This is Part 2 and essentially a bonus episode for my conversation with Dan Mayo. Today, Dan talks about the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums (something that he is quite known for) and approaches writing in general. Cheers! --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five forma...
Apr 22, 2021•20 min•Season 2Ep. 33
Today’s guest is Dan Mayo. Dan is an Israeli drummer with one of the most distinct sounds of any player today…partly thanks to his A&F drum set, but mostly do to his personality behind the kit and background in a wide range of musical genres. His main project is the power trio, TATRAN, but Dan is also a prolific solo artist in addition to working with many other legends such as Ester Rada & Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. We chatted for quite awhile and so I split our conversation into two ...
Apr 21, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 32
This week’s episode is payback for the boys from the podcast Working Drummer forcing me to take time out of MY damn day a few weeks ago to bump up THEIR podcast numbers. Now I’m totally using them. All kidding aside, I absolutely love Matt and Zack. Their podcast (Working Drummer) highlights real stories of the every day “working drummer” and features guests, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. These conversations can help us all feel...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 2Ep. 31
This week’s guest is Ash Soan. I don’t even know where to begin; he’s a complete badass and unless you’ve gone OUT OF YOUR WAY to avoid him, you certainly know who he is. Ash has been one of the most in-demand session and live drummers in the UK for decades, but with his growing popularity on social media and the finishing of his Windmill Studio behind his home in Norfolk, England, he’s gone global with remote sessions. His resume includes live performances and/or recordings with Adele, Seal, Ja...
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Season 2Ep. 30
This week’s episode is a premiere / takeover of a new podcast by our very good friend...Sarah Hagan. Sarah worked for many years as the Head of Zildjian Artist Relations Worldwide, but now runs her own media and consulting business for the music industry as a whole. Through the years, Sarah has mastered the art of creating, developing and maintaining genuine relationships with the world's greatest drummers. With her new podcast, titled Sarah Hagen Backstage, Sarah is able to pull something a lit...
Mar 31, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 30
This week's guest is Atom Willard. Atom played with some of my favorite bands growing up including Rocket From the Crypt, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and Angels and Airwaves, but he is the current drummer for Against Me! and Laura Jane Grace and The Devouring Mothers. As I often do in the days leading up to these chats, I went down a rabbit hole of Atom's drumming and I was blown away by how much of my OWN playing can be attributed to Mr. Willard...like...it's actually embarrassing. This o...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 29
This week’s guest is the ever-energetic Nate Morton, drummer for NBC’s The Voice. His career spans multiple decades and performances with some pretty damn good artists such as Paul Stanley, Madonna, Chaka Kan, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Carlton, Miley Cyrus, Poe and many, many more. Nate is a monster player who knows exactly how to match the playing-for-the-song element with his own unique and powerful creative voice...no pun intended. This was such a fun conversation and we talked for HOURS so this ...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 28
This week we have the returning champion Madden Klass on the show to discuss the Top 5 drumming influences that shaped her playing style. Currently a student at Berklee, Madden also plays with Raavi and the Houseplants, Space Junk is Forever, Mike Doughty, Wheatus, a newer band called Mæges and many more. She was one of the last guests before we switched over this newer format and I’ve wanted to get her back on ever since. Her first episode was a very interesting deep dive into her theories on t...
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Today’s guest is Liberty DeVitto…the rhythmic powerhouse behind 22 of Billy Joel's 23 top 40 hits and all six of his Grammy Award-winning recordings. His ability to seamlessly switch between mature session musician and bombastic live showman should be a guiding light for a lot of players you and old (me) alike. I had a blast talking with Liberty as we broke down the top five influences that shaped his drumming style. Also…go buy his damn book…which we talk about throughout. Cheers! --- Get Your ...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Today’s guest is Curt Bisquera…or as most people know him “Kirkee B”. He’s played with so many great artists such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sarah Mclaughlin, Lana Del Ray, Johnny Cash and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. His pocket is deep and his stories are endless. I brought him on the show to break down the top 5 moments in his career that best represent his legacy as a player. From moving to LA to pursue a career in drumming at MI as a young kid who cou...
