Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Jesse Kongos of the band...Kongos. I had the pleasure of opening up for and sharing a bus with Kongos for two tours in 2019 and those memories are some of my favorite ever from being on the road. In this episode, Jesse (the drummer and one of the vocalists / singers for the band) breaks down the top 5 influences that shaped the player and writer he is today. 

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Ian Maciak…or as many of you might know him…@ianhitsdrums on instagram. His machine-like playing incorporates the proper pinch of humanity to pull you in and build a soundscape that only he can create. I’ve loved the finesse of his playing from afar for quite some time now and it’s certainly a direction I want my OWN playing to go. You can check him out on the track ‘Sleepy Pietro’ from the new Machinedrum album or relax to his drumming in the “Focus” and Lo-Fii Beats” playlists on the Headspace app…among many other projects that he’ll be announcing soonish. Also, go check out his Patreon where you can download his original drum grooves, loops, and one shots. And as always, you can check out all the songs referenced or played during this episode in a Spotify playlist. Just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Ian Maciak'. Alright…enjoy my chat with Ian Maciak and the top 5 influences that shaped his amazing style. Cheers! 

As promised: Naji

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is short little bonus clip that was cut from the main episode featuring Aaron Steele for the sake of time. In it, Aaron breaks down a few songs chosen by me from his prolific career that represent a few different periods of his life. Be sure to check out the main episode where Aaron breaks down the top influences that shaped his playing and writing style. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Aaron Steele. Aaron is a melting pot of creativity who has a Rolodex of influences including everything from hardcore to jazz to singer-songwriter to r&b to electronica to funk to pop and back again. Don’t you dare put him in a box! Aaron’s resume includes Portugal. The Man. Hayley Williams of Paramore, Peter Bradley Adams, Chrome Sparks, Jose James and, of course, many more. Our chat went well over two hours, so I consolidated it just a bit. We’ll be jumping in right as we get into the topic of comparing yourself to other players (something that Aaron never does)…before eventually dissecting the top 5 influences that shaped Aaron’s style. As to be expected, Aarons’s choices are NOT expected, but they are very impactful and I’m really excited to dive deeper into all these artists.

You can find all the songs referenced or played in this episode in a Spotify playlist. Just search ‘Big Fat Five Podcast - Aaron Steele’. Please enjoy my conversation with the ever-unique and talented Aaron Steele. 

Jameszoo: Against The Clock

Hayley Willaims: Tiny Desk Concert

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Part 2 and essentially a bonus episode for my conversation with Dan Mayo. Today, Dan talks about the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums (something that he is quite known for) and approaches writing in general. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Dan Mayo. Dan is an Israeli drummer with one of the most distinct sounds of any player today…partly thanks to his A&F drum set, but mostly do to his personality behind the kit and background in a wide range of musical genres. His main project is the power trio, TATRAN, but Dan is also a prolific solo artist in addition to working with many other legends such as Ester Rada & Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. We chatted for quite awhile and so I split our conversation into two parts. Part 1 starts off with me playing a bunch of song from Dan’s career followed by a discussion on each. We then get into some listener questions and eventually dive into a more general list of the top 5 influences that shaped him into the drummer he is today. Part 2 is the 5 specific records that shaped the way he tunes his drums and approaches writing in general. Not only is Dan a very generous human being, he’s funny and humble and I really hope these episodes turn you into a dan fan. Enjoy part 1 Cheers :) 

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is payback for the boys from the podcast Working Drummer forcing me to take time out of MY damn day a few weeks ago to bump up THEIR podcast numbers. Now I’m totally using them. 

All kidding aside, I absolutely love Matt and Zack. Their podcast (Working Drummer) highlights real stories of the every day “working drummer” and features guests, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. These conversations can help us all feel a little better about our own “path”. Please check it out. In this joint episode, I chatted with the boys about the top 5 influences that shaped their playing style. Aside from being amazing podcast hosts, Zack and Matt are incredibly accomplished drummers and VERY different players than me. I learned a s*$t ton in this episode and I know you will too. 

Also...I created a Spotify playlist for all the songs played and/or mentioned in this episode. Just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Working Drummer'

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Ash Soan.

I don’t even know where to begin; he’s a complete badass and unless you’ve gone OUT OF YOUR WAY to avoid him, you certainly know who he is. Ash has been one of the most in-demand session and live drummers in the UK for decades, but with his growing popularity on social media and the finishing of his Windmill Studio behind his home in Norfolk, England, he’s gone global with remote sessions. His resume includes live performances and/or recordings with Adele, Seal, James Morrison, Cee Lo Green, Robbie Williams, Stewart Copeland, Ronan Keating, The Trevon Horn Band, Cher, Billy Idol, Del Amitri and soooo many more. In this episode, we start of by dissecting a few clips from his career…curated by yours truly and unbeknownst to Ash beforehand…..then answer some listener questions and eventually jump into the top 5 influences that shaped Mr. Ash Soan. Getting to chat with him was such a pleasure and I hope you guys enjoy as I try to hold back my excitement and not interrupt him TOO much. I’ve created a Spotify playlist containing all the songs discussed and played in this show, just search for 'Big Fat Five Podcast - Ash Soan'. Also, go check out his new EP, titled 66991. Cheers.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is a premiere / takeover of a new podcast by our very good friend...Sarah Hagan. Sarah worked for many years as the Head of Zildjian Artist Relations Worldwide, but now runs her own media and consulting business for the music industry as a whole. Through the years, Sarah has mastered the art of creating, developing and maintaining genuine relationships with the world's greatest drummers. With her new podcast, titled Sarah Hagen Backstage, Sarah is able to pull something a little different from her guests because they aren’t talking to any old podcast host, they’re talking to their friend. This obviously gives her an advantage and I’m extremely jealous! That being said, we have some really exciting yet-to-be-announced...um...announcements involving Sarah, myself and a few people you just may know...but more on that later :) I hope you enjoy this week’s takeover episode of Sarah Hagan Backstage with her first guest Gavin Harrison. We’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming. Be sure to subscribe to her feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Cheers!

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Atom Willard. Atom played with some of my favorite bands growing up including Rocket From the Crypt, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and Angels and Airwaves, but he is the current drummer for Against Me! and Laura Jane Grace and The Devouring Mothers. As I often do in the days leading up to these chats, I went down a rabbit hole of Atom's drumming and I was blown away by how much of my OWN playing can be attributed to Mr. Willard...like...it's actually embarrassing. This one meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Atom Willard as he dissects his biggest musical influences that made him into the drummer he is today. Cheers ya’ll.

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 Click here to order now!

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices