Update
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Elton John's Nigel Olsson: That Classic Feel
by Robyn Flans No one plays a pop song like Nigel Olsson, and his triumphant return to Elton John’s band has allowed the veteran musician to inspire drummers all over again. When news hit in the mid-’80s that Nigel Olsson…
Dave Buckner of Papa Roach
When the members of Papa Roach chose to live for several months in LA’s historic Paramour Mansion while recording their band’s fifth album, drummer Dave Buckner got a bit more creative inspiration than he expected. “The Paramour is definitely haunted,”…
Dominic Howard of Muse
After touring for most of 2004 and 2005 in support of their breakthrough release, Absolution, southpaw drummer Dominic Howard and his bandmates in British rockers Muse spent six months sequestered in a studio in southern France, putting together Black Holes…
Evan Stone
For Evan Stone, his new jazz CD, Sticks & Stone, Vol. 1, is the culmination of a seventeen-year dream. “I didn’t feel ready until recently,” the drummer admits. “But in the last couple of years I’ve felt it was time…
Evan Johns of Hurt
Evan Johns says the last two and a half years have been a long journey for his band, Hurt. “There was a lot of not eating, yelling, and screaming, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do, man,’” Johns reports.…
Billy Ficca of Television
After Television emerged from New York’s punk underground in 1977 with their landmark Marquee Moon album–a sly balance of dissonance and melody, which became a template for The Strokes, Sonic Youth, Interpol, and countless others–they never really toured much. Odd,…
John Blackwell
John Blackwell had a problem most drummers wouldn’t mind dealing with. Does he wait around for Prince to decide what his next adventure will be? Or does he work on his solo record, Forever Jia (dedicated to his late daughter).…
Kaspar Rast
The versatile Kaspar Rast was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1972, and has been playing drums since he was six years old. Rast trained at the famed JMS school in Zurich and at the Drummers Collective in New York City.…
Joe Tomino of Dub Trio
“Even though dub is at the bottom of every song you hear,” says Dub Trio drummer Joe Tomino, “we’ve never put any boundaries on it.” Indeed, the Brooklyn band’s recent LP, New Heavy, expands on its reggae-rich 2004 debut, Exploring…
Joel Stevenett
Joel Stevenett loves the variety of work he does as a drummer. One of his favorite gigs is playing drums on the soundtracks to videogames for Xbox and PlayStation. “It’s a big industry, and it’s a lot of fun,” Stevenett…
Black Stone Cherry Drummer John Fred Young
Black Stone Cherry drummer John Fred Young is quick to cite his uncle, Kentucky HeadHunters drummer Fred Young, as his biggest inspiration. But John Fred nearly blew it one day when he was young. “I went upstairs in The HeadHunters’…
Aaron Montgomery of Trapt
“I compare drumming to various spices. If the groove has too much salt or too much pepper, then you’re going to be all savored out.” So says Aaron Montgomery, the “chef” in Trapt’s kitchen. His style, his groove, and his…
Thomas Pridgen
Just one listen to trumpeter Christian Scott’s debut album, Rewind That (Concord Records), and you’ll be looking to see who the drummer is. Although the name Thomas Pridgen may not be familiar to everyone yet, his deep feel and exceptional…
Abe Fogle
Since the spring of 2005, Abe Fogle has been working with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty fame. Fogle had been working with Ronny Jordan and Alex Bugnon when he got the call to join Thomas. Immediately the drummer set about…
