Adam Soucy

Session Drummer

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39 Reviews (28 Verified)
Adam Soucy on SoundBetter

Session Drummer and Percussionist with 10+ years of studio experience. Winner at the 2019 Independent Music Awards for Rock Music Production. Totally obsessive and detail oriented.

I pride myself on creating drum parts that are interesting, fun to listen to, and above all else, in service of the song at hand. The drummer can make or break a song, and it's incredibly important to me that your tracks sound and feel as good as they possibly can.

When you hire me, you're getting access to:

- A large selection of the highest caliber drums and cymbals available
- Fully treated and great sounding acoustic space
- Tailored selection of fantastic microphones
- Hot rodded converters and preamps
- Way too many auxiliary percussion instruments
- Tons and tons of third party plugins
- Incredibly unique and rare vintage pieces

Hit me up, let's make some sounds!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Adam Soucy
  • Major Moment
  • Major Moment
  • Anna Madsen (3)
  • Major Moment
  • Anna Madsen (3)
  • Major Moment

39 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients

Endorse Adam Soucy
  1. Review by Charity L
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    I've played and recorded with a LOT of drummers in my day, and it is usually a multi-week, frustrating experience. Adam made this process so easy for a newbie like me and got just what I needed in only a few days. HIGHLY recommended. Thank you, Adam!

  2. Review by David H.
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    You'd think after 3 years and multiple albums together, Adam couldn't surprise me anymore, but he is on a whole other level! Adam is patient & creative, & he's not afraid to really challenge himself to serve whatever he thinks the song needs. You can't ask for a better partner!

  3. Review by David H.
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    I hired Adam for one song 4 years ago & the rest is history. He's been my go-to drummer for everything I've written since & it was easily the best decision I've made. Although we're not technically in a band together, I think of him as my drummer, & his feedback plays such a critical role in the completion of my music. Absolutely love him!

  4. Review by L. Daniel
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    Adam is so easy to work with. Gets the job done quickly and the communication during the process is on point. You need a drummer, this guy is an excellent musician! Highly recommend!!!

  5. Review by David H.
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    Adam & I have really gelled, and although I'm biased, I genuinely believe we've hit a new level together. I can't think of another person I'd rather have reached this point with & I'm already stoked for the next project!

  6. Review by David H.
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    Adam is THE best! We’ve been working together for over 3 years now & he still never ceases to amaze me with his energy & creativity. There is no challenge I throw at him that he can’t crush. I love this guy!

  7. Review by L. Daniel
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    First time working with Adam, man oh man this guy knows what he's doing. I totally enjoyed his feel on the drums. Definitely worth every penny! Highly recommend!!!

  8. Review by Adam K.
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    Adam’s professionalism and amazing talent continues to help me with the drum tracks I need. His work instantly elevates my work and is exactly why marketplaces like this one are crucial to the business. I continue to highly recommend his work when someone is searching for a drummer to hire!

  9. Review by David H.
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    I needed Adam's expertise to collaborate on a 30-year old college radio classic & he did not disappoint! I was playing it a bit too safe, so he gave me some great pointers and highlighted some areas we could experiment with to pay respect to the original, but put our own stamp on it.

  10. Review by Adam K.
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    Adam continues to provide a quality product (expert and creative playing, a tremendous sounding kit, and recording). He is an absolute professional in the business!

  11. Review by Adam Kay
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    This is my second time working with Adam and he is an absolute pro. From start to finish, tremendous work and professionalism. Highly recommended.

  12. Review by David H.
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    Adam is THE best! I feel so incredibly fortunate to have found him, as he's been such an integral part of my sound. He always, always, always delivers something truly remarkable!

  13. Review by David H.
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    In addition to being an exceptional drummer, Adam has extremely fast turnaround times and is the most reliable I've ever worked with! He truly is such a joy to work with all around.

  14. Review by David H.
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    Adam is the only drummer I ever want to work with. He understands my music on a level I could have never imagined, and his style has really become the signature sound of Twelve Days in June. The more music we make together, the more solidified the sound, and I can't wait for the future!

  15. Review by Adam K.
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    Hire Adam! His sound, performance, and professionalism is tremendous. I could not be happier with the work I received.

  16. Review by David H.
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    Adam is my favorite drummer I've ever worked with, and I plan on only collaborating with him for as long as he'll take my calls. :) I've said this before in previous reviews, but it's not just Adam's playing skill that makes him exceptional. It's also very much his ability to listen and interpret the song, and then give it exactly what it needs.

  17. Review by David H.
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    What can I possibly say about working with Adam? I've never met him, and we've never played a single gig together, but he is every bit as much a part of Twelve Days in June as I am. His talent as a player and his ear for production are unmatched. I am so lucky to have found him on SB, and I look forward to working together on many more projects to come!

  18. Review by David H.
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    I absolutely love Adam and wish I wrote music faster JUST to have him play on it! :) In this scenario, I had an older track with another drummer that wasn't working for me. I was worried I may have to scrap the song altogether, but Adam bailed me out. Not only did he fix the song, but he provided production recommendations I would've never thought of, and it sounds awesome! HIRE THIS DUDE!!!

  19. Review by David H.
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    I honestly don't know where I'd be without Adam. He's played on nearly every song for my upcoming album, and his superior talents have legitimized the record. Our work together is done for now, but when it's time to start the next project, Adam will be my first contact.

  20. Review by David H.
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    Adam has amazing depth. He's so much more than a drummer. I consider him a key voice in the collaboration, as he always provides great insight and suggestions. He's also an incredible listener. Even if my ideas are explained poorly, he knows what I'm trying to say, and then knocks it out of the park!

