I was throwing in the facility and I hit 88 for the first time throwing in years. I was like, “Woah!” In front of the coach and players, the next time I hit 90. They drafted me to play this season. It’s one last shot.

If the Giants see me and pick me up, that’s the dream come true. That’s my ultimate dream. So, hey why not have some fun! I have Soulwise blasting in the stadium, while we’re out there right now. It’s pretty cool!

Why not? Baseball and music!

That’s so incredible AJ! We cannot wait to follow you this season! Switching gears back to music, are you working on any new Soulwise music?

Soulwise has so much music. We just need to get into the studio. We’re always writing new songs. Kevin is an amazing songwriter. His cousin, Sean is on Maui right now writing songs getting inspired by the ocean out there. Nicky D has an amazing voice and his own songs.

We want to put out a new album soon and some singles are on the way! Be ready!

Rest Easy by Thrive featuring Nico of Tribal Theory is the Daily Reggae Song of the Day.