Trust The Process

Music comes naturally to me. At least, that is what I tell myself. The reality is, I have been playing drums and music in some capacity since I was 8. That means I have been doing this for over 40 years! It started in concert band in grade school where I was taught to keep time. More then anything else, keep time. I got my first drum set around 17 years of age. This is where I really started to develop my style and sound. It wasn't until I started a band that I really began to shine. All of these bands lead us to where I am today.

Today, I am playing in one of the most exciting and talented bands I have ever had an opportunity to play in. I get to share the stage with not only great musicians and performers, but also with great human beings. We have been churning out one song every week at this point and this past year alone, we have recorded over 26 songs. I have been asked, how we do it and what is our process.

I can't speak for the others, but I thought it would be interesting to share my process. As a drummer, we are often overlooked. Sure, we sit in the background and demand attention, but we are often overlooked when it comes to the final product. This cannot be further from the truth. I guarantee that your favorite song would sound significantly different if another drummer was behind that kit. This is my process. This is what I put into every song I record.

Sasquatch in studio.

Paul from Bamberdost is one of the most prolific song writers I have ever met. My process starts with him. He will tell me that he has a new song and then he will cut an acoustic demo. He will then send the demo to me. This is really where my process begins.

Before i do anything else, I listen to the demo as a fan and an audience member. I just listen and enjoy it. I listen not for what it is but for its future potential. What I can do to make this song better yet keep Pauls vision?

Next, I listen some more and then I read the lyrics. I experience it like a fine wine. I try to understand what the song is about. Not what it appears to be on the surface but deeper. I go beyond the sarcasm. I go into the psychology and try to feel the emotion. Do I sense pain or trauma? Is it playful? Somber? Serious? Political? I then ask myself questions about the song and start to formulate ideas and plans for my approach.

I continue to listen and the next thing I listen to are the songs dynamics. I listen for breaks, volume changes, tempo changes, strumming changes. I identify where did Paul place them, but I also look for places that I can add them. Places Paul may not have heard before. I love trying to surprise him with a new approach to one of his songs.

The problem with punk is that it sounds simple but, it is so much more complicated than people give it credit for. There is so much nuance in the music if people just listen you will hear a switch to a hi-hat when the guitar strings get muffled and an open hi-hat when the guitar player opens up the chords. These are not accidents but purposeful artistic choices. The lyrics, although often sarcastic, often contain important messages that can easily be missed if you listen on face value.

Once I have my ideas, or at least, a rough musical outline, I listen again and then I listen again. After that, I listen some more. I will listen to the song 100-200 times before I ever play the song with Paul or Bamberdost. I am no longer listening for pleasure. I am listening with intent. I will memorize the song, and, at the same time, I begin to pick out individual lyrical phrases. I will choose words, phrases, hooks, harmonies, and other things in a song. It now becomes my intent to make each verse slightly different. That lyric you hear when I hit the crash cymbal - that was no accident. Bamberdost has quite a few common themes in the music. Coffee and trying to keep it together are two examples. I tend to isolate those themes in particular and enhance them. For example, in our tune "Nowhere" there is a line where Paul sings. "but I'm, holding it together". You will hear the bridge relatively quiet with a simple ride patter before that lyric and then, the crash cymbal is beat for just a few moments and then back to quiet again. A brief, percussive temper tantrum if you will. This was an artistic choice to represent the anger and chaos in his brain while on the outside, he is holding it together.

Finally, I will practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. I have a 2-family house and I cannot sit behind a drum kit every day so my approach to practice is different than many drummers. I will tap the songs out on my stearing wheel on my way to work. I will drive my co-workers crazy by tapping at my desk. I will mentally run through the songs in my head and visualize me playing a song. I will also pull out a drum pad and do my best to tap out a version of the song on my pad.

Once I have listend to the songs, practiced the songs, and feel comfortable that i have them memorized, then Paul and I will often jump into the studio before we even play the song as a band. Often, this is our first time playing the songs together and many of demos capture the initial performance of the song. We will usually say something along the lines of, "let's just run the tape just in case we get it."

Paul Mauled and Sasquatch in studio.

I think this why it has so much energy behind them. Once we track the drums, the rest of the process continues. At this point, however, my process ends.

The experience of writing songs and collaborating with friends is one of the reasons I love this band and music in general. It doesn't end. It just gets better. We have a great process that is producing great music. If you want to hear our music look for Bamberdost on Instagram, Spotify, Apple music, or Bandcamp or follow me and come out to a show. Make sure you say hi. I love meeting new people.