View source for Jason McCaslin

{{Short description|Canadian musician (born 1980)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Jason McCaslin
| background        = solo_singer
| image             = 2023 Rock im Park - Sum 41 - Jason McCaslin - by 2eight - ZSC3353 (cropped).jpg
| caption           = McCaslin performing at [[Rock am Ring and Rock im Park|Rock im Park]] in 2023
| birth_name        = 
| alias             = {{plainlist|
* Cone
* Sniper
* Dr. Dynamite
}}
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1980|09|03|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[North York]], [[Ontario]], Canada<ref name="Exclaim">{{cite web |last=Gormley |first=Ian |title=Sum 41 Survive Teen Stardom, Substance Abuse and Changing Tastes to Rise Again on 'Out for Blood' |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sum_41_survive_teen_stardom_substance_abuse_and_changing_tastes_to_rise_again_on_out_for_blood |website=[[Exclaim!]] |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=12 July 2019}}</ref>
| instrument        = {{flatlist|
* Bass
* vocals
}}
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Pop punk]]
* [[punk rock]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[garage rock]]
* [[melodic hardcore]] 
* [[alternative metal]]
}}
| occupation        = {{flatlist|
* Musician
* songwriter
* producer
* singer
}}
| years_active      = 1998–present
| label             = [[Island Records|Island]]
| current_member_of = [[The Operation M.D.]]
| past_member_of    = [[Sum 41]]
| website           = 
}}

'''Jason ''' "'''Cone'''" '''McCaslin''' (born September 3, 1980)<ref name="Exclaim" /> is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the band [[Sum 41]]. He and frontman [[Deryck Whibley]] are the only two members of the band to appear on every studio album.

==Early life==
McCaslin began playing bass at the age of 14, as a member of a [[grunge]] garage band called Second Opinion.
He is of [[Irish people|Irish]]/[[Swedes|Swedish]] descent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sum 41 official website @ IslandRecords.com – Home |url=http://www.islandrecords.com/site/artist_newsinfo.php?uf_item_id=3-1733484&uf_system_id=0&artist_id=259 |date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=2009-06-26 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

McCaslin attended Exeter High School in [[Ajax, Ontario]] along with fellow [[Sum 41]] band members [[Deryck Whibley]], [[Dave Baksh]], and their former drummer [[Steve Jocz]].

He acquired the nickname "Cone" from fellow band member [[Deryck Whibley]] in high school, because he frequently ate [[ice cream]] cones at lunch.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1130-sum-41-biography | title=Sum 41 Biography Bio Pictures Brown Bizzy D Sound Stevo 32 Cone Pic | access-date=2008-04-24 | archive-date=June 25, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625060937/http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1130-sum-41-biography | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://theresnosolution.com/en/index.php?module=band_cone | title=TheresNoSolution.com : Sum 41 | access-date=2008-04-24}}</ref>

==Career==
===Sum 41===
In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with [[Island Records]]. The band released their debut EP, ''[[Half Hour of Power]]'', in 2000. Their first album, ''[[All Killer No Filler]]'', was released in 2001. The band achieved mainstream success with their first single from the album, "[[Fat Lip]]", which reached number-one on the ''[[Billboard Modern Rock Tracks]]'' chart and remains the band's most successful single to date.<ref name="Artists Chart History">{{cite magazine |title=Artists Chart History |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=sum 41|chart=all}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709203837/http://www.billboard.com/artist/280955/sum%2B41/chart |archive-date=July 9, 2015 |access-date=2008-08-17 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Company]]}}</ref> ''All Killer No Filler'' was certified [[Music recording sales certification|platinum]] in the United States, Canada and in the UK.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |date=December 17, 2001 |title=People of the Year 2001: Sum 41 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/sum41/articles/story/5918959/people_of_the_year_2001_sum_41 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211183220/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/sum41/articles/story/5918959/people_of_the_year_2001_sum_41 |archive-date=February 11, 2009 |access-date=2008-08-19 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=Wenner Media |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The band has since released seven more studio albums: ''[[Does This Look Infected?]]'' (2002), ''[[Chuck (Sum 41 album)|Chuck]]'' (2004) ''[[Underclass Hero]]'' (2007), ''[[Screaming Bloody Murder]]'' (2011), ''[[13 Voices]]'' (2016), ''[[Order in Decline]]'' (2019), and ''[[Heaven :x: Hell]]'' (2024). Sum 41's first four studio albums are certified Platinum in Canada. McCaslin went by the name Sniper in Sum 41's alter-ego [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Sum 41|Pain For Pleasure]], where the members of Sum 41 would parody a 1980s metal band.

