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Note: Some MD articles are only available in pdf format. Those articles do not appear in this list. Subscribers to Digital and All-Access can view every Modern Drummer issue in their available formats. Browse all MD issues from our archive here.
October 2020:
OCTOBER 2020 COVER
What Song Are You Working on Now?
Drums

“Metropolis—Part I” by Dream Theater [Mike Portnoy].@ptrlcc “Chemical Warfare” by Slayer [Dave Lombardo].@nickkcuevas “Hemispheres” by Rush [Neil Peart]. The first section is so tough on the hi-hat.@mconrad332 “Around the World” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers [Chad Smith].@_rywill22 “Just like Heaven” by the Cure [Boris Williams].Eric Heumann “Rosas del Amor” …


September 2020:
MODERN DRUMMER SEPTEMBER 2020 COVER
What Was Your First Favorite Drum Record?
Reader Platform September 2020

Vivid by Living Colour. Will Calhoun plays masterfully and with tons of power. It was perfect: playable but loaded with nuance.Scott Sparks Manu Katché on Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Live. I was around five, and it just blew my mind. That’s when I realized drumming was what I wanted to …


January 2020:
BJ Miller with Health

Since answering a drummer-wanted Craigslist ad that listed influences from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to Public Image Ltd. and Can, BJ Miller has proven the ideal rhythm generator for his band.


March 2018:
Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart: 1961-2017

It seemed that Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart existed to dispel the moronic clichés informing most drummer jokes. The dude could seemingly do it all. Killer drummer. Great singer. Amazing songwriter. He was also a supremely talented visual artist who designed all of Hüsker Dü’s album covers, along with cover art …


January 2018:
The Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins

The biggest band in the land tears up the road map and comes up with its most ambitious album to date. “We’re usually like Motörhead meets the Beatles,” the group’s drummer says. “But this one is really Motörhead meets Sgt. Pepper’s.”


August 2010:
August 2010 – Volume 34 • Number 8

Dave Grohl, Jason Sutter, Charles Connor, Jim Black, Clayton Cameron, Leon Mobley, Morgan Rose, Jeff Bowders, Matt Helders, Cheney Brannon, Bob Gatzen


July 2004:
July 2004 – Volume 28 • Number 7

Dave Grohl, Ralph MacDonald, Dave King, Rich Beddoe, Diana Krall, Matt Sorum, Susie Ibarra, Jason McGerr, Troy Luccketta, Dana Hammond, Steve Goulding, Andrea Centazzo, Walfredo Reyes Jr., Jeff Hamilton, Terry Bozzio


March 2003:
March 2003 – Volume 27 • Number 3

Josh Freese, Ben Perowsky, Marcus Baylor, Dave Grohl, Phil Collins, John Mahon, Jim Keltner, H. Benjamin Schuman, Rickey Shelton, Philly Joe Jones, Fab Moretti, Jimmy DeGrasso, Ralph Hardimon, Mark Schulman


March 1994:
March 1994 – Volume 18 • Number 3

In this Issue: Dave Grohl, T.S. Monk



Posted: September 28, 2022

Category: News
Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert

By Alex Kluft Photo by Andreas Neumann On March 25, 2022, the world lost one the greatest drummers and member of one of the most important and biggest rock bands of all time, Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters. To honor Hawkins, Dave Grohl put together two of the biggest …


Posted: March 27, 2022

Category: News
Tribute to Taylor Hawkins

On March 25, drummers and music fans around the world were devastated to learn that drummer Taylor Hawkins had died. Hawkins was a good friend of Modern Drummer, and we join in the sorrow of losing such a wonderful person and amazing musician at such a young age. In 1997 …


Posted: April 28, 2021

Al Schmitt
Category: News
RIP Legendary Recording Engineer Al Schmitt; Violet & Dave Grohl & Friends

Thanks to rockcellarmagazine.com for allowing us to share the news Rest in Peace Al Schmitt, (20x Grammy-Winning) Recording Engineer/Producer: 1930-202 Al Schmitt (Photo: https://www.facebook.com/al.schmitt) Al Schmitt, a renowned recording producer/engineer with a litany of accolades and accomplishments over the course of his massively influential career, has died at the age …


Posted: April 6, 2021

Category: News
Yoyoka Soma – Hit Like A Girl Spotlight – HLAG 2018 Contestant & 2021 Jr Global Ambassador – 4/4/21

  Yoyoka Soma is an 11 year old powerhouse of a drummer from Japan. She started playing drums at the age of two, played live at four, and formed her family band “Kaneaiyoyoka” at five. At 6 years old, she even released her first CD while in kindergarten. In addition …


Posted: February 8, 2021

Category: News
Thank you to Far Out Magazine for Reminding us how brilliant Ringo Starr is. We Agree!