Feb 17, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This could be the most important episode I’ve had the pleasure to record. Levon Helm of The Band was one of the greatest to ever do it. Thusly, everything I’ve typed / erased / retyped / and so on for this intro feels utterly contrived or underwhelming when trying to describe a musician of this magnitude. As Rolling Stone Magazine once wrote, “Levon Helm is the only drummer that can make you cry.”. He changed the game in so many ways and, to be honest, DOESN’T GET THE DAMN CREDIT HE DESERVES. I ...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Our guest this week is Tim Baltes or, to many, @timbofromkeno on Instagram. He’s known as a funny man, but a big reason why his schtick works is because he’s a monster player as well. We break down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his style and, in true form, Tim was authentic and blazed his own trail with his picks…which aren’t the traditional choices. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tim Baltes. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Dr...
Feb 03, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Today’s guest is Dimitri Fantini…a great drummer and instructor based in Maryland. I personally subscribe to his Patreon and I suggest you do the same thing. Since Dimitri is technically one of my online instructors, I thought I’d invite him on to discuss some myths that we hear being taught that are just wrong. We had a great time, but tended to agree on almost everything…BORING! Anyways, we dissect the following myths: 1) Only practice what you're bad at/If you sound good, you're not practicin...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) and I were ODDLY excited about recording this one. We each brought on 5 songs that best represent that feeling of, “um…I can’t find the one....guys?!....I CANT FIND THE ONE!!”. It’s happened to all of us and it’s a feeling we both LOVE. Many songs are easily heard (and perhaps meant to be easily heard) with multiple different pulses, while some just go out of their way to have a “gotcha!” moment. Either way, this was the most fun I’ve had with...
Jan 13, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 20
I invited Kris back on the show to discuss how difficult this last year has been for us (Big Fat Snare Drum) as a small business and what we’ve done to keep the doors open. I’m calling it, “Big Fat Progress”, because I really don’t see this year as much of a setback for us as it was an uncomfortably-forced pivot. After that, I asked Kris some of my favorite questions about his ethos on business in general. Kris is almost always right when it comes to what will resonate with people on a large sca...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 19
LAST EPISODE OF 2020! This is Part 2 of the “Best of 2020” where I put together a show of my favorite clips from the past year. Enjoy! See you (or hear me) in the new year! --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and per...
Dec 30, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 18
The next few episodes are gonna be a very self indulgent “Best of 2020”. I’ve put together some of my favorite clips of the podcast so far with a little backstory for each. If any of my previous guests are listening and you don’t hear your clips, it's cause I thought you were really boring and I don’t like you at all. Cheers! --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments tha...
Dec 23, 2020•59 min•Season 2Ep. 17
I’m back with Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) for another segment of ‘Save It For The Pod’ where we pause our private conversations about various musical topics until we can record it for the MASSES (that’s you). This week’s episode has us dissecting each of our ‘Top 5 Dance Music Bands That Feature Live Drummers’. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here to order now! Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and m...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 16
We’ve got Tucker Rule, drummer for Thursday, on this week’s episode of the ‘Big Fat Five’ pod breaking down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing style…and it’s a damn fun playing style. Not only is Tucker a rhythmic powerhouse, he’s quite possibly the nicest guy in the world (sorry to ‘out’ you Tucker). We had a really fun conversation that went well beyond his influences including lessons learned from working with Dave Elitch, perspectives on practicing, and how each of us deal wi...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Today’s guest is, Yuri Ruley…drummer for the iconic punk band, MxPx. His speed, creativity and disciple were a huge influence on me growing up, and if ever need a good a$# whippin', I’ll put on 'Life In General' and sweat my way through a barrage of beats at tempos that make me question Yuri’s sanity. We discuss the top 5 songs that best represent his influences when he first started playing drums. Please enjoy my podcast with The Legend, Yuri Ruley. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Continuing with the theme of keeping things fresh, Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Big Data, Bruce Springsteen) and I have started a new segment of the show called “Save it for the Pod” or "S.I.F.T.P" where we pause our private conversations about a particular musical topic until we can record it for the MASSES. This week’s topic is the timeless and seemingly underrated drummer of Radiohead, Phil Selway. Gunnar and I each choose our top 5 Phil beats and go a dissectin’! --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Today’s guest is Sarah Thawer…a Toronto-based, freelance drummer, percussionist, pianist and overall badass with a style consisting of a unique blend of jazz, Indian, world and funk style drumming. She is one of my favorite drummers to watch, literally, because you can’t help but notice the enjoyment on her face and her love of improvisation is a true testament to her capabilities behind the kit. Her playing blows my mind and I was really excited to have her on the show to dissect the top 5 drum...
Nov 11, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Today’s guest is Eric Slick, drummer for Dr. Dog. Eric is a great player with a modern-day Ringo-esque approach to serving the song…which is an obvious focus when you hear his drum parts...parts that are deceivingly hard to execute well. His effortless technique is something I’ve admired from afar and I was really anxious to hear about the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his style. In addition to his tenure in Dr. Dog and working as a drummer for many other artists, Eric is a prolific songwri...
Nov 04, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Today’s guest is Daru Jones. My God I love Daru. While he definitely puts focus on appearances, as you can see if you’ve ever seen his drum set, Daru has certain sway to his feel that makes it impossible to sit or stand still when you hear his groove. He’s two-time Grammy Award winning player who’s worked with Jack White, Gloria Gaynor, Pete Rock, Slum Village, Jamie Lidell, Talib Kweli, Dwight Yoakam and many many more. I’m sure you picked up on the diversity of that list. Cheers. --- Get Your ...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 10
This week’s guest is Steve Goold…a.k.a the “Steve” of Steve’s Donut. Steve tells the story of working with Kris (BFSD owner) and how the donut came to be before breaking down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing. Steve has recorded and/or toured with countless big hitters such as Sara Bareilles, Matt Kearney, Owl City, Ben Rector, Cory Wong and many more. His respect for the "song" and crafting the perfect drum part is very evident in the choices he made for this episode. I gained ...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 9
The guest this week is Raghav Mehrotra. This young man started playing drums when he was three and by 5 years old (IMO) was already better than most lifelong players. He starred in Broadway's "School of Rock" while still physically going to school full-time. He just an insane player and I know he's gonna be on some killer records in the future. He's also an old soul. You think you're talking to a veteran of the craft, but honestly with how much he's already accomplished...he kinda is. Raghav bre...
Oct 14, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This week’s guest is Randy Cooke. I certainly fluff him up at the beginning of our interview, but Rand just has everything you’d want in a drummer playing behind you. He is SO song focused and, as he states, “…It’s not about playing more things; it’s about playing the right thing”. His resume includes playing for Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Alanis Morissette, Dave Stewart, Kelly Clarkson…and believe me…many many more. Keeping with the theme of this season, Randy breaks down the top drumming moment...
Sep 23, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Today’s guest is Mike Dawson, managing editor of Modern Drummer Magazine and co-host of the Modern Drummer Podcast w/ Mike and Mike (the other Mike being Mike Johnston). They have exactly 250 archived episodes so go check that out…after you binge all of our episodes. Mike is an insanely artful player who exemplifies the idea of building creativity out of giving yourself limitations. He posts a lot of his weirdisms on his Instagram at @mikedawsondrums. You can also check out his website here. Thi...
Sep 16, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 6
This week’s guest is Ben Barter…an Auckland-born, Los Angeles-based drummer/producer/storyteller and ex-dishwasher to the STARS. Ben has one of my favorite pockets and tastes in 'groove' so I was SUPER pumped to get him on the show. He’s played every major festival you can think of and has done all the talk shows. He’s the nicest bloke in the world and I know you’ll be smiling the whole time you listen to this one. Cheers! --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 Click here t...
Sep 09, 2020•59 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Today’s guest is Bryan De Leon and we break down the top 5 drumming moments that shaped his playing styles. Bryan’s powerful, rigid, and syncopated drum parts are infectious, to say the least, and it's the reason he drums for power-hitters like Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes, The Drums (a band...a very good band), The Shaking Hands and many more. I’m currently on a road trip right now, so I’m recording from an Airbnb…a tiny closet inside my Airbnb actually, but this episode finally introduced ...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 4
