MIDI Session Drummer

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

A: I played the drums on a cover of Jethro Tull's "The Whistler" by Celtic World Orchestra. I was so happy with how it came out, and as a self-confessed song drummer, it was fun to cut loose and get the BIG drums out. It was also a pleasure sharing credit with some real top-flight players on there. It was one of those tracks that gave me goosebumps during tracking. That's a rarity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE8YjQG82bA

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm halfway through working on an album of Philly Soul covers and having a blast. All the tunes I grew up on, and I'm surrounded by great musicians, which makes my job so much easier. This is one of those projects that doesn't feel like work.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to work on all different types of music with folks from all over the world. I love that aspect of it. Things never get boring, and I don't have to deal with band politics.

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

A: "Can you put a fill there?" and the answer is always yes. If I feel it's not needed I'll voice that and give my reasons but at the end of the day, I'm being paid to do a job and provide a track that the client is going to be happy with.

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

A: That MIDI drums can sound machine-like. In the wrong hands, they can, but I aim to have all drum tracks that leave my studio as organic as possible.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Apart from technical questions such as BPM, sample rate etc., I would ask them what kind of mood they wanted to come out of the track. Also, I would ask if they have any reference files, whether an already available demo drum track or a track by an existing artist that they'd want to capture the feel of.

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

A: Don't settle and ask ALL the questions, no matter how simple.

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

A: I started playing in 1986 and spent the following few years gigging around the South London pub and working men's club scene. I turned pro in 93 and spent the rest of the decade doing the cruise/seasonal thing. I moved to the States in 2000 and spent the first ten years playing with local singer/songwriters and bands in Philly and playing such venues as World Cafe Live/North Star Bar/Grape Street, amongst others. A wrist break in 2012 slowed things down for a while, as well as the arrival of my son, and in 2020 I decided to pursue my dream of recording from home.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Simple. Some people sometimes see that as unfavourable, especially in this YouTube note-fest era, but I love simple players that play for the song.

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

A: I have done some work for producer Stephen Paul on other platforms and Freddie Banks has been very supportive. He's killing it on here!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. It's 2023.

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

A: That I care as much about the end product as they do.

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

A: Just a kick drum so I could use it as a boat to get off the island.

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

A: Steven Wilson. He wears his love of Pop on his sleeve, as do I.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Step away when you're getting frustrated.

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

A: Seriously it could be anything right now. This week through the door, I've had Country/Pop, Dream Pop, Synth Pop, Classic Rock and some Prog Metal.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ears. I know what works and what doesn't, and I can usually get that pin-pointed pretty fast. I'm also very easy to work with - no drama here.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Space. There's nothing worse than a song being choked by an overly-busy drum part. I'm a self-confessed song drummer, leaving the chops in the rehearsal room.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Once I've discussed with the artist what they're looking for, I start running ideas down. If the artist has a drum part already demoed I'll use that as a guide and stick to it, if not, then I'll run a few takes with some different approaches, and we'll start polishing the track down from there. I always track live to keep the human element intact.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: It's simple but effective. I have an upgraded Roland V-drum kit (with the digital snare, ride and hats) and a UAD Apollo interface, all going into a Mac. I mainly use Pro Tools for tracking but have access to Logic, Reaper and Luna. I rarely get to do any mixing as most of my clients prefer their files to be sent dry, but I have a curated collection of plug-ins just in case.

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

A: My drumming influences are wide and varied, but if I had to choose one, it would be Jeff Porcaro. He was the epitome of taste and knowing what to bring to a song.

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

A: Mostly providing live parts. Sometimes I’m asked to program a track or fix-up an existing part but that’s rare. I’m finding more and more folks working directly with Superior Drummer 3 so I’m sending the basic project file out and letting them do their thing with it.