The Drum Panel: Debby Boone Pat Pat

In this episode, The Drum Panel returns with ME (Ben Hilzinger), alongside my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City), Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Bruce Springsteen, Mother Feather) for a roundtable discussion on all things drum.  Today we discuss: How Gunner personalizes drum parts for legacy bands like Eve 6 while still respecting the original recordings The balance between improvisation and replication—what “respecting the instrument” really means Dream gear: Lars Ulrich’s ...And Justice for All Tama kit and Herb Alexander’s wild setup from “My Name Is Mud” Behind the scenes of the Primus / Puscifer / A Perfect Circle tour and being at the center of major drum world headlines Josh Freese’s quiet exit from Foo Fighters mid-tour and what Gunner learned from watching him handle it with grace and intensity The surreal story of getting the call to play on a Bruce Springsteen record How much creative freedom Gunner gets with Puscifer and how each tour takes on its own sonic identity Navigating feedback in the studio vs. live gigs—and why the context always matters Gunner’s candid reflection after a rough wedding gig and how it reignited his desire to practice Blending live drums with electronic stems: what Gunner calls the “hip-hop show” approach The mysterious phenomenon of “next day clarity” when learning new songs and why the brain needs rest Overcoming overthinking, performance anxiety, and “the yips”—and the importance of showing yourself grace Why not playing for a while might be the best practice you didn’t know you needed 'My Name Is Mud' Video - DRUM PICS --- 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.

This week’s guest is Billy Martin ... a world-renowned drummer, educator, visual artist, producer, and author. He has collaborated with some of the best, including (but certainly not limited to) John Scofield, John Zorn, Iggy Pop, Natalie Merchant, Flea and many more. Still, many people know him best for his work with Medeski, Martin & Wood, alongside John Medeski and Chris Wood. If you enjoy this episode, please go check out Billy’s interview with Mike Dawson on the Drum Candy podcast titled “Improvising and Cultivating a Creative Mindset”. I recently re-watched his anti-instructional film, Life on Drums, and I can’t recommend it enough. It's essentially a series of conversations between Martin and his first drum teacher, Allen Herman. These discussions delve into topics such as soloing, time, tone, phrasing, free playing, and so much more. Interspersed throughout are some pretty rad solo and duet performances…all filmed with a cinematic aesthetic. So check that out if that interests you.  Right off the bat, we dive into the topic of soloing — something Billy encourages all drummers to do first thing when they sit behind the kit (even if just for five minutes), before jumping into the records that shaped him into the remarkable musician he is today. BILLY'S BIG FAT FIVE: Artist - Peter ToshAlbum - Legalize ItRelease Year - 1976Key Track - "Legalize it"Drummer - Carlton "Santa" Davis, Carlton Barrett - Artist - Stevie WonderAlbum - Talking BookRelease Year - 1972Key Track - "Superstition"Drummer - Stevie Wonder - Artist - Dr. JohnAlbum - Gris GrisRelease Year - 1968Key Track - "Mama Roux"Drummer - John Boudreaux - Artist - John ColtraneAlbum - Interstellar SpaceRelease Year - 1974Key Track - "Jupiter Variation"Drummer - Rashied Ali - Artist - Charles MingusAlbum - Mingus Ah UmRelease Year - 1959Key Track - "Better Git It In Your Soul"Drummer - Dannie Richmond - Artist - Lil' KimAlbum - Hard CoreRelease Year - 1996Key Track - "Queen Bitch" Artist - Wu-Tang ClanAlbum - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Release Year - 1993Key Track - "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II - Conclusion"Drummer - RZA (producer / beat maker) --- 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.

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this part two episode, I continue my deep-dive chat with co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City) — picking up right where last week’s marathon conversation left off. Today we discuss: The most useful failures musicians face (and how to reframe them) Why “pocket” means something different on every gig Learning to own your voice — whether as a hired gun or band member How to stay mentally and physically sane while on the road Why doing non-music things on tour actually fuels your art We open up about imposter syndrome, ADHD, burnout, and what it really takes to balance creativity with professionalism. --- 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.