< PreviousModern Drummer May 2021 28 Weckl: One of the biggest lessons I learned from Chick was about communication. This was something that made our time with Chick so special. He really wanted us to look at him when we played, so we could establish a musical dialogue. He was adamant about seeing each other all the time. But it’s amazing what can happen when you reach that level of communication. It makes the performance more meaningful, and it allows a deeper connection to the players and the performance. I’ve always had a tendency to close my eyes when I play in order to concentrate deeper into the music. But that also becomes a more introverted way of playing. I would catch myself doing it all the time, because we spend so much time in the practice room alone. We get accustomed to focusing on the inner self to develop time, feel, and sound. But in a live performance, you’re onstage with other human beings, and it’s important to look at each other’s expressions and body language. Chick, John, and I reached a super- high level of visual communication, and the goal was to be present in the moment with the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of complementing those around us to create something special. MD: Were you aware of Chick’s health issues prior to his passing? Weckl: None of us knew. They kept it private until the very end. The whole thing has been so sad, heavy, and devastating for me, because I was speaking with Chick almost every other day in November to choose songs and help mix a new, live Elektric Band recording. He was so excited, and he was looking forward to taking the Elektric Band back out for another tour. MD: What’s the status of that project? Weckl: We were about three quarters of the way done. We were also recording a new song, which was a little jazzier than a typical E-Band tune. Chick had basically put me in charge of the project, with everyone recording their parts remotely, and then sending me the tracks to mix. We recorded videos, as well, because we were going to use a video to promote the new tour. Chick played his part on a demo, but he never got to record the video. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen with that music. I’m guessing it will come out as a bonus track on the live recording. It’s the last piece of music we wrote and recorded together with Chick. MD: What is your daily routine for health, nutrition, and exercise to stay in shape for drumming? Weckl: Staying healthy is such an important aspect of playing drums, because it’s a physical instrument. But, as I get older, it gets harder to stay as healthy as I would like. I try and get out for a brisk 30- to 40-minute walk each day. Anything you can do to push the cardio is good for your drumming. I used to do weightlifting when I was younger, but it doesn’t really help the body as far as drumming is concerned. So I started doing more CrossFit training to keep my core strong and maintain leg strength. On the days that I can’t work out, I get on the drums and do calisthenic-type exercises on the kit for about 30 minutes with the feet and hands. My Apple Watch tells me I’m getting a great workout [laughs]. I stopped eating red meat or any meat protein—except for fish—about seven years ago. I eat lots of green veggies and fruit. I try and maintain a certain weight and body fat content with less food intake and a balanced diet. I love Beyond Burgers, which is a meat- type product made from plants. That satisfies my Italian sausage, meatballs, and hamburger cravings. Sugar is hard to avoid, because it’s in everything, but I never add sugar to anything. I take a lot of plant-based supplements from Italy, where my wife and I see a doctor who deals in a plant-based dietetic approach. We use a lot of essential oils and creams where body aches are concerned—including extra vitamin D and plant-based cholesterol supplements. I’m not a big fan of Western medicine. Then, I try to touch the drumset every day to keep the physical and mental faculties in shape. I also do a livestream every week to keep the chops up and force myself to practice on a regular basis while we’re all stuck at home. MD: What does the future hold for you as a player? Weckl: With the passing of our dear friend, Chick Corea, I realize we’re not here forever. John Patitucci and I are talking about doing some stuff together to keep moving forward from the music Chick helped us create as younger players. We are now the elder statesmen, and it’s up to us to keep that music alive and move it forward for the younger generation—or anyone who is willing to listen. We’re not so interested in lighting up the world with something new. My goal is to inspire someone to pick up the drumsticks and create something special of their own. MD: Do you ever think about retirement? Weckl: It’s not something I’m looking to do anytime soon, or something I’m looking forward to. I’ll definitely ratchet back the touring a bit over the next few years, but