April Kae, the bass sensation known for her viral TikTok presence and as the bassist for the rapcore band Fever 333, has shared her experiences regarding the physical challenges she faced due to her demanding musical career. In an interview with MusicRadar, Kae disclosed how the multifaceted role of being a musician and content creator led to a repetitive strain injury, which necessitated a significant change in her playing technique.
“I think if there’s any challenge, to be honest, it’s playing with a pick,” Kae explained. “I think some of those riffs just don’t really work with fingers. I think it’s fun to play them [with fingers], and it can work at home, but I think playing with the band and playing in that riff-based style [works better with a pick].”
Kae elaborated on how transitioning to using a pick posed both a challenge and an opportunity for growth. “Adjusting to the pick has been a new challenge. I love playing with my fingers. I feel like it’s part of the dance. I dance with my body and my hands, and it extends to my fingers. I’m trying to figure out how to do that with the pick and have the precision that I want. I think it’s a challenge, but in a fun way, like a video game. I’ve got to master this level so I can do the next thing.”
The switch to using a pick was not just a technical adjustment but also a crucial measure for her physical well-being. “I had a hand injury from overuse, from using my fingers too much,” Kae revealed. “Musicians have to be content creators and videographers and everything, right? That’s a lot on your hands if you’re an instrumentalist. I damaged my hands editing and producing. Literally, I was editing, producing video, producing music, producing bass and playing bass – and it damaged my hands. You’re not supposed to use your hands to do every single thing in the day, right? So using the pick actually saved my hands. I like that I can do both now and incorporate both in my playing because I now have that versatility and I think it’ll really help my longevity as a player.”
Fever 333 are set to tour the US in October and early November, followed by a mainland Europe tour in mid-November and concluding with a UK leg in late November and early December.
