Drum Candy

In this episode, top remote session Drummer Dylan Wissing discusses his process for recreating classic breakbeats, selecting gear for tracks, and more.

In this episode, pro-rock great Todd Sucherman shares his approach to tuning, choosing gear, part-writing, and more.

In this episode, top American cymbalsmith Nick Margarite of NickyMoon Custom Cymbals shares insight into selecting cymbals, the secrets of bronze alloys, and how he does modifications and repairs. 

In this episode, top touring and session drum tech Kenny Sharretts (Dead and Company, Elvis Costello, Janet Jackson) shares a ton of tips on tuning, drumhead choice, and more, as well as the one piece of gear he can't leave the house without.

In episode 20, longtime Jason Aldean drummer/producer/author/public speaker Rich Redmond talks live and studio gear, getting the gig, and his first snare.

Drummer, producer, and social media master Tim Baltes recalls the origins of his comedic alter ego "Timbo from Keno," shares some tips on getting the most from vintage drums, and discusses his first snare.

In episode 18, veteran touring drummer Kevin Murphy (Jon Pardi, Tonic, Randy Houser) shares insights on what it takes to work as a professional-level player, talks gear and tuning, and reminisces about his first snare drum.

Custom drum builder Chris Carr of Bucks County Drums takes us on a deep dive into the anatomy of a drum and his earliest snare builds.

In this episode, Snarky Puppy's Larnell Lewis talks about his latest projects, how he tunes and chooses drums, and the story behind his first snare. 

In the episode top indie drummer/producer Aaron Gilbert Steele (Portugal. the Man, José James, Hayley Williams, etc.) talks about his recent shift away from collecting gear, transitioning into a new career direction as a producer/writer out of Nashville, and his first and favorite snare drums.

In this episode, Jean-Paul ("JP) Gaster sits down with host Mike Dawson to talk about getting back into touring, preproduction for the next record, maintain a record label during a pandemic, and his approach to getting his legendary big, beefy rock drum sound.

In this episode, Branford Marsalis Quartet's Justin Faulkner dives deep into his philosophy on making creative music on the spot, and he shares his approach to tuning and treating his drumset for different rooms. He also reminiscences about his first three snare drums.

In this episode, top session drummer Nir Z discusses snare selection, drumhead choices, dampening tricks, recording with drum machines, and more. Plus he reminiscences about his first childhood snare drums.

Top touring and session drummer Matt Chamberlain shares thoughts on gear selection, approaching music in the studio, and his first snare drum. 

NYC-based touring and session drummer/producer Gunnar Olsen shares stories about his first snare drums and recreating programmed parts live with Puscifer.

LA session drummer Blair Sinta shares insights into how he selects and chooses drums and snares, and he shares the stories on his first few snare drums.

Sugar Percussion's Jefferson Shallenberger shares his philosophies on drum building, as well as some history on his earliest custom drums. Host Mike Dawson also demos two Sugar Percussion snares: a 6x14 yellow Alaskan cedar and a 5x14 painted poplar.

Wilco's Glenn Kotche shares insight into composing music for drumset, how/when he adds gear to his collection, and some cool stories about his first snare drums.

In this episode, Death Cab for Cutie's Jason McGerr shares insights into selecting gear for recordings and touring and his first few snare drums.

Modern jazz great/composer/bandleader Antonio Sanchez discusses his approach to film scoring and shares his thoughts on drum sounds and his earliest experiences with gear.

In this episode, modern drumming great Mark Guiliana shares stories on how he gets his ideal snare drum sound for different gigs and chats a bit about maintaining his creative process during COVID19. We also demonstrate the third upgrade to our cheap steel snare, this time incorporating an internal muffler and wide 42-strand wires.

Host of the "Big Fat Five" podcast and Eve 6 drummer Ben Hilzinger shares his favorite snare sound, the unfortunate fate of his first professional snare, and what he would do to upgrade a cheap entry-level snare drum to make it gig-ready. We also implement and demonstrate some of Episode 2 guest Mike Johnston's ideas for upgrading the same drum.

Top online drum educator Mike Johnston discusses pivoting his business during COVID19, his first snare drums, and gives some great suggestions for upgrading an old entry-level steel drum.

In this debut episode of "Drum Candy," host Mike Dawson sits down with Lion King drummer Carter McLean to discuss how he's kept creative and productive during COVID19, getting back to playing shows, his first snare drum, how he tunes, and how chooses drums for his collection. Dawson also gets Carter's suggestions for how to trick out an old entry-level steel snare.