Working Drummer

Brody Simpson lives and works in Perth, Australia, where he is the co-owner of Underground Sounds, a full service tracking and production house. As a drummer, engineer, and producer, he is becoming known for a unique set of sounds influenced by Boom Bap, Drum & Bass, 808s, and other electronic genres. In this episode, Brody talks about * The alchemy of playing, tuning, mic selection/placement, and...

Anthony Grimani has spent 28 years in the audio industry, is a highly respected expert in home theater acoustics and design and consults worldwide. He is responsible for several audio/acoustic patents. His experience includes positions at Dolby and Lucasfilm THX where he led the development of both Dolby and Lucasfilm THX Home Theater technologies. In 2013, CEPro Magazine named him one of the “Top...

With a drumming pedigree from Berklee and a musical ethos from the eclectic creative community in The Berkshires where he grew up, Max MacVeety has been embedded in the LA scene, specifically Long Beach, for over a decade. He has toured and recorded with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Lyrics Born, DJ Williams, and many others. Prior to that, he was based in Oakland, primarily riding the drum chair f...

Dan Needham is recognized in Nashville as one of the top session and live drummers. Dan has performed and/or recorded with Michael McDonald, Amy Grant, Peter Cetera, Dave Barnes, Chaka Khan, Nathan East, Garth Brooks, Sara Bareilles, Phil Keaggy, Gino Vannelli, Al Green, Billy Preston, James Ingram, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Carole King, as well as many other amazing...

Joe Montague graduated from the renowned Jazz Course at Leeds College of Music in 2011 before embarking on a career as a touring drummer. Spending the next few years playing with numerous theatre shows and original projects, touring all over the UK and Europe, Joe soon found his passion in faithfully recreating the music of The Beatles. Through his website and email list, Joe offers a recreation o...

 Ben Hilzinger is a Los Angeles-based drummer and songwriter with 20+ years of performing, recording and teaching experience.  Currently the drummer for Eve 6, Ben has also written, recorded, and/or toured throughout the USA/internationally with MXPX, Fitness, Mike Herrera, The classic crime, tapir, cannons, chevy mustang, Party Nails, We Shot The Moon, prxzm, Glorybots, Ever So Android, Jake Cumm...

Anthony Grimani has spent 28 years in the audio industry, is a highly respected expert in home theater acoustics and design and consults worldwide. He is responsible for several audio/acoustic patents. His experience includes positions at Dolby and Lucasfilm THX where he led the development of both Dolby and Lucasfilm THX Home Theater technologies. In 2013, CEPro Magazine named him one of the “Top...

Before Covid, Josh was between three worlds – drumming (mostly gigging with his brother in a party band), comedy & improv (performing around New York and working as an intern at NBC), and French Literature (his college major). During Covid, he started making videos in which he played along with different comedians, as a way of combining two of his loves to study and get better at both. He posted t...

Anthony Grimani has spent 28 years in the audio industry, is a highly respected expert in home theater acoustics and design and consults worldwide. He is responsible for several audio/acoustic patents. His experience includes positions at Dolby and Lucasfilm THX where he led the development of both Dolby and Lucasfilm THX Home Theater technologies. In 2013, CEPro Magazine named him one of the “Top...

J-Zone spent the first chapter of his music career as a Hip hop DJ, but eventually burned out on various frustrations with the music business. His reentry into music began with reconnecting with the funk, soul, R&B, and jazz he grew up on, and an unexpected gift from his father, a cheap Sonor drumset. Obsession and instinct drove him further and further into the world of drumming, and what started...

Brian Czach (pronounced “Zack”) is currently playing sessions and live shows around Nashville. Czach has devoted his life to being as creative and versatile anyone with a pair of sticks could hope to be. Born in Schenectady NY, he has experience playing in every imaginable musical setting, from the filthiest rock club, to the swankiest hotels, film & TV scores, artist sessions, tours, dance bands,...

Based in Athens, GA, Luke O’Kelley has quietly built a long resume or live work and a large portfolio of session work ranging across pop, rock, country, and folk/singer/songwriter genres. His transition from marketing work to full time music coincided with joining Airgigs, which has been integral in Luke’s remote recording income. Artists he’s played with include Matt Papa, The Welcome Home, Son a...