I don’t plan on stepping off the drum throne anytime soon. I’m having fun, but this is no joke. I want to perform to the best of my abilities every time I play. I want to give 150 percent. I feel like I’m 20 years old when I sit at the kit, but I recently told my wife and daughter, “If I ever get to the point where I think I’m burning, and I’m really not, then yank my butt off the drum chair.” I’m going to continue to play music for as long as my body will allow, and this is what was so devastating about losing Chick—he always had such amazing energy. We all thought we’d be playing gigs with the Elektric Band when Chick was 90, and we’d be hoping we could still keep up with him. © Brendan Joyce PhotographyCYMBALSModern Drummer May 2021 30 The Drumming Prodigy Powers Plush By Michael Molenda Brooke ColucciMay 2021 Modern Drummer 31 W ho cares? That’s my attitude about Plush. Who cares that it’s an all-female band? Who cares that none of the band members are even 21 years old yet? Who cares that they have become social-media darlings, and who cares the band’s hype-y promo demands us to “Get ready for Plush,” because they are on a “mission to bring rock back to the forefront of the music industry.” I don’t care, because none of that stuff is anything the band has much power over at all. But the music— now that’s a different story. It’s all anyone should care about when they hear Plush. Produced by Johnny Karkazis (Disturbed, Megadeth), the band’s debut single, “Hate,” is ferocious and melodic, and it unleashes a soaring chorus that’s hard to erase from your memory. The group onslaught is fearsome, because each band member not only has an impassioned command of their instrument, but they all write compelling parts. Plush’s frontperson Moriah Formica is a tough and versatile singer, and she already possesses a battle-tested charisma from her appearances on The Voice . Lead guitarist Bella Perron is a student at Berklee College of Music, and her caterwauling wah swells that kick off “Hate” establish a near-cinematic prologue for the song’s narrative. Later on, her short solo starts off with horn-like punctuations, and then she deploys some careening licks to deftly set up a chorus breakdown. Bassist Ashley Suppa already owns a studio credit with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, and she propels the groove for “Hate” as if she were driving a turbo-charged tank down the Autobahn at 120 mph. But drummer Brooke Colucci—the youngest member of the band—is a force all her own. She has close to 300,000 loyal subscribers to her YouTube channel, and her series of drum covers have reaped millions of views. (Her 2016 play-through to Tool’s “Forty Six and 2” alone has been watched 15 million times.) The YouTube videos document Colucci evolving from an inspired young teen in 2015, to a confident late-teen with an energetic foot, a robust tone, and the moxie to play along with an extensive lineup of remarkable metal, prog, and hard- rock drummers. It’s difficult to track exactly how many young drummers she has motivated with her videos, but the numbers speak for themselves, so she may be responsible for a sizeable throng of followers who picked up sticks because of her. So while it may be presumptuous and rash for some publicist to depict Plush as having the voodoo to restore rock music to its former glories, it also might be foolish to bet against Colucci and company. MD: I read that you attended a School of Rock, and even met Plush bassist Ashley Suppa while you were both there. How valuable was that experience to your development? Colucci: It definitely helped me with playing with other people. Before School of Rock, I had never performed with other people. I just played along to songs all alone in my basement. School of Rock helped me experience what it meant to be a drummer in a band. MD: Any woo-hoo moments regarding playing with people as opposed to records? Colucci: It was a lot more enjoyable! MD: Did Plush form organically, or was it a strategic move to assemble an all-girl rock band? Colucci: We definitely came together pretty organically. We didn’t say, “Oh, we’re an all-girl band.” We just happened to be all female, and we wanted to write songs together and share some kick-ass music. MD: To that end, what do you see as the band’s musical imprint? Colucci: It’s the vibe that the four of us together put out there. I think we’re unique. MD: Of course, from the inside, most bands think they’re unique—that’s probably one of the driving forces behind why we form bands—but to listeners on the outside, the perception may be different. Do you worry that Plush’s music might be seen as having echoes of other rock bands? Colucci: Personally, I don’t worry about it. Even if we do sound like the musicians who influence us, I don’t see what’s so bad about that. MD: Who are some of the bands that influenced Plush, then? Colucci: Moriah is a huge Aerosmith fan. She loves Joe Perry. For her vocal approach, Modern