Coastal Maine native Jeff Goddard is probably best known as the bassist for the genre-bending Boston-based band Karate.

Jeff started playing trumpet as a child, studying and performing both classical and jazz, and began playing bass in bands at 13. Through his teens he continued to study trumpet while devoting his bass playing to several bands at once that reflected his diverse interest in punk, prog and jazz.

In 1987 Jeff moved to Boston to attend New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. Jeff gravitated quickly toward the local punk rock community and within a year had joined up with Chicago's Articles of Faith guitarist/singer Vic Bondi and drummer Jamie Van Bramer to form Jones Very. Between 1989-1992 the band worked closely with local engineers Lou Giordano (Husker Du/Mission of Burma/Yo La Tengo/Moving Targets) and Carl Plaster (Come/Yo La Tengo) recording some of the earliest releases for Jade Tree.

In 1992 along with Toadstool guitarist/singer Brad White and drummer/accordian player Mark Romano he formed The Lune. Jeff split his time equally between bass and trumpet in this trio of multi-instrumentalists known for their unpredictable and varied live show. Routinely exchanging tightly wound, fast-paced rhythmic interplay as a damaged rock band for the more melodic, acoustic instrumentation expressing their interpretation on Americana, The Lune were a uniquely original and adventurous band. They helped launch the Aesthetics label with The Sill and On The Cutting Room Floor, the label's first releases.

Toward the end of 1995 Jeff joined Karate in what would become his main musical focus for a decade playing his first show with the band at The Space in Worcester, Ma. with June Of 44. A singular band whose consistent and gradual evolution was well-documented in the studio for Southern Records, captured by the trio's long-time engineer and Tape Op gear reviewer Andy Hong. Jeff's contributions and performance on bass would yield 10 recordings with fellow band mates Geoff Farina and Gavin McCarthy. The band toured extensively in Europe, the U.S and Japan including several high-profile European festivals such as Roskilde, Dour, and Arezzo Wave.

Jeff has performed in 20 countries, and is featured on over 50 recordings by musicians and groups such as Mary Timony, Chris Brokaw, Come, Victory at Sea, and Certainly, Sir. He has toured as the bass player for Mary Timony, Chris Brokaw, Moving Targets, and Shannon Wright and more recently performed as a bassist for Glenn Branca's European premiere of Symphony #13 "Hallucination City" in Belgium, and has tour managed bands in both Europe and the U.S for artists as diverse as Helms and Leona Naess.

Jeff currently lives in Belgium.