The band often performed more than 300 times each year and held long global [[Concert tour|tours]], most of which lasted more than a year.<ref name="official website">{{cite news |title=Sum 41 Past Tour Dates |url=http://www7.islandrecords.com/sum41/site/tour_pastshows.las |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209231246/http://www.islandrecords.com/sum41/site/tour_pastshows.las |archive-date=February 9, 2007 |access-date=2008-08-17 |publisher=Island Records}}</ref> They have been nominated for seven [[Juno Awards]] and have won twice ([[Juno Award for Group of the Year|Group of the Year]] in 2002 and [[Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year|Rock Album of the Year]] for ''Chuck'' in 2005). Their fifth studio album, ''Screaming Bloody Murder'', was released on March 29, 2011 and was nominated for a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]] at the [[2012 Grammy Awards|2012 Grammys]] for the song "Blood in My Eyes" in the Hard Rock/Metal category.

=== Other appearances ===
He co-created the [[Garage punk (fusion genre)|garage punk]]/[[garage rock]] side project [[The Operation M.D.]], with [[Todd Morse]] (of [[H2O (American band)|H<sub>2</sub>O]]), in which he goes by the name Dr. Dynamite. He plays [[bass guitar]] and other instruments on the songs including lead vocals on a few tracks on both albums.  The first album, ''We Have an Emergency'' was released in Canada and Japan exclusively in 2007. Operation M.D. then released their second album ''Birds + Bee Stings'' worldwide in late 2010 on their own label Mouth To Mouth Music.

He has also acted in many [[Sum 41]] short films. For example, in ''Basketball Butcher'', he gets beaten up, killed and eaten by [[Steve Jocz]] due to beating him at basketball. He also played Dante the drug dealer in ''1-800-Justice.''
He helped produce an album with Shelter With Thieves, a Canadian band from [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Facebook Shelter with Thieves's Photos – Studio 2009 | website=[[Facebook]] | url= http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelter-with-Thieves/10675636018?v=wall&viewas=1723340651#/album.php?aid=89876&id=10675636018 | access-date=2009-07-01 | quote=Recording with Jason McCaslin ( Sum 41, Operation MD)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MySpace.com Blogs – Shelter with Thieves MySpace Blog |url=http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=15676278&blogId=491506800 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709091247/http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=15676278&blogId=491506800 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-09 |access-date=2009-07-01 |quote=As you may or may not know it was produced with Jason McCaslin from Sum 41 and Operation MD. }}</ref> The EP, entitled ''Confessions of a Toxic Generation'', was nominated for two [[Nova Scotia Music Awards]], for Group Recording and Loud Recording.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=387048490&blogId=509491693 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709102317/http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=387048490&blogId=509491693 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |title=SWT – Music Nova Scotia Awards Nominations van Jason McCaslin op Myspace |publisher=Blogs.myspace.com |date=September 10, 2009 |access-date=2011-07-17 }}</ref> The band won the Loud Recording award for the EP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=387048490&blogId=517962306 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701175801/http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=387048490&blogId=517962306 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 1, 2012 |title=SWT Win Best Loud Recording! Then again their full length album "Someday Is Never Soon Enough" including the 6 songs from "Confessions of a Toxic Generation" got nominated for Best Loud Recording at the 2012 East Coast Music Awards. van Jason McCaslin op Myspace |publisher=Blogs.myspace.com |date=November 10, 2009 |access-date=2011-07-17}}</ref>

In December 2009, McCaslin was also producing five songs for a new album by Canadian piano rock band The Greatest Invention (Formally – Credible Witness), which eventually got released under Walter Senko.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=44860796&blogId=523132920 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707050356/http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=44860796&blogId=523132920 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |title=Us working with Jason McCaslin from Sum 41 van Credible Witness [6 NEW SONGS UP&#93; op Myspace |publisher=Blogs.myspace.com |date=December 22, 2009 |access-date=2011-07-17 }}</ref>

Then, in 2010, he began producing three songs for the seven-piece [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]]/folk/indie band [[The Strumbellas]]. In September 2011, he was asked to produce the rest of the album ''My Father and the Hunter.'' It was released on February 21, 2012 and received a [[Juno Award]] nomination for Best Root/Traditional Album.
 
In October 2013, McCaslin made a cameo playing bass in The Strumbellas music video for "End of an Era". In 2013 McCaslin began working with [[Toronto]] band Sun K.  and produced their 7" (two songs) which was released and also produced their EP and LP over the following year. In 2014, McCaslin began producing two songs for the band LeBarons which were released in 2015. He started hosting his own radio show titled ''Cone's Cave'' on [[CKGE-FM]]. The first episode aired on February 12, 2022.

==Instruments==
McCaslin uses Fender '59 Re-Issue Precision Basses live and a Fender American Vintage '62 Re-Issue Precision Bass to record with. His personal favorite is an Olympic white Fender Precision Bass, since he was a fan of [[Dee Dee Ramone]].

==Personal life==
He got married on September 5, 2008.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} During the wedding, McCaslin's fellow band members [[Deryck Whibley]] of [[Sum 41]] and [[Todd Morse]] of [[H2O (American band)|H<sub>2</sub>O]] and [[The Operation M.D.]] performed "[[One (U2 song)|One]]" by [[U2]] and "[[Pieces (Sum 41 song)|Pieces]]" by [[Sum 41]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

McCaslin has two sisters.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} On December 22, 2014, his first son Max Grey McCaslin was born.<ref>{{cite tweet |last=McCaslin |first=Jason |user=Cone41 |number=548908537137487872 |date=December 27, 2014 |title=This is the greatest message I'll ever write. I'm a dad! Introducing my little boy Max Grey McCaslin born Dec. 22/14 |access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>

On October 9, 2018, he and his wife Shannon had a daughter, Ayla Rose McCaslin.

==Discography==
{{See also|Sum 41 discography}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;With [[Sum 41]]
* ''[[Half Hour of Power]]'' (2000)
* ''[[All Killer No Filler]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Does This Look Infected?]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Chuck (Sum 41 album)|Chuck]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Underclass Hero]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Screaming Bloody Murder]]'' (2011)
* ''[[13 Voices]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Order in Decline]]'' (2019)
* ''[[Heaven :x: Hell]]'' (2024)

{{col-2}}
;With [[The Operation M.D.]]
*''[[We Have an Emergency]]'' (2007)
*''[[Birds + Bee Stings]]'' (2010)

;With [[Iggy Pop]]
*''[[Skull Ring]]'' (2003) – bass on "[[Little Know It All]]"
{{col-end}}

==Producing/mixing discography==
P = Producing, M = Mixing
* [[The Operation M.D.]] – [[We Have an Emergency]] (co-produced with Todd Morse) 2007 – Nominated for Casby 2 Awards (Best New Artist + Best Indie Release) (P)
* Shelter With Thieves – Someday Is Never Soon Enough (Co-Produced 6 songs with band) Released April 19, 2011 – ECMA Award for "Loud" Recording of the Year (P)
* [[The Operation M.D.]] – [[Birds + Bee Stings]] (co-produced with Todd Morse) 2010 (P)
* Operation M.D. + Itorero – "We Stand" Song from the charity album "Rwanda Rises Up" Released June 22, 2010 (P)
* The Strumbellas – My Father and the Hunter – Released February 21, 2012 – Juno Award Nomination for "Best Roots/Traditional Album" (P)
* Walter Senko – From A Liar – Released 2013 (P)
* Sun K – Sweet Marie 7" – Released 2014 (P)
* Operation MD – Shake Your Cage (Single) – Released January 13, 2015 (P,M)
* Sun K – Northern Lies – Released March 10, 2015 (P)
* Anna Toth – Feeling Lost, Feeling Seen – Released July 2, 2015 (P)
* LeBarons – Trains 7" – Released Sept. 11, 2015 (P,M)
* Operation MD – Like Everyone Else (Single) – Released September 25, 2015 (P,M)

==See also==
* [[Sum 41]]
* [[The Operation M.D.]]
* [[List of bass guitarists]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140106224935/http://conemccaslin.com/index.jsp official personal web site]
*[http://www.sum41.com Sum 41 official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080312155037/http://www.theoperationmd.com/ The Operation M.D. official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080430220701/http://www.fender.com/artists/index.php?id=109 Fender Artist] Cone's Fender Artist Profile

{{s-start}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Sum 41|Bass guitarist for Sum{{nbsp}}41]]
| years = since 1999
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Sum 41}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCaslin, Jason}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Canadian rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Sum 41 members]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Swedish descent]]
[[Category:Alternative rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Canadian rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Alternative rock guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian bass guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian bass guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian singers]]
[[Category:Canadian male songwriters]]
[[Category:Canadian record producers]]
[[Category:Alternative metal bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Garage rock musicians]]
[[Category:Singers from Toronto]]
[[Category:Writers from Toronto]]
[[Category:People from North York]]
[[Category:Pop punk musicians]]
[[Category:Canadian punk rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Canadian male bass guitarists]]