Drummer May 2021 32 I know she likes Amy Lee from Evanescence, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, and Lady Gaga. Bella’s influences are Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads, Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Perry, and Eddie Van Halen. Ashley listens to everything. She has a wide range of influences. But we don’t tend to reference any other bands or musicians when we are writing our parts. We come in to write what will sound good. MD: What drummers have informed your personal style? Colucci: Shannon Larkin of Godsmack and Tool’s Danny Carey got me started playing. MD: What was it about them that inspired you? Colucci: Shannon’s drumming is so powerful, and it perfectly complements Godsmack’s songs without always resorting to a straight-rock beat. I love everything about Danny’s style—how creative he is, and how intricate his parts are. MD: What about female drummers? Colucci: Anika Nilles is an amazing drummer. I love her style and her creativity behind the kit. Her fills and grooves are inspiring. When I listen to her, it’s like I wouldn’t have thought of doing what she does, but what she does is really cool. MD: What is Plush’s songwriting process like for you as a drummer? Colucci: When I’m writing with the band, I feel very free to come up with any weird groove or beat. They always appreciate when I do something that’s not the typical boom-snap-boom-snap. Sometimes, I’ll come up with something that’s a little too much, and someone will say, “Oh, that’s really cool. But for this part, please dumb it down a little bit.” But I’m happy just being able to come up with my own parts. That’s what really excites me. MD: Does everyone write together, or does a main songwriter bring in demos for the band to work with? Colucci: For the songs we’ve already recorded, it was mainly Moriah doing the writing. But she handed us her songs and told us to add whatever we liked. For the new songs, it has become a collective effort, and we write while we are rehearsing. I honestly prefer when it’s a group thing—where we aren’t reacting to someone’s demo. I love helping to develop song arrangements, and that’s a bit harder to do if someone feels they have the parts already worked out. MD: Typically, how do you devise your drum parts for a new song? Colucci: I’d rather not play a single groove throughout an entire song. I like to emphasize each part of a song by doing something different and interesting. I always try to do parts that complement the guitar. I’ll mainly follow the rhythm guitar and recreate the guitar riffs on the drums. MD: You don’t tend to work out parts between yourself and the bassist? Colucci: Normally, we don’t. Ashley is super easy to work with. We kind of just click together, and everything tends to work out the way it’s supposed to. MD: So, it’s not so much accenting bass lines with your kick drum? Colucci: That’s not something I worry about. I do what I think will sound good and drive the song. I don’t often think about what the bass player is doing, or whether they should follow exactly what I am doing with my kick drum. It all ties back to following what the guitar player is doing and locking in with them. MD: Do you ever get thrown if a song simply isn’t all that inspiring? Colucci: I can usually put a groove to anything. Even if I think the song isn’t going somewhere, I’ll try to make it work. I always like to give everything a shot. MD: What’s your current setup? Colucci: I have a DW Performance series kit with a 22" kick drum, a May 2021 Modern Drummer 33 12" rack tom, and 14" and 16" floor toms. My cymbals are all Meinl— three crashes, a ride, a China, a stack, one splash, and hi-hats. My sticks are Vater Universal—which are kind of similar to a 5B. I like them because they are a perfect weight, they’re durable, and they give me a really good rebound. MD: Why DW? Colucci: I’ve had this kit for quite a few years. It was my first really nice drumset. I guess I chose it because I had seen other people using DW, and I really loved how they sounded. MD: What do you look for in a drum sound? Colucci: I definitely like a deeper tone, and I don’t use any dampeners on my drums. I like them to have their natural sound—to sing and ring out. I see so many people load up their drums with tape and everything, and, most of the time, they sound pretty good, but that’s not what I prefer. MD: How do you like to tune your toms? Colucci: I tune my drums for low to midrange tones. In the studio, I made a couple of tuning adjustments with our producer, but there wasn’t anything too crazy. Mostly, he messed with the tuning of my two floor toms, because he didn’t want them to ring out as much. I think he may have loosened up the bottom head a little more than I normally do. MD: Do you use your two floor toms mostly for patterns, or for the ends of rolls? Colucci: Mainly for ends of rolls, but I also love playing tom grooves. MD: What was your drum- education