Greetings, world of drummers! My name is Paul Koehler, and I play drums in the band Silverstein. I’m twenty–nine-years-old and grew up in Burlington, Ontario, where I continue to live with my wife, Jessica.

Drums have been my passion since about the age of thirteen, when I first borrowed a kit from my piano teacher. After pounding away at those keys for a couple of years, drums stole my heart and I’ve been bashing away ever since. Aside from music, I practice a straight-edge/vegetarian lifestyle.

Silverstein started as an expression of something musically different. I joined four other individuals, all of whom were older than me, at the age of sixteen after having a band practice with them in a parent’s basement. It was never meant to be a career or anything full–time. It was just something fun to do. The journey would continue thirteen years to the present, and we’ve performed over 1,500 shows across thirty-four countries worldwide and have shared an endless amount of memories. Travel is something we’ve grown accustom to after touring full-time for a decade. The world is an incredible place, and we use the opportunity of this band to see as much of it while still having fun. Advertisement

My drumkit is custom made by a local company called UDRUM (Underground Drum Company). I befriended them early on in my career, and they have built six kits for me over the last twelve years (five of which I still own, and one was given to the Hard Rock Café). I’ve been playing Meinl cymbals for almost ten years (Byzance series: 19″, 20″, 22″, and 14″ hats). These have really defined my sound on recordings and live performances. My sticks are the Natural 2B by Pro-Mark, and I use a variety of drumheads from Evans.

Recently, I recorded the seventh studio album with Silverstein, titled This is How the Wind Shifts, which will be available February 5, 2013. The record was written and put together more quickly than usual (we allowed for two days to record the fourteen tracks), but meshed faster than ever before. I had my friend Paul Dickinson from UDRUM tech the sessions, and who, in cooperation with our producer, Jordan Valeriote, achieved the best drum tones I’ve ever recorded. I’m super proud of this record, and can’t wait for our fans to hear it!

Music is my life, my inspiration, and it’s all around me. When I’m not playing music, I’m thinking about it or being inspired by something I’m listening to. It is an absolute dream to play music as a career, and it isn’t something I take for granted. I never thought I’d end up here, but I’m grateful for the opportunities that have been given to our band. Advertisement

 

Thanks for reading, and you can hit me up on twitter (@xpaulx) or follow on Instagram (@xpaulkoehlerx).

 

For more on Paul Koehler and Silverstein, visit www.paulkoehler.net, www.silversteinmusic.com, or watch YouTube here and here.