Credit: AlamyJack Whatley·February 5, 2021 5 isolated drum tracks to prove The Beatles’ Ringo Starr was a genius   Too often has The Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr been the butt of some unkind jokes. Reportedly purported by his bandmate John Lennon, the adage goes that when asked about whether Ringo …


Posted: May 26, 2020

Category: On the Beat
Chris Hornbrook On his Play-Through Video for Greg Puciato’s “Deep Set”

Chris Hornbrook [Photo: Rob Ortiz] “Deep Set” was one of the first songs that Greg Puciato presented to me for his first solo record, Child Soldier: Creator of God. We’ve known each other for more than 20 years, and both of our prior bands (Poison the Well and The Dillinger …


Posted: September 24, 2019

Category: On the Beat
Linden Marissen of the Faim

I’m Linden Marissen and I play drums in the pop/alternative/rock band the Faim. We released our debut album, State of Mind, on September 13 and we’ll be touring the US in September and October.


Posted: May 28, 2019

Category: On the Beat
Isaac Flynn and Austin Ward of Hembree

Calling his new project Hembree, Flynn put himself through what he calls “three years of songwriting boot camp,” working on music from the loft where he lives in Kansas City.


Posted: January 8, 2019

Kurt Reifler
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Kurt Reifler: Talks Comeback and Recording Double EP in On The Beat

Hello MD! I said rock and roll was a young man’s game. It is. I said I’d retire at thirty. I did.


Posted: July 5, 2017

Chico Diaz
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat with Chico Diaz from the Black Moods: Talks New Album, Gear, and Influences

Hello Modern Drummer readers! Chico Diaz from the Black Moods here. For those that have not heard of us yet, we are a three-piece rock ’n’ roll band that smashes ’70s and ’90s together like two high-speed trains—it’s straight up rawk.


Posted: May 31, 2017

Gethin Davies
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat with Gethin Davies of the Struts: Talks Touring and Influences

Hello MD! I’m Gethin Davies, drummer for British glam rock ’n’ roll band the Struts. Thanks to Billy Amendola and Modern Drummer for having me write a few words for you all—it’s an honor to be part of such a great publication.


Posted: April 20, 2017

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat with Pat Kirch of the Maine: Talks Different Approaches to Recording

Hello Modern Drummer readers! I’m Pat Kirch, drummer for the Maine and we’re based out of Phoenix, Arizona. We recently started our world tour in support of our new record Lovely Little Lonely. We have been a band for ten years now and this is our sixth record.


Posted: March 31, 2017

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Featured
Justin Peroff on Spiral Stairs’ Doris and the Daggers

On March 24, Scott Kannberg, the guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the trailblazing ’90s underground indie-rock band Pavement, released Doris and the Daggers, the second album credited to his pseudonym Spiral Stairs.


Posted: March 21, 2017

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Featured, On the Beat
On the Beat with Heath Fields from Shallow Side: Talks Beginnings, Overcoming Adversity, and New Album

Hello fellow MD readers. My name is Heath Fields and I’m the drummer for the band Shallow Side, from Cullman, Alabama. It’s an honor to be a part of the On the Beat family!


Posted: February 16, 2017

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat with Session Great Fred Eltringham

Hey Modern Drummer readers, Fred Eltringham checking in to let you know what I’ve been getting into lately.


Posted: December 27, 2016

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat with Tom Ogden of Deaf Havana: Talks Influences, Setup, and New Record

Hi, Modern Drummer readers. Let me start by saying how thankful and honored I am to be writing an article for such a great magazine and online community. So many drummers from so many styles have influenced me—I’m a massive Travis Barker fan since the age of twelve, and that’s …


Posted: November 30, 2016

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Featured, Web Exclusive
Track-by-Track: Frank Zummo Discusses Sum 41’s 13 Voices

Born in Long Island, New York, Zummo began drumming at the early age of three when he discovered his dad’s drumkit. By the time he was seven he was an award-winning drummer, taking home the top prize in Long Island Drum Center’s Battle of the Beats. In 2004, Zummo helped …


Posted: July 1, 2016

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Featured, Web Exclusive
Stephen Perkins on Jane’s Addiction’s Twenty-Fifth-Anniversary Ritual De Lo Habitual Shows

Modern Drummer Online caught up with Stephen Perkins while he was prepping for a clinic tour and some dates with Jane’s Addiction, commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the group’s watershed album Ritual De Lo Habitual.


Posted: March 21, 2016

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On The Beat with Justin Nace of PVRIS: Practice and Play With Passion

When I was eight years old and dreaming of being a drummer, a local teacher told me that he wouldn’t work with me unless I switched from being a lefty to a righty, which was pretty disheartening. But I didn’t let it stop me. I put on headphones and played …


Posted: September 18, 2015

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With Rickie Mazzotta of mewithoutYou: Wisdom and Inspiration

Peaceful greetings to Modern Drummer and its readers, my name is Rickie Mazzotta and in case you don’t know who I am, here is a little bit about myself: I am a current and founding member of the band mewithoutYou. I have been with them for fourteen years and playing …


Posted: July 6, 2015

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With Aiden Marceron of Bad Seed Rising

My name is Aiden Marceron, and I play drums in Bad Seed Rising. I’m thirteen years old, and I’m the youngest in the band. That being said, this makes us the youngest band signed to Roadrunner Records….


Posted: June 12, 2015

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
On the Beat With Turbowolf’s Blake Davies: Drawing Inspiration

Hello! I’m Blake Davies and I play drums in Turbowolf. As I write this, I’m cleaning my Yamaha Maple Custom kit for another summer of shows and remembering festivals gone by. It got me thinking about inspiration and from where we draw it….


Posted: March 4, 2015

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Drummer Blog: Purple’s Hanna Brewer Talks Big Drums, Dark Cymbals, and Hitting Hard

Hi, everyone! When I was nine years old I found a really small drumset made for little kids in the storage shed behind my house. It was my brother’s old set. I thought it was so freaking cool. My dad started jamming with me on guitar, and that’s how I …


Posted: March 4, 2015

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Lessons
10 Tips from Bobby Sanabria

The renowned Latin and jazz drummer/percussionist has always known how to get his point across, whether in the studio, on stage, or in the classroom. Here he offers words of advice that all of us, regardless of age or preferred musical style, should take heed of….


Posted: February 9, 2015

Category: Drummers, Lessons, Multimedia, Videos
Rock Perspectives: The Mighty Three-Stroke Ruff (VIDEO)

Click here to check out part 1 of a two-part series devoted to ways to practice and perfect three- and four-stroke ruffs….


Posted: October 29, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Drummer Blog: Benjamin Cartel and Kristoffer Ragnstam on “Songwriter Drums???

Songwriting and singing have always been important to me. My thought has always been, “If I am going to spend a lot of time creating music with a band, then I want to be involved with the song writing.???


Posted: September 19, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Drummer Blog! Eric Jackowitz on Playing Different Styles With Caleb Hawley

Playing Caleb’s tunes is a pleasure. The first record is more Motown inspired, and his second record has a more funk/synth/Prince-y vibe, so I’ve been getting to let out my inner Ndugu Chancler/Steve Jordan/Questlove….


Posted: August 18, 2014

Category: Drummers, Multimedia, On the Beat, Videos
Ash Doodkorte of Voyager (w/ VIDEO)

I’m from the faraway town of Perth, Western Australia. I play drums for the modern progressive metal band Voyager and also for the dirty fuzz punk blues band the Floors….


Posted: August 15, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Peter Landi of Marco With Love

I am twenty-two years old, and I hail from Sag Harbor, New York. Along with being in MWL, I am also the drummer for Jonny Lives! and the Killing Floor….