journey like? Colucci: I started taking lessons right away, and I took them for five years. What’s crazy is that for three of those years, I didn’t play any songs. It was strictly theory and rudiments. My teacher was really into theory, reading music, and stuff like that. I would sometimes come in with a song, and he’d be like, “No.” Teaching songs was not his thing at all. MD: Did he teach you mostly using practice pads or on the kit? Colucci: He taught me on the drumset, but more for mobility exercises to help me get around on the kit and enhance my chops. MD: What was an important thing you learned from him that carries on to this day? Colucci: I can notate parts, thanks to him, and he taught me the rudiments—which I still think about when I write drum parts. MD: Do you record and/or practice using a click track? Colucci: If you asked me a year ago, I would have said I hated clicks. I avoided using clicks, because I wasn’t very good at following them. You know, no one wants to realize they aren’t good at something. But I understood that if I want to do this at a professional level, I’d better get used to playing with a click. Now, I love playing to them, because I want to be as perfectly in time as possible. I also practice rudiments to a click, and I’ll even compose grooves along with a click track to see what I can come up with. I use this metronome app with different sounds, and my favorite is kind of like a soft, dampened snare. A cowbell or wood block sound is too piercing for me. I know I still have room for improving my timing, so I may use a click track live, as well. MD: Your foot is pretty fierce, and you also work your cymbals pretty hard. Colucci: I love using the bell on the ride—along with all of the splashes and other cymbals I have. I like to add a high-end shimmer above the guitars. Also, I grew up listening to metal, and a lot of the drummers I liked used double-bass drums. Initially, I tried to do that stuff with a single pedal, which helped me with my foot work and stamina. It was quite a few years before I got a double-kick pedal. I love feeling the bass drum in my chest, and I really enjoy how a lot of low end can keep a groove going. That’s probably why I tend to be busy with my foot. But I went overboard on one of the songs we recorded. Even I realized the kick pattern was way too much for the song [laughs]. MD: What’s it like being a young band during the pandemic? Colucci: Not being able to play live has definitely impacted everybody, and we can’t rehearse or write together as much as we’d like. MD: How do you keep the energy and sharpness primed for when gigs open up again? Colucci: Well, it’s an issue, because this band has never played out live yet. I’ve always felt comfortable onstage, but as a band, Plush still needs to work out how we will react to each other and an audience. MD: Even being denied the ability to tour and build an audience through gigging, it’s impressive how strong the band’s socials and YouTube views are tracking. What is Plush’s community-building strategy? Colucci: We’re all pretty savvy about socials. I’ve built an audience doing drum covers on YouTube, for example. So when we announced the band was forming, each of us posted about it on our channels to bring all of our fans together. Moriah already had some notoriety form being on The Voice, so that helped. But there are always some crazy things you can’t really plan for. Like Lzzy Hale posting that Moriah and I were looking to form a band. Or when Moriah and I did a cover of “Barracuda” last April. I’m sure we never dreamed we’d get more than 1.6 million YouTube views, or have Surface Management sign us because they saw the video and realized what we could do together. Also, I have to admit that having a good management team has been crucial to getting our songs played and generating press about the band. I’m not sure that socials alone would have made that happen for us—certainly not as quickly. MD: Has there been a crazy moment when you just knew this band has what it takes to break out? Colucci: It was after we released “Hate,” and we heard it playing on Octane radio for the very first time. I couldn’t believe it was real.Modern Drummer May 2021 34 D enny Seiwell became Paul McCartney’s first post- Beatles choice as his drummer when he was brought into the sessions for Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram album in 1970 and ‘71. Soon thereafter, Seiwell was invited to join the McCartney’s new project, Wings, where he played on Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway, as well as singles such as “Hi, Hi, Hi.” Fifty years onward from those heady days, Seiwell continues to be not just a creative player, but also someone who seems to have innovative projects ingrained in his DNA. Among them are the instructional book What Not to Play! [2015, Alfred Music], the critically acclaimed Boomerang by his Denny Seiwell Trio [2018, Quarto Valley Records], and his latest