Nashville drummer Josh Day, has recorded and performed with top acts ranging from Sara Bareilles to John Oates, Jennifer Nettles and Brandy Clark. Josh attended Appalachian State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. After an additional year of post graduate at ASU for Musical Performance, Josh made the move to Los Angeles, where he attended the Musician’s Institute...

Dan Bailey is a veteran musician/engineer based in Southern California.  He’s been Father John Misty’s drummer since 2014 and music director since 2017. With 20 years of studio experience, he records remote record drums and creates educational materials at my studio Trackland II.  In addition, he’s contributed to the live performances and recordings of, First Aid Kit, Reignwolf, Onerepublic, Aaron...

The last year has affected our lives, careers, relationships, and lives behind the kit in ways we never could have imagined. We’ve all lost work, but this time has also provided opportunities to learn, improve, and grow, musically and otherwise. So for our 300th episode, we want to highlight some of our most memorable interviews of the last 100 episodes. We’re going to hear from a handful of forme...

Dave Elitch first gained notoriety touring with the American progressive rock band The Mars Volta in 2009-2010. Since then he has lent his talents to Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, M83, The 1975, Juliette Lewis, Big Black Delta, and many others. An established LA session player, Dave has performed on various records, syncs, and film scores for major motion pictures, including “Trolls” and “Logan....

Influenced by his drummer father, Cooke picked up the drums as a child, learning and playing as part of a local drum corps in Toronto before starting his own bands as a teenager.[1] After high school, he took his talents to the recording studio and the national stage, recording and/or touring with the likes of FM, Lee Aaron, Strange Advance, Marc Jordan, Rik Emmett, Amy Sky, Sass Jordan, Kim Mitch...

Mike Zimmerman is a drummer and producer in Nashville Tennessee. Mike started playing drums at age 14 after playing the guitar for a year. Drums appealed more to Mike probably due to his mother being a rhythm player in the traditional Serbo-Croatian folk scene in the Cleveland area. This atmosphere rubbed off on Mike to seek out the uncommon, yet traditional sounds in the music around him. After y...

Peter Erskine is a drumming legend and a friend of WDP. He has appeared on WDP more than any other drummer, and for good reason. As we near the end of 2020, Peter shares how the year has affected him as a performer and educator. On November 21 and 22, he’ll be performing a livestream concert as part of Drumhead Live https://live.champion.biz/. In this episode, Peter talks about * How he adapted hi...

Miles McPherson moved to Nashville in 1986, when his father, Jerry, relocated the family there so he could work in the studios as a session guitarist. When he was still touring, Miles played with Kelly Clarkson, Paramore, Tonic, and Better Than Ezra. In 2013, he came off the road to pursue being a session drummer full time. In the studio Miles has worked notable artists such as Reba McEntire, Rasc...

Tony Coleman has played with Blues and Soul legends such as B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, and many, MANY others. Over his long career, Tony has lived in Chicago, Memphis, and Texas, and the succession of artists and regions he’s gone through have made him a unique authority on many sub-styles of blues and soul drumming. In recent years, he has also toured with country art...

As an entertainment journalist for more than 40 years, Robyn Flans has worked for such diverse publications as People Magazine, In Touch, Mix, Modern Drummer, Country Weekly and a daily newspaper. She has authored four music books, written numerous bios, electronic press kits, including cut by cuts for artists, and album liner notes. She has a new book about Jeff Porcaro that only someone as close...

Andrew Atkinson’s drumming draws on the seductive beats of his native Jamaica, the percolating rhythms of his childhood home Miami, and the world of jazz that has beckoned and captivated him in all his travels. Highlights of his resume include guitarist Oz Noy, vocalist Gregory Porter, and steel pan player Othello Molineux. After graduating high school, Atkinson would find himself becoming one of...

Michael Dawson is a New Jersey–based drummer, educator, and clinician and is currently managing editor for Modern Drummer, the world’s most widely read magazine exclusively for drummers. Dawson produced and co-hosted the industry-leading weekly podcast, The Modern Drummer Podcast With Mike and Mike, along with renowned online educator/clinician Mike Johnston. 2020 is bringing a new, interview base...

Billy Brimblecom’s career has taken him from drumming to philanthropy, and from his hometown of Kansas City to Nashville, and back to Kansas City. Over his 25 year career, Billy has manned the drum chair for Blackpool Lights, The Start, The Creature Comforts, and Summer Breeze. In early 2005 Brimblecom learned he a form of cancer in his leg called Ewing’s sarcoma.[2] This resulted in his left leg...