Posted: May 19, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Ben Thatcher of Royal Blood

I started drumming at a very early age. For my sixth birthday, my parents bought me my first full-sized drumset. We set it up in the small cupboard under the stairs, and that’s where I would hang out….


Posted: April 23, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Kevin Shane Cogen of Galvanized Souls

Hello there, Modern Drummers. My name is Kevin Shane Cogen, and I have been drumming for six years. Granted, most of you have never heard of me, but I think you’ll find I have a similar story to most drummers. Read on to learn about my band, my drumming, and …


Posted: March 7, 2014

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Beau Kuther of Smallpools

Good day, fellow Modern Drummer fanatics. Most of you don’t know who I am, but if you skim your way through this brief and painless memoir of my drumming existence, you’ll probably end up knowing more about me than you bargained for….


Posted: November 25, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Rosie Slater of New Myths

I started playing the drums when I was nine years old and have been playing with 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darlene Love, New Myths, Supercute!, Lesley Gore, and others….


Posted: November 22, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Pilot of Louna

Hey, everybody! I’m Leonid “Pilot??? Kinzbursky. I’m twenty-four years old, and I’m the drummer for Louna. Louna just finished its first big tour in America with the Pretty Reckless and Heaven’s Basement….


Posted: October 1, 2013

Category: Feature Stories
Hidden Gems
Great Drum Performances Uncovered

The October 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine features an article in which seven MD Pro Panelists share some of their favorite “hidden gems.??? Here MD’s editorial staff weighs in on their personal favorites….


Posted: September 17, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Eve to Adam’s Alex Sassaris

I’m Alex Sassaris from the NYC rock band Eve to Adam. We are gearing up for the release of our fourth studio album, Locked and Loaded, which comes out September 17 through our label 3 for 5 Records/MRI/Sony RED….


Posted: August 22, 2013

Category: Clinics and Events, Drummers, News, News and Events
Vinny Appice to Conduct Free Drum Clinic and Performance

Presented by GoDpsMusic Live and ddrum, Vinny Appice will perform at the GoDpsMusic pro artist showroom Friday, August 30 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm PST. GoDpsMusic is located at 810 Lawrence Drive, Ste. 128, Newbury Park, CA 91320….


Posted: July 3, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Producer/Songwriter Marti Frederiksen

Hi, I’m Marti Frederiksen. I’m a songwriter, producer, and singer, but most of all I consider myself a drummer….


Posted: June 25, 2013

Category: Album/Song Reviews, Drummers, Reviews
Queens of the Stone Age …Like Clockwork

After a six-year absence, Queens of the Stone Age are back with a new sound on their latest record, …Like Clockwork. The ten-track album came with its fair share of trials and tribulations, though….


Posted: May 16, 2013

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Web Exclusive!
Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music

Mark Guiliana may be best known for his work as a sideman with jazz musicians such as Avishai Cohen and Brad Mehldau, but the drummer has been increasingly involved with his own solo project, Beat Music….


Posted: April 22, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Ross Garfield of Drum Doctors

Hi everyone! With all the attention that Sound City Studios is getting these days, I was reminded of all the good times and long nights I spent there.


Posted: March 18, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Mike Lloyd of Leogun

My earliest memory of wanting to play drums dates comes from when I was ten years old and riding in the back of my dad’s car.


Posted: February 25, 2013

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Paul Wandtke of Dead Original

The last time I wrote a blog here was in September of 2010, when I drummed for Kill Hannah during an intimate main support run with the Smashing Pumpkins. I feel honored and privileged to be able to share with fellow MD readers what I’ve been up to since.


Posted: December 28, 2012

the Sword at FUN FUN FUN FEST
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
MD Contributor Stephen Bidwell Tackles Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas

We’re quite spoiled as music lovers in Austin, Texas. Touring bands don’t really skip our city, and we’re treated to several major festivals a year. While I enjoy all of them, Fun Fun Fun Fest has become one of my favorites.


Posted: December 28, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
MD Contributor Stephen Bidwell Tackles Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas

We’re quite spoiled as music lovers in Austin, Texas. Touring bands don’t really skip our city, and we’re treated to several major festivals a year. While I enjoy all of them, Fun Fun Fun Fest has become one of my favorites.


