Yesterday I released a drum playthrough video from an album I recorded at the end of February this year, just before lockdown when the world was a very different place! The album is by a chap called Paul Sadler and this track is the second to be released, called “The Fear”. Paul wrote some really interesting and challenging tunes which were full of all the things that I enjoy trying to play (odd time signatures, lengthy arrangements, lots of dynamic shifts etc), so I was grateful to him for asking me to play on the album. Please check out the video here and get in touch if you would like any drum tuition in the Manchester area.

For all the drum/gear nerds here is a quick run down of the kit:

The drums themselves are a Yamaha Live Custom (10/16/22) with a British Drum Company Bluebird snare. The cymbals are a mix of Meinl (14 inchByzance hats, 20 inch Byzance Crash), Istanbul Mehmet (22 inch Horacio Hernandez Signature Ride) and Dream (15 inch Bliss Hi Hats). Hardware is largely Tama with a Speed Cobra Double Pedal, so all in all a really comfortable setup that I enjoy playing. It’s definitely a more stripped back setup than you would expect with this type of music, however I really enjoy trying to get a bit more out of a smaller setup as opposed to almost having too many options. This is definitely a personal preference and has rubbed some people the wrong way on occasion, but you’ll be surprised how much you can still achieve with a four piece kit.

I’ll cover the micing and recording process in another post for all you mic/preamp Anoraks, but for now please check out the video and let me know if you/anyone you know is in need of drum tuition in the Manchester area or on Skype. Ta!