Nashville Drummers Podcast

In episode 95, we dive right into the multifaceted career of Miami-born drummer, producer, and songwriter, Armando Baeza. From drumming at age 13 to recording friends in GarageBand, Armando moved to Nashville with an intent to learn, and an eagerness to make great music with great friends…and he’s doing just that. We discuss why drummers...

Welcome, Milo Simpson! Having recently made the move from northeast Iowa to Nashville in 2025, Milo has quickly made a name for himself as a trustworthy, go-to drummer for a variety of up-and-coming country singer-songwriters, most notably touring with 22-year-old Ashley Anne. Milo shares his path through the Visible Music College in Memphis, his early...

Welcome our first Canadian guest, Weston Blatz! Weston is the touring drummer for rising country artist Emily Ann Roberts. We dive into Weston’s musical upbringing in Canada and the winding road that would eventually land him the gig with Emily, including a milestone-packed year performing at both the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry. We...

Welcome North Carolina native, Kyle Wilkerson! Kyle is the touring drummer for multi-platinum, award-winning country artist Jordan Davis. We dive straight into Kyle’s career, discussing family life, golf-centered touring routines, and memorable courses and markets like Europe and Australia. Kyle recounts moving to Nashville in 2010 after Appalachian State, leaving education and classical percussion plans...

Welcome Arizona native, Mace Santa Maria! We cover Mace’s move from Phoenix to Nashville four years ago, following a formative year at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. She discusses learning the drums at age 10, major influences like the Jonas Brothers’ drummer Jack Lawless (whom she recently met), and how Broadway demands fast adaptation...

Attendee and exhibitor interviews from the 2026 Music City Drum Show, July 18-19 in Nashville, TN. Register for the 2027 Music City Drum Show https://www.musiccitydrumshow.com Interviews 0:00 Intro 3:33 Kris Mazzarisi – Story Behind Big Fat Snare Drum 17:15 Derek Lee (Beat Note) – “Combining Passions” 24:48 Daniel Hegerle – “Favorite Event of the Year”...

Attendee and exhibitor interviews from the 2026 Music City Drum Show, July 18-19 in Nashville, TN. Register for the 2027 Music City Drum Show https://www.musiccitydrumshow.com Interviews 0:00 Intro 3:34 Tom Stanfill – “Drumming Community is Fantastic” 5:49 Jacqueline Cloud – “Change, Content, & Fudge” 11:04 Edgel Groves – “Music Tech & Business” 15:04 Alexander Hubbard...

Welcome Pittsburgh native, Luke Zajdel! Luke is currently the touring drummer for country artist Walker Montgomery. A lifelong Rush fan, Luke shares why Clockwork Angels is his favorite record, memories of seeing Neil Peart play 5x, and his emotional reaction to Rush’s return announcement. He explains adapting the note-for-note prog mindset to Nashville’s more flexible...

Welcome Massachusetts native, Wesley Bourque! Wes is currently the touring drummer for rising country singer/songwriter Logan Crosby. In addition to gigging and recording, he serves as Artist Relations for NY-based distributor/record label United Masters. In this wide-ranging conversation, Wes shares his journey from small-town New England to the move to Nashville in 2014. We dive...

Welcome multi‑platinum Nashville session drummer, Aksel Coe! Since moving to Nashville in 2018, Aksel has quickly made a name for himself as one of the city’s most sought-after session drummers, having recorded on many of today’s top country, pop, and indie tracks. Recent recording credits include Ella Langley (ACM Song of the Year ‘Choosin’ Texas’),...