Posted: December 5, 2012

Category: Clinics and Events, Drummers, News, News and Events
Dave Grohl–Directed Feature Film to Debut at Sundance Film Festival

Dave Grohl’s directorial debut, the feature documentary film Sound City, about the famous recording studio in Van Nuys, California, will have its premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Grohl and select artists from the film will be in attendance at this year’s Festival….


Posted: December 5, 2012

Category: News, News and Events
“12-12-12” Secures Distribution to Over One Billion People Worldwide

The producers of “12-12-12” have announced that the concert at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2012, at 7:30 PM (ET), to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy, has secured distribution to over one billion people.


Posted: October 10, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Joseph Reilly of the Winter Sounds

As a kid I always envisioned myself as the guitarist in a hair metal band. But from the minute I first sat behind a drumset, I knew it was my place in a band.


Posted: July 26, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Matt Hearn of Turbo Fruits

Hey, MD readers! I’m Matt Hearn, drummer for Turbo Fruits. We’re gearing up for the release of our next record, Butter, due September 11 on Kings of Leon’s Serpents & Snakes Records….


Posted: July 6, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Luke Johnson of Lostprophets

My name is Luke Johnson, and I play drums in the band Lostprophets. We’re currently touring our fifth studio album, Weapons….


Posted: July 5, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Jordan Plosky of Big Time Rush

Hi there! My name is Jordan Plosky, and I play drums for Big Time Rush. We’re embarking on a two-and-a-half-month headlining summer tour across the U.S. and Canada.


Posted: June 4, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Dan Whitesides of The Used

What’s up Modern Drummer readers?! Dan Whitesides from the Used here. Thank you, Modern Drummer, for giving me the opportunity to talk a little about our new album, Vulnerable. (continue reading)


Posted: April 18, 2012

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Shai Hulud’s Matt Covey

Hey guys, this is Matt Covey of Shai Hulud, the Suicide Dolls, and the Flaming Tsunamis. And the Hempsteadys. And the Franklin Brothers…and Young Pandas. About three and a half years ago, I was shocked to find myself on the road playing drums for a truly pioneering band….


Posted: March 19, 2012

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Vinny Appice: Leaving His Mark

May 2012 cover star Vinny Appice is a true rock ’n’ roll journeyman—identifiable not by his work with one particular band but by his flawless contributions to a long list of hard-rock luminaries. In this Web-exclusive supplement to his print feature, Vinny shares a couple of fun stories from his …


Posted: February 24, 2012

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Gimme 10! Bobby Sanabria

One of the most world-traveled, well-spoken, and high-profile drummer/leaders on the planet tells us what’s what, Sanabria style.


Posted: December 13, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Queen Extravaganza Winner Tyler Warren

It’s more than a thrill to be announced as the drummer for Queen Extravaganza! Roger Taylor, one of my favorite and most inspirational musicians, picked me as their new drummer! It’s insane. And I found out while I was on a roof, no less!


Posted: December 1, 2011

Category: A Different View, Drummers, Feature Stories
Mike Watt: Pouncing on Opportunities

Mike Watt is a flesh-and-blood superhero to anyone who’s followed the do-it-yourself alternative music scene over the past twenty-five years. This interview originally ran in the December 2006 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.


Posted: November 22, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Grant Hart

Hüsker Dü’s drummer/singer created a template—and quickly broke it—for a generation of alternative rockers.


Posted: October 19, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Nia Lovelis of Cherri Bomb

When I was really young my parents took me horseback riding, and the sound and feel of the rhythm got stuck in my head. It was then I knew I wanted to play drums. I come from a musical family: My mom was the lead singer/songwriter in an alt-rock band, …


Posted: October 8, 2011

Category: Book Review, Drummers, Reviews
On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Levels 1, 2, and 3
by Rich Lackowski

Learn the drums by copping beats that are part of the everyday musical landscape.


Posted: September 21, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Alex Sassaris of Eve to Adam

I’m Alex Sassaris, drummer of NYC rock band Eve to Adam. Since starting this band eleven years ago with my brother, singer Taki Sassaris, and guitar player Gaurav Bali, we’ve been spreading our unique blend of guitar-heavy, groove-oriented, melodic rock ’n’ roll.


