Luke Sumner on SoundBetter

I've had the pleasure of working with numerous chart topping and award winning artist, and would love to help bring your next project to life!

Nashville-native Luke Sumner has spent the past several years establishing himself as a session and touring drummer. With deep roots in Music City and a family entrenched in the industry, Luke offers a unique and seasoned perspective on his craft. His extensive experience includes playing with notable artists such as Sam Hunt, Conner Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Dylan Gossett, Danielle Bradbery, and The Warren Brothers. His dynamic talents have been featured on national TV platforms, including NBC’s ‘Bluff City Law’, ESPN, and the SEC Network, as well as in live performances on NBC’s ‘Today Show’, ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’, and The Grand Ole Opry. His impressive recording credits include Switchfoot’s Dove Award-winning single “Native Tongue,” Conner Smith’s viral hit “I Hate Alabama,” and Sam Hunt’s platinum, multi-week international #1 single “Outskirts.”

Drum Kits:
1967 Ludwig Super Classic
1950's Gretsch One Nighter
Gretsch Renown
Gretsch Catalina Club (18")

Snares:
Yamaha RC
80's Slingerland COB
Ludwig Supraphonic
1970 Ludwig Acrolite
Gretsch USA Custom
Gretsch Ash (13")
Sligerland Copper (12")
1965 Ludwig Jazz Fest
50's Gretsch (x2)
+ more

Cymbals:
Zildjian Cymbals including: Kerope, Avedis, Armand, A, K, PaperThin, K Sweet, A Custom, K Custom etc.

Various Percussion Pieces

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

Credits

Endorse Luke Sumner4 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

by Mitch
Verified
Best of the best! Luke has a signature sound and when he puts his drums on your track, it unifies the entire mix. Fantastic drummer, easy to work with, and a great communicator!
by Mitch
Verified
Luke is a complete Pro and delivered a perfect amount of stems to work with on my track. A perfectionist and artist who gets the vibe and gives it the treatment it needs! Funny enough, I was looking for a specific sound and the sample I provided ended up being Luke's drumming without me knowing...definitely got the sound I wanted!
by Wyatt Benjamin Newcomb
Luke has great attention to detail. Would recommend.
by Wyatt Benjamin Newcomb
Luke has great attention to detail. Would recommend.

Interview with Luke Sumner

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog. I love the tactile aspect of it. Something about that changes the way you approach decisions.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I want you to be satisfied with the end result and am happy to work together to make that a reality.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: What do I need to send you? The best thing you can send is a recording with vocals down to a click preferably without drums. If you have one with programmed or something of that nature. I'd love to hear it as a reference if that is the direction you want to go in. Always happy to answer any questions to make the process as smooth and productive as possible.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I just hit things.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I always want to know what you are listening to and your overall vision is for the project.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing drums since I was 2, but have been playing professionally for a little over a decade. I studied commercial music production in college, while also recording and touring regularly and continued to do so after graduation with various artists across numerous genres.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My answer really isn't a genre, but more an approach to creating. I love being able to serve the song and help pull the desired emotion from the listener.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I had the amazing opportunity to play on the Sam Hunt single, "Outskirts". I'm really proud of this project because it became my first #1 song and platinum record.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently doing a good bit of remote recording at my home studio right outside of Nashville, TN
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the creativity of finding what fits the artist song and vision the best
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I love getting a generally feel for how you want your project to sound. To insure this, I'll always do an initial pass and send you a bounce to make sure we are in the right ballpark. Once we've landed on a general direction I will give you 3 takes with slight variations.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My current studio set up consists of an ever growing collection of gear including modern and vintage drums, cymbals, and percussion. All recorded into Protools through analog pre amps into a Antelope Orion 32+.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: One of my favorite drummers of all time is Jeff Porcaro and the way he served the song.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I enjoy working closely with artists and producers to best achieve their vision for the project
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: My typical work load consists of everything from demos to master level recordings.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Being that I am based in Nashville, I play a lot of Country and Singer/Songwriter, but I love to play all genres.

Outskirts by Sam Hunt

I was the Drummer in this production

Live drum trackAverage price - $200 per song
PercussionAverage price - $100 per song

Depending on scheduling, I will typically be able to turn your project around the same day. You'll receive a final product of 3 full drum takes of your song along with any loops or perc needed.