Designated Drummer

In this episode I sit down with Drew Womack, a singer and very successful song writer. For over a year now he has been the lead singer for Lonestar but way before that he was the frontman for Sons Of The Desert, a band in the 90’s. He has seen a lot and been through a lot and still sings as amazingly as he always has. His opera training has served him well, yes I did say Opera. Listen now and find...

In this weeks episode, renowned fiddle player Rob Hajacos joins me at the Band Cave. Rob has been sawing the fiddle for just about all the great country records you’ve ever heard from the early 80’s through the 90’s and beyond. His famous “Wack-Tone” has been heard on a ton of 90’s country hits including “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks and Dunn. Please join me as we settle in for a lively convers...

They say, 'Practice makes perfect’, well I can sure agree with that! In this episode I’ve come back around to the subject of Practicing. This is Part 2 of the Practice Practice series. I’m joined by my lovely daughter Amelie, who is co-hosting with me and sharing some of her own musical practice stories. She also will be reading off questions from students and listeners about the subject of practi...

If there is anything I’ve learned in all my years of playing drums, it is to be prepared. It can surely be the difference between having a great experience and just having a really bad day. There are so many ways you can prepare yourself for rehearsals, gigs, studio sessions, and traveling. In this episode, I talk about some of my experiences over the years both being prepared and not prepared.

This episode features Steevo Morrison. He works for Motley Crew and more specifically he is Tommy Lee’s drum tech. I had a great conversation with Steevo about his career and how he went from jazz drumming into his current position. He shares stories of his work and what it’s like setting up and maintaining the drum kit for one of the hardest hitting drummers in Rock & Roll.

Jamie O’Neal, originally from Australia has been touring as a singer performer since she was a child. Her first album and single hit it big with the song "There Is No Arizona” thus started her amazing solo recording career: 4 studio albums, 2 number one singles and 11 music videos. One of which I directed! (shameless plug). She talks about her family and busy career.

Rich Redmond, drummer for Jason Aldean for 25 years. Also a Nashville session drummer, producer and motivational speaker. He is a firm believer in hard work and paying your dues. Starting out in the Dallas Fort Worth area playing clubs and going to college earned him the experience that he would draw upon when he made the move in 1997 to Nashville. He was in the right place at the right time when...

On this Episode I travel to the other side of Nashville to Phil Vassar’s beautiful place in the country. Starting out as a drummer, actually, he then took a shining to piano. After getting proficient on the keys, he then started his amazing journey into singing and song writing. After writing songs for many Nashville artists, he then focused on his solo career. Check out his incredible path to sta...

This week on the Designated Drummer podcast I talk with my long time band mate and founding member of Lonestar, Dean Sams. We get down to brass tacks regarding why and how he got the idea to form a band back in the early 90s and the path leading to a record deal for Lonestar and his personal journey into producing albums, driving busses and more!

In this weeks podcast I cover the 7 most asked questions I’ve gotten over the years. Join me as I talk a little bit about those subjects and share some stories.

In this episode, I talk about my personal journey into drumming for a career and some things I’ve learned along the way. I’ve been playing for exactly 40 years and can sure tell you my share of lessons learned both good and bad. It all started for me back on that spring day in 1976. Tune in and learn what I’ve learned, it’s not always fun and awesomeness but somehow I’ve gotten here and am still p...

In this episode of Designated Drummer, I have a conversation with Keio Stroud. He’s from Athens, Georgia and made his way to Nashville in the early 2000’s. He’s been working with many artists from Nashville and has played on a ton of records. He just got off the road with Big and Rich and is now working on records and spending time with his daughter. Check it out.

Kim Mitchell, the Canadian rocker, has been making records and shredding guitar since the early 70’s. He had a big hit in the mid 80’s with “Go For Soda” and an even bigger hit in Canada with "Patio Lanterns”. He was the lead singer in the band Max Webster, that toured with Rush back in the day. Kim and I talk about his amazing career and shares some great stories about being on tour with some of...

On this episode I have a great conversation with percussionist Eric Darken. He is currently touring with Jimmy Buffet as well as many other artist. He’s most likely the percussionist you’ve heard on many many country records through the years. We talk about his career and how he chose percussion over drum kit. Also a little about tambourine and conga techniques. Check it out!

This weeks podcast features a special trip to Austin Texas and a very good friend of mine for more than 30 years, Mitch Ballard, Senior Creative Director for BMI Austin. We chat about his diverse experience in the country music industry; from tour managing to app development, song writing and more. Check it out!

This week it’s all about sticks, drumheads and cymbals! Let’s face it, you can’t make a sound without them. Over the years I have used many different kinds and brands of sticks heads and cymbals and I have learned a ton and have gone through about a ton of wood, plastic and brass to prove it. Join me on this episode and we will dive into what I’ve learned over the past 40 years about drumsticks dr...

In this episode I talk with New Orleans Jazz drummer and composer Joe Dyson. He is currently on tour with Jazz artist Pat Metheny and preparing for a tour in Europe with his own group, The Joe Dyson Quintet. Considering his young age of 32, he has accomplished a lifetime of recorded music and touring dates. You can check out his debut album right here. https://www.joedyson.com

Tommy Harden is my special guest this week. He’s a very skilled and well-trained drummer. One of his first jobs in Nashville was to transcribe huge orchestra charts for big sessions. His work ethic definitely shows when you see that he has played with some of the most iconic country music artists in the business; Reba, Alabama, Ricky Scaggs, The Gatlin Brothers and many more. He also is a very bus...

Hey everyone! I get a lot of questions about drumming and touring and one of the most asked questions lately has been, ‘what do I do to warm up before a show’? In This episode I talk about what I do to get warmed up before a big concert plus some stories of other great drummers and their warmup routines. Check it out.

Over the last (almost) 40 years that I’ve been a professional drummer, I’ve learned a ton! Some things are obvious like how to play for an hour and a half without getting tired, lol. Seriously though, I have learned some things that weren’t so obvious that have shaped who I am today and have helped me out through all these years. I break it down into 6 things I’d like to share with you in season 2...

In this weeks Podcast I finally get to talk to a long time friend and fellow drummer Joe Smyth from Sawyer Brown. I think he holds the record for the 'longest running drummer in a band and still playing’ category. He still holds together the groove with this amazing entertaining band as well as teaches drums and percussion at a school in (Brentwood) Nashville when he’s not touring. I have much res...

Practice makes perfect. In this episode I discuss the benefits of a good practice routine giving specific examples that I use and sharing some of my favorite drummer's practice routines.

In episode 20 you will discover how a drum setup on stage can tell you something about the drummer before they even hit the stage. I talk all about drum equipment and why it’s important to have a great looking, awesome sounding drum kit. I share some stories about auditions in the early days I didn’t pass. I include details about how my stage setup improved over the years starting w...

In this episode, I talk with fitness trainer Jeremy Byrd, a Nashville area personal trainer and fitness coach. He gives advice on the importance of good nutrition and sleep helping with the physical demands of being a drummer. Jeremy brings his experience training Navy Seals into the Drummer's World, which I think is pretty awesome. So, grab your gym shorts and head band and let's go.

In this episode I share stories about the about past Christmas albums we’ve recorded and working up big holiday shows. You will hear about our biggest challenges in creating our Christmas albums and which Christmas song is my favorite one to play live.