Posted: September 15, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Nick Brennan of the Static Jacks

I’m Nick Brennan from the Static Jacks and I’m twenty-one years old. I feel honored to be sharing my drumming experience with you! I started playing the drums in third grade at Wilson Elementary, when the music teacher asked me if I had any musical talent. I told him I …


Posted: July 20, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Justin Wilson of Sleeper Agent

I play in Sleeper Agent. Our music is fast-paced and energetic punk-infused pop rock. We’ve been together for about three years now. Our sound is heavily influenced by Jay Reatard, the Strokes, the Beatles, and many others…


Posted: July 5, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Joao Lencastre

My name is Joao Lencastre and I was born in Lisbon, Portugal. I started to play the drums at the age of thirteen. Since I started playing I’ve been collaborating with many different groups in all styles of music, including metal, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic, big band, alternative rock, and all …


Posted: July 1, 2011

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
MD Readers Poll 2011 Results

Welcome once again to the MD Readers Poll, where the greatest drummers on the planet are honored by the most educated drum fans around. Let’s get right to it: the envelope, please….


Posted: June 1, 2011

Category: Feature Stories
A Different View:
Duff McKagan

The Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver founder on the great drummers he’s worked with—including Isaac Carpenter, who tears up The Taking, the third album by Duff’s band Loaded.


Posted: May 17, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Gunnar Olsen of Knights on Earth

Photo by John Durgee Hello, Modern Drummer readers, my name is Gunnar Olsen. I’m from New York City, and have been a professional drummer for over fifteen years. My band, Knights on Earth, is preparing to release our first album, Move Slow Life Ends. Knights on Earth has been performing in New …


Posted: March 4, 2011

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Nate Parsell of Amely

My humble beginnings as a drummer began in the basement of my old house in rural Ohio. My parents gave me my first kit as a Christmas present when I was in the eighth grade. I studied percussion privately throughout my high school days while also playing in marching band, …


Posted: December 6, 2010

David Phillips Modern Drummer Drummer Blog
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
David Phillips: "A Drummer’s Perspective???

Photo by Marc Rouve You can probably guess I dabble a bit on the old drumkit myself, and it is always difficult trying to explain to someone what it looks like sitting on that throne—the best seat in the house. With my images in the book I try to give …


Posted: December 6, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
David Phillips: “A Drummer’s Perspective???

Photo by Marc Rouve You can probably guess I dabble a bit on the old drumkit myself, and it is always difficult trying to explain to someone what it looks like sitting on that throne—the best seat in the house. With my images in the book I try to give …


Posted: November 1, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Graham Fisk of Apollo Run

Greetings from NYC, it’s Graham Fisk here from Brooklyn-based band Apollo Run. It’s a huge honor to be given the opportunity to contribute to moderndrummer.com. Since I first picked up a pair of sticks at age thirteen, Modern Drummer has been more than just an invaluable resource for my drumming …


Posted: August 12, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Kevin Figueiredo of Extreme

Hey, everyone, my name in Kevin Figueiredo, and I am the drummer for Extreme. I’ve been playing drums professionally for the past fifteen years, and my main influences include John Henry Bonham, David Garibaldi, Dennis Chambers, and Dave Grohl, among many others. I never went to music school, but I’ve …


Posted: May 19, 2010

Category: Drummers, The Greats
Chuck Biscuits: Punk Journeyman

Chuck Biscuits has had a major impact on punk music. Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve surely heard of some of the bands he’s pounded the skins for: Danzig, Social Distortion, Fear, D.O.A., Circle Jerks, and Black Flag, to name a few….


Posted: April 22, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Chad LaRoy of Cavo

What’s up, MD followers! This is Chad LaRoy from Cavo. It has been a year since the band and I finished recording our first major-label record, Bright Nights, Dark Days, with the brilliant producer David Bendeth. Since then, we’ve been touring the country with Halestorm and Rev Theory. Summertime was …


Posted: April 7, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Bigger Lights’s Ryan Seaman

I started playing drums at the age of eight, when my father introduced me to the Beatles.


