interview
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.
Styx's Todd Sucherman
by Ken Micallef “Anyone who has to honestly play Styx music will realize that there’s more here than meets the eye. I get to play a lot of drums in this band.” Great drummers often come from the most unlikely…
Ryan Hoyle of Collective Soul
Ryan Hoyle knew deep in his heart at a very young age that he would make a living playing drums. Growing up, he dreamed of becoming a studio musician—which he successfully did, both in Nashville and in LA. It was…
Thomas Pridgen: Turning Bedlam Into Beats
by Ken Micallef “I want to play stuff that hasn’t been played before, stuff that will make people wig out.” Twenty-four-year-old Thomas Pridgen unleashes the most rabid drumming in recent memory on The Mars Volta’s The Bedlam In Goliath. Of…
John Dolmayan of System Of A Down
When System Of A Down went on a self-imposed hiatus two years ago, many knew that it wouldn’t be the last time the world would hear from these metallic talents. Soon thereafter, two different projects cropped up from within the…
Ryan MacMillan of Matchbox Twenty
Over the past ten years, Matchbox Twenty sold over 28 million records, including three multi-platinum albums and a string of hit singles. Their new two-CD collection, Exile On Mainstream, contains their greatest hits plus six brand-new songs featuring recently arrived…
Brian Blade: Always Be Reacting
by Ken Micallef “I’m always trying to tune in to what the other musicians are sending out, and then reacting to that as quickly as possible. If I’m thinking when I’m on the bandstand, I know I’m in trouble.”…
Rick Buckler
There have always been certain British rock bands who've been treated like deities at home, but who failed to translate to the American market. The Move, The Smiths, and The Wedding Present immediately come to mind. The Jam, who between…
Randy Cooke
By Billy Amendola Photos by Rob Shanahan Randy Cooke was born in Toronto, Canada, and has been playing drums since he was a kid. Influenced by his dad, a snare drummer for The Toronto Scottish Pipe & Drum Band, Randy…
The Great Levon Helm
Story by Ken Micallef Photos by Paul La Raia “You have to play some good music to get the people on the floor. I want to hear the meat. Until you can do that, it’s suspect to me.” There are…
Gil Sharone
by Michael Dawson Even at this early stage in his career, energetic twenty-nine-year-old drummer Gil Sharone has a lot to talk about. After all, his respectable résumé already includes stints with funk/ska/metal masters Fishbone, 2 Tone ska creator Dave…
Jason Bonham
By Billy Amendola The rumors started spreading months before the official press release went out: “Led Zeppelin is getting back together and they’re going on tour.” MD, like everyone else, was getting excited at the possibility. Was it true? We…
Allison Miller: Freedom Jazz-Folk-Pop-Rock Dance
by Adam Budofsky Since moving to New York in 1996, Allison Miller has thrived by refusing to acknowledge musical borders. Alli, as she likes to be called, has allowed her sincere love of pop and rock music to ground her…
Liberty DeVitto Checking In
Life is different when you're playing with a famous act: You're sheltered from the fans. One of my favorite things about doing drum clinics is that I get to meet, talk, and share time with some of the people who…
Update: Roger Taylor
by Billy Amendola It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Nate “Danja” Hills signed on to co-produce Duran Duran’s latest CD, Red Carpet Massacre. After all, the band—keyboardist Nick Rhodes, singer Simon Le Bon, bassist…
