Well my dad was a drummer for as long as i can remember, so this question is always very vague to me. i would always fuck around on his kit but was i actually “playing the drums”?? haha i dont know. Mom bought me my first kit when i was in fourth grade though. Thats also when, if you wanted to be in school band, you picked an instrument. i chose drums. so my answer is either i started when i was 1 year old, or when i was in 4th grade. either works for me.

2. What was the first kit you ever owned?

 My first kit was a five piece Tama Rockstar with a chrome wrap on it haha worst. Again, being lucky enough that my dad was a drummer he lent me most of his cymbals. i set it up in the corner of my bedroom and played for hours every day. still have the single kick pedal depression and grease mark in the carpet in my bedroom

3. What drummers inspired you when you first started playing?

Tre Cool from Green Day was probably my favorite drummer at the time. Chad Smith (chili peppers), Steven Adler (Guns n’ roses), and Steve Smith (Journey) were some others i loved and still do.

4. What current drummers would you recommend readers check out?

Thomas Pridgen is one of my favorite drummers right now. im not a huge youtube guy or gospel chops guy or anything like that, so i cant name many obscure inependent dudes. But i Know Andrew Mcenaney of the band Structures, Eddy Thrower from Lower Than Atlantis, Dan Gluszak former drummer of envy on the coast currently in Times of Grace, George Schmitz of Stick to your guns, and Durijah Lang of Glassjaw. are all my favorite drummers right now. Guys ive toured with and i thoroughly enjoy watching, and have helped push me a ton.

5. What are a some of your favourite things about touring?

 My favorite thing about touring is just experiencing everything. New people, places, foods, drinks, ideas. I know id never get any of that behind some desk somewhere, but i do behind my kit with my four best friends. I’ll try anything once, from drinking absinthe in slovakia, to attending some church in arkansas despite how NOT religious i am, spending my birthday in Brighton UK. I could go on forever, but my point is, if i didnt choose to do this i wouldnt have these things to look back on. Thats my favorite part.

6. What are some of the worst things about touring?

I might sound stereotypical here but of course missing your family and friends is one of the worst. Bands that are our size have to tour a ton to try and make any sort of dent in things. which in turn means you have to nearly kiss your homelife goodbye. You eventually get more and more used to it, but it still wont take away the homesick sting of your girlfriend sending you a picture of the thanksgiving dinner shes eating with your family while you’re eating McDonalds in fucking middle of nowhere Decatur illinois or something. rough.

7. What advice would you give to a drummer just starting out?

Find you’re favorite bands cds with loud drum recordings. (Green Day “Dookie” was mine) get a good pair of headphones, crank em up loud and play to your favorite songs over and over. thats what i did. You’d be surprised what you could teach yourself that way.

8. What tips would you give to a rookie touring drummer/musician?

Man, theres so much. First is if your band doesnt tour or anything, your first priority should not be buying skrims, or light boxes or any sort of stage production. write some good songs, play some local shows, if your songs are good than people will listen to your band. Its easy as that. if your songs suck, a professional looking facebook page, and spamming other peoples pages is NOT going to save you or make you gain fans. get back in your garage and write something sick, thats all it takes, the songs will speak for themselves. If you’re playing local shows and not gaining fans, its absolutely not because u didnt practice your guitar twirls enough, its because your songs are whack.

9. What are you currently listening to?

Death Grips, Balance and Composure, Structures, Kanye West, Astronautilus, Guns n’ Roses, Nicki Minaj, Modern Life is War, The new Everytime I Die, Moneen, The Bouncing Souls, Choking Victim, The Misfits. Some are current new music that ive found and been hooked on, some are my old time favorites, but thats a normal day on my ipod.

10. If you weren’t playing music what would you be doing?

before i was playing drums with the intent of touring full time and doing it as a career i rode bmx, alot, everyday for years. I always thought either it would be riding proffesional Bmx, or being a high school music teacher. When i joined my first touring band when i was 16 i slowed down drastically with riding, worrying about doing something stupid and hurting myself and letting down my band mates if i had to cancel shows. Very happy with my decision.