Posted: April 7, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Bigger Lights's Ryan Seaman

I started playing drums at the age of eight, when my father introduced me to the Beatles.


Posted: March 29, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Daughters’ Jonathan Syverson

Hello, humans. My name is Jonathan Syverson, and I’ve never actually written any sort of blog. But as anyone who knows me would tell you, I absolutely LOVE talking about myself, and since Modern Drummer was kind enough to come asking, it would be my pleasure to oblige. Back in …


Posted: February 23, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Social Code’s Ben Shillabeer

I started playing in cover bands when I was sixteen, which is still something I do on occasion…


Posted: February 23, 2010

Social Code drummer Ben Shillabeer
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Social Code's Ben Shillabeer

I started playing in cover bands when I was sixteen, which is still something I do on occasion…


Posted: January 5, 2010

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
AM Taxi’s Chris Smith

I’m Christopher Smith, drummer/backup vocalist for Chicago punk/rock band AM Taxi…


Posted: October 13, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Gary Foster of The Sunstreak

What’s up, everyone! My name is Gary Foster and I play drums and percussion with the Sunstreak…


Posted: August 9, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Street Drum Corps’ Frank Zummo

I’m sitting at Tommy Lee’s Atrium Studio in Calabasas, CA, where Street Drum Corps is doing preproduction for our Interscope Records debut double album, due out in early 2010.


Posted: August 9, 2009

Frank Zummo of Street Drum Corps : Modern Drummer
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Street Drum Corps' Frank Zummo

I’m sitting at Tommy Lee’s Atrium Studio in Calabasas, CA, where Street Drum Corps is doing preproduction for our Interscope Records debut double album, due out in early 2010.


Posted: July 28, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Yann Tiersen’s Dave Collingwood

My name’s Dave Collingwood, and I’m currently based in Bristol, South West U.K. I’ve recently joined French composer Yann Tiersen’s band…


Posted: July 27, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Gina Cappella-Grohl

Hello, MD! My name is Gina Cappella-Grohl and I grew up in Devon, England. When I was five years old I remember making up my own shows for my family and friends, and at six years old I told my parents I wanted to go to acting school. They told …


Posted: May 19, 2009

Victor Garcia
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Jeremy Enigk's Victor Garcia

Greetings! The first time I sat in front of drums was the day of my thirteenth birthday, when my brother came home at night and surprised me with a fourth-hand drumkit. It was an old black Pearl Forum Series. On this I learned to play, and every day I spent …


Posted: May 19, 2009

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Jeremy Enigk’s Victor Garcia

Greetings! The first time I sat in front of drums was the day of my thirteenth birthday, when my brother came home at night and surprised me with a fourth-hand drumkit. It was an old black Pearl Forum Series. On this I learned to play, and every day I spent …


Posted: May 18, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Ira Elliot: Nada Surf’s Vinyl Obsessive Gets Personal With MD

My own little record store, containing only albums I still like after twenty-five years–that’s suddenly what all my records look like splayed out across my room.


Posted: March 1, 2009

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Tucker Rule: Chillin’ On The Ego For The Common Good

With their new release, Common Existence, post-hardcore band Thursday returns as forceful as ever, driven by drummer Tucker Rule. Rule explains the concept of the album as “a culmination of all our records??? to date while still being a definitive step in the progression of their music…


Posted: August 25, 2008

Category: Drum Gods, Drummers
Drum God: Dave Grohl

Born in Warren, Ohio, and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Dave Grohl kicked off his music career in the ’80s, drumming for the band Freak Baby. Later he joined the Washington, DC, punk rock band Scream. Grohl moved to Seattle and joined Nirvana in 1990, after being recommended by Buzz Osborne …


Posted: August 20, 2008

Adam Barker of War Stories
Category: Drummers, On the Beat
War Stories' Adam Barker

My name is Adam Barker (no relation to Travis), and I've been drumming for about thirteen years now.


Posted: August 20, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
War Stories’ Adam Barker

My name is Adam Barker (no relation to Travis), and I've been drumming for about thirteen years now.


