Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Keech Rainwater of Lonestar
Hey, everybody, my name is Keech Rainwater, and I’m from the country band Lonestar. I know, country music, right? Actually, we rock pretty hard and have been for the past eighteen years. I started out when I was about twelve…
Abe Cunningham: Deftones’ Sophisticated Slammer
Deftones came to prominence in the early '90s for blatantly contrasting super heavy guitars riffs and screamed vocals with more melodic, emotional elements. To many listeners, Abe Cunningham's thunderous yet musical and precise drumming helped set the band miles apart…
Jen Ledger of Skillet
Hey, all! My name is Jen Ledger. I’m twenty years old, and I’ve been playing drums for the band Skillet since Jan 2008. Here’s a quick video of my drum setup. I tend to get a little goofy when the…
O’Neil Spencer: Show Drumming’s Shooting Star
Solidly rooted in the Sid Catlett school of drumming was O’Neil Spencer, a somewhat lesser-known player who nonetheless had a significant effect on the musicians he played with and the drummers who heard him. Spencer was born in Cedarville, Ohio,…
David Beck of Stealing Heather
I’ve always seen Modern Drummer as an organization with its finger on the pulse of the rhythmic world. As such, I was thrilled when they asked me to share my thoughts, and my story, with all of you. For those…
Donny Gruendler of Rhett Frazier Inc.
MD readers. It’s been a couple years since I’ve blogged, so I’ll reintroduce myself. My name is Donny Gruendler, and I am a Los Angeles–based drummer, producer, and tech head. During my formative years in Detroit, I learned to love…
Simon Phillips: The Drummer As Perfectionist
It was an exciting time for drumming. The year was 1980, and a twenty-three-old drummer from England, Simon Phillips, was being introduced to the global music community through his stellar work with artists such as Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and…
Gunnar Waage: Drummer/Composer/Educator from Iceland
Hello, MD readers! It’s been a while since my last blog for Modern Drummer in 2007, so I think an update is in order. I’m a drummer/composer/educator living in Iceland. I’ve been running my own little conservatory here, and I’m…
Ash Pearson of 3 Inches Of Blood Video
(July 2010) 3 Inches Of Blood’s drummer demonstrates his parts to the band’s blistering track “Call Of The Hammer,” and more. Video by Tony Maggiolino
Jason Aldean's Rich Redmond
Channeling AC/DC’s Phil Rudd, Jason Aldean’s Rich Redmond drives a top-flight country band that’s all about rocking three-chord riffs. Here, some of Redmond’s close musical associates provide insight into his unique talents. “Rich is a beyond a solid drummer, with…
The Drummers of Tortoise: John McEntire, John Herndon, Dan Bitney
From the July 2010 Issue of Modern Drummer magazine, available in print here. After nearly twenty years on the scene it helped create, Tortoise—and the group’s three drummers—continues to push sonic boundaries and rhythmic inventiveness. Here John McEntire, John…
Cupcakes Of Hank & Cupcakes
Hey, bangers around the world! I’m Cupcakes (that’s right), singer and drummer of raw-pop group Hank & Cupcakes. We arrived in New York a year and a half ago and have been playing pretty much non-stop ever since. We’re a…
Ben Shanbrom of Bushwhack
Greetings, Modern Drummer faithful! My name is Ben Shanbrom, and I play drums and (yikes!) sing in the progressive alt-metal band Bushwhack. I started annihilating pots and pans at the ripe age of two and proved too bad-ass for pre-school…
Listen to Sound Files of Ludwig Epic X-Over Kit
The complete review is on page 26 of the July 2010 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.