effort, RAM ON [Cherry Red Records]—a loving and respectful reinterpretation of Ram. RAM ON is the brainchild of guitarist/producer Fernando Perdomo to celebrate the original album’s 50th anniversary. In addition to Seiwell—who acted as co-producer with Perdomo—RAM ON features guitarist David Spinozza and flugelhorn player Marvin Stamm, who were also participants in the 1971 Ram sessions in New York at Columbia Recording and A&R Recording Studios. More than 100 musicians contributed to RAM ON via the “COVID collaboration” process of sending digital tracks to Perdomo at his Reseda Ranch Studios in Los Angeles. Featured performers include Joey Santiago (Pixies), Davey Johnstone (Elton John), Will Lee, Eric Dover (Jellyfish), and Carnie Wilson. “How can an album have so many styles and yet be a perfectly crafted statement?” said Perdomo of the McCartney classic. Seiwell’s drumming shines throughout RAM ON—just as it did on the original—and he took some time with MD to chat about his Ram re-entry. May 2021 Modern Drummer 35Modern Drummer May 2021 36 MD: How did the idea to do a remake of Ram come about? Seiwell: I met Fernando at different events I was attending, and he is a huge Beatles fan. McCartney’s Ram is his favorite album, and he told me he knew many people who felt the same way. [Editor’s note: In the April 2021 MD, Fred Armisen expressed the same sentiment.] He suggested we try to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the album. I thought it was a good idea, but I kind of fluffed it off. About a year ago, he said he and a buddy had put down tracks for “Too Many People” from Ram , and “Some People Never Know” from the Wings album Wild Life. Then, he asked, “Would you mind playing drums on them? I’ll pay you for your time.” I thought, “What the hell? Let me check it out.” So I went to his studio, and it was fun. I recorded two tracks in a half hour. Of course, I knew the drum parts—I had 50 years to think about them [laughs]. About four months back, Fernando said he might consider doing the whole Ram album. I responded, “That sounds like a lot of work.” He Fernando Perdomo on his Ram Obsession By Billy Amendola I first became aware of Fernando Perdomo from Echo in the Canyon—the 2018 documentary on the mid-’60s Laurel Canyon music scene in Los Angeles directed by Andrew Slater (a record producer, industry icon, and former head of Capitol Records). Perdomo was a guitarist in the house band with Jakob Dylan, who performed many of the classic songs for the film. “I moved to L.A. in 2012, and a year later, I met Andy Slater at an unpaid jam at Canter’s Deli,” says Perdomo. “I had no idea what I was getting into when he insisted on me playing on a record he was producing. That record put me on tape with Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Fiona Apple, Beck, Cat Power, Norah Jones, and others. The record became the Echo in the Canyon movie, and I still cannot believe it exists. I still get emails daily from people I have not talked to since high school who see me in it and lose their minds.” If you haven’t seen the film, it’s worth watching a few times. It features the music and history of the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas, the Beach Boys, and other artists, and it includes appearances from Ringo Starr, Tom Petty (his last film interview), Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, Jackson Browne, and Graham Nash. Perdomo is a popular singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who is originally from Miami Beach, Florida. His mom was one of the founders of El Nuevo Herald—the Miami Herald’s Spanish language newspaper. He had an early interest in making music and started playing guitar at seven years old. “When I attended Miami Beach High School, I was in the rock ensemble program under teacher Doug Burris. I went pro at 18, and I had played on three number-one records by the age of 23 with Cristian Castro, Paulina Rubio, and Tego Calderón. I started making my own records and producing artists shortly after. I’m also known in the prog-rock world as the guitar player for Dave Kerzner, and I recently completed a duo record with the legendary Carmine Appice.” MD: What made you think of doing RAM ON? Perdomo: My initial idea was to start a “Ram band” to play the album live in Los Angeles with Denny. COVID turned this live-concert idea into an album project—which was a blessing in disguise. Making the album was an incredible process, with more than 100 musicians emailing their contributions from all over the world. All the musicians and engineers on this record love Ram with all their hearts, and I hope it shows. MD: What age were you when you first heard Ram? Perdomo: I was eight years old. My love for May 2021 Modern Drummer 37 replied, “Don’t worry. I’ve got these younger indie artists who all feel like I feel about the album, and they all want to sing and play on it. It will be a piece of cake.” MD: How were you able to have so many