Dave Grohl

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 …

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 …

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 …

  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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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….

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….

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 …

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….

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

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.???

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….

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….

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….

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….

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 …

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….

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….

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….

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….

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….

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….

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

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….

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….

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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….

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.

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.

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….

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

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.

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)

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….

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 …

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

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!

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.

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

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, …

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

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.

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 …

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…

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 …

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….

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.

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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….

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 …

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

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

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 …

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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…

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 …

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

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

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….

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

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.

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…

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

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?…

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

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…

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….

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.

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.

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…

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….