Posted: July 30, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Donnie Yal of the Sammies

I, as you can read above, am Donnie Yale. I play drums in the NC band The Sammies. (NC is better b/c we are on top for all of you reading this in SC). Our sophomore album, Sandwich, is set for release on September 23….


Posted: July 18, 2008

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Zac Farro of Paramore

After several months of constant road work, eighteen-year-old Paramore drummer Zac Farro is finally back at home relaxing….


Posted: July 7, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Sean Davidson from Blacklist Union

This coming July 22, my band, Blacklist Union, are set to release our new album, Breakin Bread With The Devil, produced by Chris Johnson (Evanescence, Josh Todd) and Anthony Valli of Crazy Town.


Posted: May 1, 2008

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Chad Smith: Web Exclusive Interview

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith takes a much-needed rest—for a minute—and fills MD in on the many cool side projects he’s involved in…


Posted: April 24, 2008

Category: Drummers, On the Beat
Michaela Wiery of Tripping Horse

Hi, MD readers. It's Michaela Wiery from the Vienna, Austria—based rock band Tripping Horse, writing this blog for you….


Posted: July 16, 2007

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Josh Freese: Time Bandit

Time. Feel. Groove. Pulse. For many, these are illusive concepts with multiple meanings. Does a heavy metal drummer “feel??? the pulse in the same way as a pop drummer?…


Posted: November 16, 2006

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Travis Smith: The Sickest Feet in Metal

A decade after getting his start behind the kit, Smith has become one of the most recognized, rising drum stars in extreme metal.


Posted: July 15, 2006

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Dave Lombardo: Return Of The King

Instead of waxing poetic about what metal drumming living legend Dave Lombardo does behind the kit–you know, those punishing 16th-note kicks at rapid-fire tempos, incredible runs across his half-dozen rack toms, spastic patterns, and awe-inspiring phrases–it might be better to start off telling you what Lombardo doesn’t do…


Posted: July 15, 2006

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Motion City Soundtrack’s Tony Thaxton

For Motion City Soundtrack’s Tony Thaxton, his drumming career has gone full circle–at least in one sense. Growing up in Virginia as a budding drummer, Thaxton would often find himself behind a kit with a pair of headphones, playing along to his favorite records….


Posted: July 19, 2005

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Damien Fahey

Damien Fahey has a dilemma: These days he’s having a difficult time finding the time to play his drums. You see, Damien hosts one of MTV’s most popular shows, Total Request Live, which airs weekdays at 5:00 P.M. EST to an audience of 50 million viewers.


Posted: May 12, 2004

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories
Dave Grohl: Returning To His Roots With Probot

Many drummers have hit it big since the post-metal resurgence of the early ’90s. But no one has had the impact and influence of Dave Grohl. With the full-body flam and bass drum contortions of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Grohl forever changed drumming.


Posted: May 12, 2004

Category: Drummers
Chris Hesse: Rocking Out

I learned to play drums by putting on headphones and playing to Rush’s Fly By Night until I knew every song by heart. Neil Peart was my first major influence…


Posted: May 12, 2004

Category: Drummers, Feature Stories, Update
Phil Jordan of The Music

When Phil Jordan sits down behind the kit for his band, UK rockers The Music, he has one goal in mind: making people dance. Jordan says the secret is in the dynamics….



Posted: June 24, 2021

Category: The Modern Drummer Podcast
The Modern Drummer Podcast Episode 39: David Frangioni with Nandi Bushell

Episode 39: David Frangioni interviews Nandi Bushell + Dawson’s Shop Talk review on the Roland – VAD306 Compact Electronic Drumset. In this episode MD CEO David Frangioni interviews 11-year-old UK social media sensation, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nandi Bushell, sponsored by Roland. Nandi and her father John walks David thru how …


Posted: March 19, 2021

Ringo Starr Pop Up Podcast
Category: The Modern Drummer Podcast
Ringo Starr Pop Up Podcast

Let’s kick off the weekend with this fly-on-the-wall “Pop Up Podcast” featuring a private filmed, streaming, virtual “ZOOM IN” press conference with Elizabeth Freund, Ringo, Modern Drummer, and a few select friends. Thank you, Beautiful Media and Ringo, for allowing us to post! Today March 19, 2021, Ringo releases his …