10 Questions with Liv Thompson 

If you’re one of the millions of people who’ve seen pop sensation Raye on the Grammys, nearly every late-night TV stage, and the headlining slot at Glastonbury, you’ve probably noticed the bass player rocking a 5-string F Bass during her sets. That’s Liv Thompson, always deep in the pocket and holding down the groove of Raye’s soulful mix of R&B, jazz, pop, and dance.

Born in the small town of East Yorkshire, England, Thompson picked up bass at 15 and began gigging a year later. After attending the Royal Northern College of Music, she played with artists like Cat Burns, Zara Larsson, and Little Mix before getting the call to join Raye, contributing bass and vocals to the chart-topping 2026 album This Music May Contain Hope. We asked Liv to answer our 10 Questions on a break during Raye’s current world tour.

1. What have you been listening to lately? 

I’ve been revisiting a lot of music I grew up listening to: Led Zeppelin, Yes, the Who, Phil Collins and Genesis, Paul Simon, Joy Division, and Pink Floyd. I’ve also been really loving Rosalía’s new album Lux, an amazing Irish band called Fontaines D.C., and a lot of Kendrick Lamar.

2. What’s something readers would be surprised that you listen to? 

I’ve always really loved metal, and I used to play in a metal band when I was a teenager. I love Slipknot, Iron Maiden, System of a Down, and Korn. I also absolutely love Dominican dembow — [the artist] El Alfa is my favorite.

3. What’s one element of your playing that you most want to improve?

I’m always working on all areas of my playing, and I try to keep a practice journal every day to keep track of my progress. At the moment, one of my biggest goals is to keep adding to my repertoire. I want to diversify my playing as much as I can. I’m on tour all the time at the moment so making sure I’m playing as much music as possible is really important.

4. What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended?

That has to be Queen at Madison Square Garden two years ago. I was touring at the time, and luckily, the concert happened to fall on a day off in New York. It was an amazing experience and a concert I’ll never forget.  

5. If you could have lunch with any bass player, alive or dead, who would it be? 

I would definitely say Pino Palladino. He’s my favorite bass player of all time. I would love to hear about his journey as a player and how he approaches music in general. I would have a million questions!

6. If you could sub for any bass player in any band, who would it be? 

I think subbing for Mark Stoermer from the Killers would be really fun. They have so many amazing songs. I would also love to sub for two of my favorite bands: Vampire Weekend and Everything Everything. There are no skips on any of their albums, and there are so many amazing bass lines.  

7. What was your first bass? 

My very first bass was a Yamaha BB424 with a natural finish. It was my only bass until my second year of music college. It sounds great and it feels really nice to play. I recently donated it to my old school [so that] students could use it to learn bass, and I’m super excited that I’m able to help out younger players.  

8. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about playing bass? 

Focus on consistency and locking in with the drummer. If your tone is consistent and powerful and you’re locked in on the nuances of what the drummer is playing, it instantly sounds great.  

9. What the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you during a performance? 

There are definitely a few over my seven years of being a professional. One that I remember was having to go out in front of the curtain to grab a microphone, but I couldn’t find the gap in the curtain to get backstage, and I was stuck out there in front of a crowd for a little while.  

10. What are four items you absolutely need to have on the road? 

1. My Boss Katana Go headphone amp. It’s great for practicing on the road, it fits in my pocket, and it sounds great.  
2. My noise-cancelling headphones. They’re essential for travelling, especially on flights.
3. My Kindle. I’ve been getting into reading over the past few months of touring, and it really makes time fly while travelling on planes. Having a Kindle also saves on carrying books.  
4. My F Bass. This is definitely my favorite bass of all time and I don’t know what I would do without it.  

Follow Liv: Here