Drummer Mamas

Send us Fan Mail We are honoured to be joined by Jost Nickel this week! Jost is one of the biggest names on the international scene and has a lot of interesting things to say on the topics of encouraging more female students to enrol at the Pop Academy in Mannheim, what he does and doesn’t prepare for with clinics, raising daughters with music, and so much more. We had several laughs about mis-pro...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re talking to one of the worlds most respected drummers, Mark Mondesir. He’s played with icons like John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, and Courtney Pine — but beyond the incredible musicianship, this conversation is about something deeper. From the Maguire program to his work with Maggie’s Cancer Charity, Mark shares how music has been his constant companion — guiding him throug...

Send us Fan Mail Dane Campbell knows about family life within music: his father was often away touring as the guitarist with Motörhead when Dane was growing up. Dane and his brothers now tour in a band with their dad; has his childhood affected how he balances being a musician and parent himself?  Dane takes us through family band dynamics, making changes to touring to suit his family, and taking...

Send us Fan Mail We’re joined by Bob Wynne — drummer, educator, and advocate for a world filled with more drummers! Bob talks about the idea behind the Evans Sound Advice Room at The UK Drum Show, his upcoming masterclass with Steve White (Feb 23rd), and how his 50/50 teaching roster is helping shape the next generation. He also shares his take on why drum shops need to wake up to the fact that wo...

Send us Fan Mail This episode comes with a ‘woo woo’ warning! We talk about all things ‘universe’: manifesting, ordering what you want, receiving it, operating on a positive wavelength, and making lists to help you achieve your goals and dreams. Parking spaces, the ideal partner, and lottery wins: listen to this episode to find out how we get the things we ask for!  Follow us here:  Instagram.com/...

Send us Fan Mail Some stats about our guest today that may even be out of date by now: he has played on 89 top 20 albums, 53 number ones, he has produced Debbie Harry, and played with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner and Rod Stewart. Geoff Dugmore talks with us about playing for the song, bringing a good feeling to a session, and his surprising pastime when he’s not busy with music. Geoff Du...

Send us Fan Mail Ellie East has been Dave Stewart’s drummer of choice for the last 2 years, and her bouncy energy and positive vibes make it easy to see why she is consistently booked for tours and session work. Ellie tells us how her new outlook on finding interests outside of music and the need to take a break from work are helping her to feel calm, and how she has accepted that some parts of th...

Send us Fan Mail Gabi King joined the 1975 as their percussionist after auditioning for them by performing on the Jonathan Ross Show, which led to her learning the entire percussion set in two weeks before flying out to join them on tour in Mexico. Of course, she smashed it and has been with them ever since!  Gabi tells us the importance of looking after mental health on tour, staying relaxed when...

Send us Fan Mail Tom Howarth’s drum reels are witty, entertaining, full of stick tricks and favoured by the algorithm! Tom tells us how he comes up with his content, about family life supporting a child with additional needs, his new online drum school, and what word he thinks almost got him banned from Instagram… Tom Howarth: Instagram.com/tomhowarthdrums  Follow us here:  Instagram.com/drummerma...

Send us Fan Mail Our last episode before we have a week off for Christmas. We update you with if we are ready for the big day, what we're hoping to get, 2026 and our love of pie!  Follow us here:  Instagram.com/drummermamas  Instagram.com/Ciaradrums  Instagram.com/gemmadrums Instagram.com/swiftiedrums

Send us Fan Mail Maxie is playing drums for music that feels like it is making a difference: touring with artists and activists such as Kate Nash, Jasmine.4.t and Isha, Maxie has had a busy 2025, full of touring, recording, and even a ghostly encounter in Hamburg… Maxie talks to us about committing to and keeping faith in what you’re doing, creating space for transgender people in music, and the p...

Send us Fan Mail 2025 has been a big year for Martina Barakoska both personally and professionally; she’s moved to a different country, learned a new language, filmed a phenomenal commercial for Thomann, hosted a masterclass at the UK Drum Show, and is busy with new music. And those are just a couple of highlights. Martina tells us what inspired her to leave her hometown of Skopje in North Macedon...

