Touring drummer. Real acoustic drums for your song.

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

A: Six years of touring the world with Brett Newski. My role is drummer, and playing those songs night after night in so many different rooms has shaped how I approach every session: listen first, serve the song, and make it feel like a band.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Besides client work, I'm releasing a recording every Sunday. It's how I keep learning my gear and getting closer to the drum tones on songs I love.

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

A: I'm new to SoundBetter, so ask me again soon. In the meantime, I'm happy to point you to players I've worked with on the road.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I love the sound of real drums in a real room, and recording digitally lets me turn sessions around quickly and make revisions easy.

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

A: You'll hear back within one business day, and you'll get an honest delivery date, even when I'm on tour. If the track still isn't right after your included revisions, we'll talk it through and find a fair solution.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Hearing a song I'm playing on come to life once the real drums are in. A demo with placeholder drums and a demo with a live drummer feel like two different songs.

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

A: Who owns the drum tracks? You do. They're work for hire, so you're free to release, sell, and license your song. A credit is always appreciated. Can you handle odd time signatures and complex arrangements? Yes. Odd meters, tempo changes, and tricky arrangements are all fine. A tempo map or click track from your session helps a lot.

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

A: That you need to speak drummer to get what you want. You don't. Tell me it should feel like a certain song, or that the chorus needs to lift, and I'll take it from there.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the tempo, and is there a click or tempo map? Do you have a reference track for the drum sound and feel? Acoustic or electronic? What files do you need back, and when do you need them? Anything you already hear in your head for the drums, even if you can only hum it?

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

A: Listen to samples in your genre, not just the drummer's best-sounding track. Make sure you know what you'll get back (a stereo mix, individual stems, MIDI) and how revisions work. And send a reference track. It's the fastest way to get the sound in your head onto the record.

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

A: My DW Collector's kit, my favorite snare, a ride cymbal I trust, a good pair of headphones, and sticks. Plenty of sticks.

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

A: I've been playing drums for nearly 30 years, and most of that time has been on stage. For the last six years I've toured the world with Brett Newski. I've also toured with Zach Pietrini, Trapper Schoepp, and Sam Ness, and I still play locally with a handful of bands. Recording custom drum tracks remotely lets me bring that same live experience to songs anywhere.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Song first, with a live feel. I try to play what the song needs and make it feel like a band, not a loop.

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

A: Any songwriter with a great song and a clear idea of how it should feel. Those are the sessions where I do my best work, because there's something real to serve.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Record your demo to a click and send the tempo with it, even if you plan to loosen things up later. It saves time for everyone you bring in after you, and it makes the drums sit much better with what you've already recorded.

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

A: Mostly singer-songwriter and pop. I also love hard rock and more complex material with odd meters, tempo changes, and tricky arrangements.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Serving the song. I'd rather play the right simple part with a great feel than a busy part that gets in the way of the vocal.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The feel of a drummer playing with a band in the room. I play a lot of shows every year, and that means listening to the singer, leaving space where the song needs it, and knowing when a fill helps and when it gets in the way. Every groove and fill is played live, not programmed.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, you send me a link to your song, the tempo, and any reference tracks or notes on the feel you're after. I reply within one business day to confirm the details, the package, and a delivery date. Then I tune and set up a kit for your song, play the part, and send it over. Your revision rounds cover any changes. A round is one set of notes from you and one updated version from me. Most tracks are delivered in 5 to 7 days.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I record acoustic drums miked in my studio, and I pick the kit to fit the song. I have four to choose from: an Anchor Drums wood-hoop kit (26/12/16), a DW Collector's Series (22/12/14), an Indie Drums aluminum wood-hoop kit (20/12/15), and a DW acrylic kit (22/10/12/16), plus a range of snares and cymbals. For clients who want MIDI, I also have an electronic kit, so the part is still played by a person but the sounds can be swapped later.

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

A: Matt Chamberlain, for how much he can add to a song with restraint and sound choices. Jimmy Chamberlin, for the power and flow in his playing. Matt Cameron, for making odd meters feel like they groove instead of like math.

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

A: Most of my work is remote custom drum tracks for singer-songwriters and pop artists. You send me your song (a rough demo is fine), and I play and record a drum part for it, then deliver a mixed stereo drum track ready to drop into your session. Some clients want acoustic drums for a natural kit and room sound. Others prefer my electronic kit, so they get the MIDI too and can change drum sounds later.