Korn’s Munky on Tye Trujillo: ‘He’s Handling Himself Just Like His Dad’
Tye Trujillo, son of Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, has been filling in for Korn's Fieldy on their South American tour and it's been one of the coolest moments of the year. He's been confidently ripping it up onstage and James 'Munky' Shaffer sees a star in the making and traces of Tye's father in the youngster's playing and composure offstage.
Munky spoke with NME about Korn's prodigious fill-in, stating both the band and Tye are "having a great time." Speaking about Tye's abilities and future as a bassist, the guitarist continued, "[He] knows like 17, 18 Korn songs and he knows them really well – it’s crazy. All the stops and the breaks… it’s crazy to see somebody that young so talented. He’s gonna be a professional musician and to know that at that early of an age is just inspiring.”
The temporary gig has naturally sent a lot of attention Tye's way, but he's handling it with aplomb according to Munky. “When we go to the shows, he’s got people wanting his picture and his autograph – he’s a little overwhelmed, but he’s handling himself just like his dad, which is cool, collected and modest," he remarked.
The announcement that Tye would be assuming the bass role in Korn on this tour seemed completely unexpected, but it turns out the seeds had previously been planted. Munky explained that Jonathan Davis and Fieldy "bumped into [Robert Trujillo] in some airline lounge." The proud father Robert then showed the Korn members videos of Tye's playing, which proceeded to blow them away.
"When we found out Fieldy wasn’t gonna be able to come on this trip with us, he suggested Tye. It’s not just some replacement – this is the DNA of Robert Trujillo, one of the greatest bass players on the planet! You can see it – it’s crazy how much you see his dad in him," Munky elaborated.
Tye's run with Korn will come to an end on April 29 in Lima, Peru. Returning stateside after the trek, Korn's next date is at the Carolina Rebellion festival on May 6 where Fieldy will reclaim his role.
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