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A picture of Maggie Vail

Maggie Vail

Executive director (CASH Music), musician (Hurry Up)

Who are you, and what do you do?

I'm Maggie Vail. I am one of the executive directors of the nonprofit organization CASH Music, label manager of Bikini Kill Records, the bass player in Hurry Up, DJ Magic Beans, and 1/3 of the all lady DJ troupe Strange Babes. I'm also Johnny's best friend and am working on my first solo album.

What hardware do you use?

I use a 2014 MacBook Air for computing.

My bass set up for Hurry Up is an Acoustic 370 amp from 1972 (the year they started making them) with an Acoustic 407 cabinet. The cabinet has 2 x 15" speakers that I replaced in 1998 with ones that have SUPER heavy magnets. I've been carrying this around with me ever since without blowing anything. It's insanely heavy. I play a 1976 Fender Mustang bass and I use an Ampeg Scrambler pedal that is always on.

I have a 1966 or 67 Fender Mustang guitar and use an Epiphone Blues Custom 30 amp.

My drum set is a 1968 Ludwig blue sparkle kit - 22" bass drum, 16" floor tom, and 14" rack. My snare is a 1966 Ludwig Supraphonic. I have vintage Zildjian cymbals.

I also have a microKORG synthesizer.

I record demos on a Tascam 8 track Portastudio.

And what software?

This is probably the least interesting part of my life. I use boring stuff like Mail, Chrome, Endicia for mailing stuff, Slack for yelling at you, Sublime Text, Office. I have to use the shit out of Excel for royalties. I uses Notes on my phone so I don't forget good song titles and lyrics. Been trying to use TeamGantt but I don't get it really.

What would be your dream setup?

Computer-wise I'd like a HUGE monitor and a shit-ton of memory. I want this to magically pop up wherever I travel to. I do NOT want to carry it. I loathe actually using a laptop as I have terrible back problems and being hunched over all the time causes me pain but circumstances are such that I must work wherever I go. Sigh.

I almost have my dream set up music equipment wise. I'd like to not share a hi-hat stand with my bandmate Kathy so I have it set up at all times. I need a better crash cymbal but I haven't found it yet. Other than that I have the drums I've always wanted. My guitar is a fucking dream. I miss my old Sunn bass amp, it's a solid state Coliseum 300 that seems to have a ghost in it. I've tried to have it repaired but the problem remains. I used to have to hit it in my old band, sort of like Fonzie, to get it to stop rumbling.