Send us Fan Mail Having enjoyed huge success with Paul Weller and the Style Council from the latter part of his teenage years, Steve White went on to tour all over the world and become a hugely respected drum clinician, author and educator. As a dad to four children, and husband to a successful actress and producer, how has he fitted his music career together with family life? Steve tells us how h...

Send us Fan Mail Gemma and Ciara have been up to new things… Ciara is about to launch ‘Begin’, an online beginner drum course that people can do at their own pace, and Gemma has set up Swiftiedrums on social media, where people can learn the real drum parts to Taylor Swift songs with notation and drum charts to download. Talking about learning new skills, adapting, asking other people for help (ev...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Hagan worked as the Director of Artist Relations at Zildjian for several years, is on the Board of Advisors for the Percussive Arts Society, and now runs her own consulting company, so if anyone knows about the topic of diversity and inclusion, it’s her! We asked her what changes she has seen in the drum industry and what she hopes for the future of it. How can we ensure fai...

Send us Fan Mail ‘Leave the room better than when you entered it and make everyone feel awesome along the way’ is the mantra that Stan Bicknell lives by, and it seems to work because he landed himself a huge tour with Natasha Bedingfield this year! He is seeing success with his Mastermind Drummer platform…but he’s had to make a lot of tough choices with his family to get where he is… Enjoy finding...

Send us Fan Mail We met up in Liverpool for the UK Drum Show! What were our favourite moments from the weekend? What would we do differently next time? From the Main Stage to the Education Room and everything in between, this is our rundown of the biggest drum event of the year. Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas instagram.com/Ciaradrums instagram.com/gemmadrums Instagram.com/swiftiedrums...

Send us Fan Mail Ollie Winiberg is the sunny personality who is best known for interviewing drummers and hosting the UK and Europe Drum Shows. Ollie frankly shares his journey to where he is today with us, including his start in BBC radio, losing his dad at a young age, and the impact his grief has had on his life and parenting, as well as growing up with Jeff Beck’s unwavering support as a teenag...

Send us Fan Mail Our episode last week was recorded with Will Daly as he and his wife were days or hours before becoming first-time parents. This time, we speak to Will a few weeks after the birth of this son. How did it all go?! What has been the reality for Will and his new family as he goes back to work as a self-employed musician and drum teacher? And has becoming a dad changed his outlook on...

Send us Fan Mail At any moment now, Will Daly and his wife are about to become first-time parents! What will being a dad mean for Will and his drum teaching school? As a self- employed musician, are there any plans or practical steps that he’s taken to cover his job in the weeks after the birth? Drummer Mamas have an unusual take on parenthood with this before-birth episode; next week we catch up...

Send us Fan Mail What an opener to the new season! Mike Johnston is joining us to kick off our autumn 2025 episodes, and we take the chance to ask him about the family he has supporting him behind the scenes. What keeps him ticking when he’s not at a drum kit? And what will we see at his Education Room at this year’s UK Drum Show in Liverpool? This episode gives a different slant on the well-known...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder how you could get better results from your practice time? Or have you had to take a break from drums and feel overwhelmed at the idea of how to get back into practising again? We speak to Christin Neddens, author of ‘Creative Flow – the ultimate drum practice workout’ to find out her tips for enjoyable, effective practice, and what inspires her own practice rout...

Send us Fan Mail Ciara started her UK drum camps for women three years ago, and in that time her ideas and business have grown far beyond what she had originally imagined. Answering questions from Gemma, Ciara describes how the drum camps started, what they involve, what participants can expect from them, plus some ideas she has for the future! Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas Instagram....

Send us Fan Mail We’ve wanted to cover this topic for a while now, so we’re pleased to speak to James Sharp about mental health, ranging from anxiety and depression to performance anxiety within music. James is a Drumsense Master Tutor with his own drum school in Devon and he has written two drum books in his ‘Freedom within structure’ series. Having dealt with anxiety and depression personally, J...

Send us Fan Mail Debbie Knox-Hewson has spent the last decade touring with acts such as Charli XCX, Honey Blood and James. This festival season is a bit different for Debbie as she shares some VERY exciting news with us! We take this unique opportunity to ask Debbie questions about how she’s doing from day-to-day while being busy touring and planning for the future, plus her journey to motherhood...