Interview with Adam Soucy

  1. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  2. A: Just to trust me. You are handing me a small piece of your soul to look after, and I don't take that lightly. I understand how it feels and I will handle your project with care 🖤

  3. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  4. A: The two releases I did with Major Moment. I was brought on as a drummer, but took on a much more impactful role once we dove into production, doing everything from lyric writing to singing. I'm so proud of how those records turned out and probably always will be.

  5. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  6. A: Currently in the midst of Co-Writing and Producing Anna Madsen's "Exorcisms" EP, which is going to scare the pants off of everyone who hears it.

  7. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  8. A: Jimmy Keeley IV, producer/guitarist! Great friend of mine and a fantastic musician.

  9. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  10. A: Analog gear won my heart a long time ago. You can get SO FAR with the plugins we have today, but there's just a romanticism of tracking on a real console to a real tape machine that feels like nothing else.

  11. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  12. A: Your song will be right, and you'll have everything on time.

  13. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  14. A: The pure joy that comes from creating something.

  15. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  16. A: 80% of the time? Drum vocab. Differences between ride cymbals and crashes, chinas and hi-hats, etc. Drummers have a lot of stuff, it's all good!

  17. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  18. A: That you can fix everything "in post". You can only ever improve a performance one letter grade with editing, and you'll always get a better result from a high quality performance.

  19. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  20. A: I honestly try to keep the questions to a minimum as much as I can! I'll ask about arrangement things I'm unsure about as well as tech questions and deadlines, but that's about it! The songs usually speak for themselves!

  21. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  22. A: My K Custom 21" Dark Complex Ride, my Sonor Protean Snare Drum, my Sonor SQ1 Kick Drum, a C414 and a Neve 1073. Hopefully a recording interface washes up on the shore!

  23. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  24. A: My music career started to get serious when I was around 14 years old. I was playing with a pretty well established hardcore band at the time and it was my first taste of how amazing playing music can feel, both live and recorded, and how many different places it could take you. I played with other bands and studied jazz all through high school into college, where I got a degree in Music Business as well as a real taste of what it was like to be a working musician. That's really where I decided it was time to go full-time. Right out of school, I got a "house session player" gig at a recording studio that eventually led to a tour in Europe and hundreds and hundreds of freelancing gigs thereafter!

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Precise? I suppose? I think every single note you play matters, so I really try to get every single nuance exactly right.

  27. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  28. A: How much time do you have?

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: Get your phasing right. Not just on drums, on every instrument. When all of your microphones are in phase, you'll achieve a level of clarity that you just can't get any other way. I take phase relationships a step further with a pretty amazing plugin called Auto Align to really bring everything into sharp focus; I consider it a pretty huge part of "my sound" too!

  31. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  32. A: Primarily Rock and Pop and all of their many sub-genres, (Singer/Songwriter, Metal, Indie, Synthpop, you name it). In the world of live music, I spend quite a lot of time playing jazz and country as well.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: I try to pull as much emotion as I possibly can out of every song that comes my way. I'm a huge fan of the idea of "text painting" so I pay really close attention to lyrics and try to accent and bring out as many feelings as I can from what the vocalist is singing about and how they're saying it. It's extremely important to me that I get that part right above everything else, and I like to think that I'm pretty good at it!

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: I try to be as creative as I can in coming up with drum parts. I never want the parts I play to sound "obvious" so I'll always try to find new angles and approaches to avoid musical cliche's. I just love feeling like I nailed a genre or a style while still sounding "uniquely me" if I can!

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: I try to sit with the songs I'm sent for a solid chunk of time before I even pick up a drumstick, getting a feel for arrangements, mood, feel, all of the important stuff. I'll then take the remainder of the day to experiment and "throw paint at the wall" until I find all of the parts I like and a comp that I'm happy with. Once I get there, I'll try to "beat the comp" with a single take performance, at which point I'll pass it off to you for revisions. After I know you're happy with the parts, I'll clean up the tracks with phase adjustments and any edits I deem to be necessarily as well as the first stage of tone shaping. I always want to make sure that when you put all the drum faders at 0 in your session, you're already at a fantastic starting point.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I work in a relatively small space, but I've done a TON of work in tailoring my room to sound the way I want, both in building and placing various types of acoustic treatments to make the drums speak as clearly as possible. I've collected what I believe to be some of the best microphones for drums available over the years, all of which get powered up almost entirely by the creative geniuses at Black Lion Audio. Their fantastic preamps, power conditioners, and out-of-this-world interface modifications help to bring so much clarity to the sounds I capture.

  41. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  42. A: I admire creative "out of the box" thinkers when it comes to those who inspire me. When it comes to drummers, that means guys like Gavin Harrison, Aaron Sterling, and Mark Guiliana; all of whom I admire for their versatility and creative approach to the instrument. I'm inspired by not only what they play, but also the amazing sounds all three of them are able to pull out of their kits. Same goes for engineers and producers. I've adopted my own philosophy on how to capture sounds thanks to all of the fantastic engineers I've had the pleasure of working with over the years, as well as internet personalities like Eric Valentine and Adam "Nolly" Getgood.

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: I primarily perform, record and edit myself playing drums and other percussion instruments for the clients that hire me. I am a stickler for feel when it comes to what I do, and how the song moves is always the utmost important thing.

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Before It's Too Late by Major Moment

I was the Drummer and Co-Producer in this production

Terms Of Service

For each track, I include up to 3 rounds of revisions and will have your files ready for you in 3-5 days unless otherwise noted or discussed.

GenresSounds Like
  • Porcupine Tree
  • Phantogram
  • Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
Gear Highlights
  • Sonor Drums
  • Zildjian Cymbals
  • Remo Drumheads
  • RhythmTech Percussion
  • Roland Electronics
  • Black Lion Audio
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