different musicians contribute to the album, and make it sound as cohesive as it did? Seiwell: We could have had even more! It seems everybody wanted to be a part of the album because of its history. As co-producer, I also served as the bad guy. I accepted the parts I felt were in the right spaces for the album’s re-imaging, and I rejected the ones that didn’t fit the vibe. For instance, we had some singers that weren’t right for certain songs, so I gracefully thanked them for their time. But it was difficult, because you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. MD: It sounds like there was a tremendous amount of file sharing to make it happen? Seiwell: Absolutely. Fernando farmed out parts all over the country, and then pieced everything together in his studio. I’ve never seen anybody as good with Pro Tools as he is. MD: What did the experience of reliving these classics do for you? Seiwell: It always feels good to go back and show people— myself included—that while some of these drum tracks sound easy to play, they are complicated, thought-out parts. On the original recordings, the tracks were very sparse, and I recorded my drums without hearing the bass. So, the drum parts I played when Paul was teaching the songs to us were crucial, because when he overdubbed his bass later on, he created his bass parts to my drum parts. In fact, I never heard his bass lines until they sent me the finished record. It’s interesting, because I kind of did much the same thing for RAM ON. Songs like “The Back Seat of My Car” and “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” have all these tempo changes, and we realized we couldn’t record them using a click track. The original recording didn’t have one, either. So, I played along with the Ram CD to put down a good drum track, and we built out the other instruments from there. In this case, I was the “click.” MD: Did you try any different approaches that you didn’t do in the original recording? Seiwell: Not really. But over the years whenever I’d do clinics, I might play something a little different than I played it then. MD: Did you chart out your parts for the original sessions? Seiwell: No charts, no clicks, and never taking more than a few hours on a tune. That’s my session pace. MD: After a half century, I still can’t get classics like “Too Many People,” “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” “Monkberry Moon Delight,” and “Another Day” out of my head. The songs have an innate ability to embrace the universality of both past and present. What do you feel the secret is? Seiwell: Paul McCartney knows how to craft a tune better than anybody. He’s the modern-day Beethoven. Two-hundred years from now, you’re still going to be hearing music that he and John Lennon wrote. Paul has an incredible gift. MD: When putting together a Ram has outlasted all of my friendships and relationships [laughs]. It still fascinates me as much as it did back then. It is absolutely thrilling to me that I am part of the album’s history 50 years later. MD: When did you meet Denny? Perdomo: I met Denny in 2015 at the NAMM show in Anaheim. As you know, he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, and we hit it off immediately. We bumped into each other many times since then, and we finally worked together for the first time in 2019. MD: What is it you dig about Denny’s drumming? Perdomo: The three albums Denny made with Paul McCartney are a huge part of my DNA. The Beatles were my first love, and Wings was my second. Wings was all I listened to for years, and I cherished every second of those records. In many ways, Denny had the most pressure of all the Wings drummers, because he was Paul’s first drummer since Ringo. I was amazed when Denny told me that he came up with all of his drum parts on those records. Those parts are what I love most about his drumming. They are perfect—so musical, grooving, creative, and perfectly placed. Denny never over plays, and, more importantly, he never under plays. His ears are impeccable, and he is also a master of the dramatic fill. How can you not air drum during the drum break before the coda of “The Back Seat of My Car”? I think he is one of the most tasteful drummers in rock history. MD: You play drums, as well. When did you start? Perdomo: I have drummed since I was 12 years old. My studio is designed from the ground up to produce the best drum sound possible, and it has been an absolute joy recording Denny there. I made sure the drums had the power and warmth of the original Ram. Denny used the snare he used on the original Ram recording, and it sounds incredible. He played my house kit—a ‘70s maple Slingerland kit—and we kept things organic and vibey. There was no drum replacement or quantization. It was fascinating to be within a few feet of Denny playing his iconic parts in the studio. His passion for the drums was breathtaking, and he was so easy to work with. I am a very lucky guy! Perdomo and SeiwellNext >