Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Aaron Steele. Aaron is a melting pot of creativity who has a Rolodex of influences including everything from hardcore to jazz to singer-songwriter to r&b to electronica to funk to pop and back again. Don’t you dare put him in a box! Aaron’s resume includes Portugal. The Man. Hayley Williams of Paramore, Peter Bradley Adams, Chrome Sparks, Jose James and, of course, many more. Our chat went well over two hours, so I consolidated it just a bit. We’ll be jumping in right as we get into the topic of comparing yourself to other players (something that Aaron never does)…before eventually dissecting the top 5 influences that shaped Aaron’s style. As to be expected, Aarons’s choices are NOT expected, but they are very impactful and I’m really excited to dive deeper into all these artists. You can find all the songs referenced or played in this episode in a Spotify playlist. Just search ‘Big Fat Five Podcast - Aaron Steele’. Please enjoy my conversation with the ever-unique and talented Aaron Steele. Jameszoo: Against The Clock Hayley Willaims: Tiny Desk Concert --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 parts. Part 1 starts off with me playing a bunch of song from Dan’s career followed by a discussion on each. We then get into some listener questions and eventually dive into a more general list of the top 5 influences that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Part 2 is the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums and approaches writing in general. Not only is Dan a very generous human being, he’s funny and humble and I really hope these episodes turn you into a dan fan. Enjoy part 1 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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 a little better about our own “path”. Please check it out. In this joint episode, I chatted with the boys about the top 5 influences that shaped their playing style. Aside from being amazing podcast hosts, Zack and Matt are incredibly accomplished drummers and VERY different players than me. I learned a s*$t ton in this episode and I know you will too. Also...I created a Spotify playlist for all the songs played and/or mentioned in this episode. Just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Working Drummer' --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, James Morrison, Cee Lo Green, Robbie Williams, Stewart Copeland, Ronan Keating, The Trevon Horn Band, Cher, Billy Idol, Del Amitri and soooo many more. In this episode, we start of by dissecting a few clips from his career…curated by yours truly and unbeknownst to Ash beforehand…..then answer some listener questions and eventually jump into the top 5 influences that shaped Mr. Ash Soan. Getting to chat with him was such a pleasure and I hope you guys enjoy as I try to hold back my excitement and not interrupt him TOO much. I’ve created a Spotify playlist containing all the songs discussed and played in this show, just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Ash Soan'. Also, go check out his new EP, titled 66991. 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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 little different from her guests because they aren’t talking to any old podcast host, they’re talking to their friend. This obviously gives her an advantage and I’m extremely jealous! That being said, we have some really exciting yet-to-be-announced...um...announcements involving Sarah, myself and a few people you just may know...but more on that later :) I hope you enjoy this week’s takeover episode of Sarah Hagan Backstage with her first guest Gavin Harrison. We’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming. Be sure to subscribe to her feed wherever you listen to podcasts. 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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 one meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Atom Willard as he dissects his biggest musical influences that made him into the drummer he is today. Cheers ya’ll. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 is a very condensed version for the sake of focus, but I guarantee you will be hearing more of our chats in future episodes. Enjoy my hang with the one of my favorite humans…Nate Morton. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 couldn’t read music to eventually playing the biggest stages in the world…Kirkee B is a man who takes opportunities and smashes them out of the park. His mixture of being at the right place at the right time (WITH the right information to stand out) is a common theme. Do your homework, play to the song, know the technology of the day and be more like Kirkee B. There…now you don’t even have to listen. But please do. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 invited one of my new favorite people (and fellow Levon enthusiast), Steve from Junkdrummer TV, on the show to dissect the top 5 recordings that best represent Levon’s legacy as a player. I couldn’t have been happier with how this came out and I hope this episode introduces a bunch of people to their new favorite drummer. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 practicing. 2) There is one correct way to hold a stick. 3) Learning more "stuff" or patterns will make me a better drummer 4) Drums sound best when hit in the center (rimshots or toms). Dimitri & Tim Baltes mock drum lesson video HERE --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the podcast so far and both Gunnar & myself are really excited for you to have a listen. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 scale. I guarantee you will take something away from this. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 with the frustrations, yet needed patience, of always wanted to become better players. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 drumming moments that shaped her style. Her positivity and approach to navigating a career in the music industry is something I’ve admired for quite a long time. Please enjoy my conversation with the incredibly talented, Sarah Thawer. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 songwriter himself. His most recent album, “Wiseacre”, came out this year…and it rulezz. Please enjoy my conversation with Eric Slick. 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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 a lot and I hope you will too. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 breaks down the top 8 moments that made him the drummer he is today. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 moments that shaped his style. Cheeeeers. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. This episode is a reminder of how little I know when it comes to great drumming and it only reinforced my decision to continue with this format. Mike breaks down the drumming moments that shaped his playing. 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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 me to New Order and it’s basically all I’ve been listening to. So, thank you, Bryan. Also, I need to mention...I almost edited out my initial question of how asking Bryan how his pandemic is going. It's a lazy question, and I hated it the second it came out, but it ended up pulling a great response from Bryan and touched on points I really wanted to keep it…so I kept it in. I just want you to know that I know and alright....shutting up...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 format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Brody Simpson and we talk about the top 5 drumming moments that played a huge part in the development of his sound. Brody’s feel and sense of pocket within a pocket are unmatched in my opinion and I don’t think I’m comfortable making it public how much time I’ve spent looping Brody’s videos. Needless to say, if you don’t know him, I’m so excited that you stumbled across this episode. His perspectives on groove and creating parts is a masterclass in many ways. Please enjoy. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello hello...today's show features the Big Fat Man himself, Kris Mazzarisi and myself, Ben Hilzinger, discussing the top 5 specific moments in either a recording or a performance that helped form us into the drummers we are today. We are all sponges for inspiration until the day we die, but some sponge-worthy moments are more remarkable than others. All of the little flourishes in our playing combine to give us a unique voice, but many of these derive from something we've heard or seen outside of our beautiful little creative minds. This is the first installment of a series we're dubbing "The Big Fat 5" where I talk with my favorite players about the 5 instances that changed and/or formed their playing. --- 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 personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices