“If I don't like the bassline, then I'm probably not gonna enjoy playing the song”: Mike Mills on his “selfish” R.E.M. basslines – and their long-awaited reunion

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mike Mills, bass player of R.E.M., performs onstage during the Jim Irsay Collection Exhibit and Concert at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on January 11, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

In an unexpected move, R.E.M. briefly reunited to perform an acoustic version of Losing My Religion at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony on June 13. Now, in a new interview with Rick Beato, bassist Mike Mills explains why the bassline is a crucial ingredient in any R.E.M. song and sets the record straight about a possible R.E.M. reunion tour.

“Kind of selfish [but] if I don't like the bassline, then I'm probably not gonna enjoy playing the song," he admits.