the day, we’re bros, we’ve got love for each other. Oh, and it’s also super important that they’re clean! Good hygiene is a plus, because we’re gonna live together in close quarters on a bus or flying on a plane and I’m not a fan of dirty, stinky people. [Laughter]. SJ: Absolutely. If you listen to MB20 and really check them out, there are some very intricate arrangements and really interesting ways of starting songs. Like, there’s a “bar of 5 situation” that’s hard to notice. Another thing I’ve never done before is have a trigger set up with a cowbell sound that only the guys can hear. I keep time for them, so whenever I have a pause, I gotta remember to keep it going. And yeah, the count-ins, learning what everyone is most comfortable with, there’s a little bit of a learning curve with that too. AW: Is there anything that you maybe haven’t done before or something you don’t really like to do, but it’s part of the gig? SJ: I really have to say that with this gig and with my last gig, there really hasn’t been anything like that. There are definitely things that, you know, I wouldn’t have played that way, but that’s what makes Paul so unique, and makes Matchbox who they are. It’s good for me to play those parts and learn to play them naturally, to make them feel like I have been playing them for 20 years. AW: That’s pretty insightful, to be able to see it as a challenge. SJ: Totally! It’s not that I don’t like it, or whatever, just that it’s different. EH: The only thing that makes me uncomfortable on this gig is when I’m asked to play in a suit. You might have seen us on several TV shows in fitted suits. Don’t get me wrong, I love to clean up and look dapper in a nice suit, but I can’t stand playing drums in one! I’ve had sticks get stuck in my sleeve and then pop out of my hands. I’ve had the kick beater get caught in my pant cuff...uhhhhh, frustrating! Plus, I’m kind of stocky, so a fitted suit just restrains me. Then, I start to over-think how uncomfortable I am, stressing myself out. I get the whole “look” thing, and 20 EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013 when I watch it back it looks great. I watch drummers smash on the kit fully suited-up too. I envy that, I just can’t do it. AW: Have there been any changes to your kit? EH: Typically, I have been doing a 10” or 12” tom up top and two floors, which are 14” and 16”. Right now, I’m trying both the 10” and 12” up top, but offset, a little to the left. Then, 14x14” and 16x16” floors, but I have been experimenting with flipflopping the floors, so the 16” is closest. AW: Cool. What size kick are you running? EH: I have a 16X20” and an 18X22”. I’ve been playing the 18x22” more lately. They’re all the Jazz Series. I’m really happy with these drums. SJ: The biggest change for me is that I have just done a deal with DW. AW: Yeah! SJ: I’ve really never had a “real deal” before and I’m totally thrilled. To just look at the drums, how they’re made, and the shells are so nice, and they’re made in the states. AW: Such a big thing. SJ: Yeah! It’s a really big thing that they are made here and are so incredible. AW: Which series are you playing? SJ: I’ve been on a 24” kick for a long time and decided that an 18x22”is a perfect fit for this gig. I’m also playing a 12” rack and 16” and 18” floors. AW: Which series? SJ: The Collectors Series with the VLX shells for the kick and two floors, it really sounds great! AW: Changing gears. What would you like to pass on to up-and-coming drummers trying to get into a situation similar to yours? EH: Well, if you think that this is what you’re supposed to be doing and it’s your universe, then you keep doing it, no matter how many times you get shut down. If it’s supposed to happen, if it’s the path you’re supposed to lead, then it’s going to happen. Also, one thing I’ve learned from playing, not only in a family environment, but with other players as well, is to play the music. Sometimes I tend to over think or over play. I’ll be trying to do some cool lick I saw on YouTube and I’ll try to put it in the show, but it doesn’t always fit the format. Then, I’m not supporting the song or the artist properly. Know what the vibe of the song is and play the song correctly, because it’s not for you, it’s for the audience. If you’re in a high-profile gig, you need play the song the way people have grown to love it. We musicians try to flip things around because we get bored, and we’ve played it so many damn times, but coming out of the gate you need to know how to hold back and play it like the record. The audience is the reason we’re there, so give them what they want. Support the song. SJ: I’ve only auditioned for a couple things, and one of them was Smashing Pumkins when Matt Walker was just out of the band. I walk in and there’s a drumset set up and it’s very obvious whose kit it is (Kenny Aronoff), with the rack toms reversed and a super low seat. They tell me I can’t move anything. I play through a few songs and I come out and Kenny is there, and he gives me this big bear hug and says I was great and everything, but I knew, I just knew it wasn’t my gig. I think I even knew it when I was on the plane to go there. So, you have to trust your instincts. AW: That’s hard to do because you think you really need that gig. SJ: Yeah! But it just felt wrong. You have to know what’s right for you and don’t be discouraged. With this gig, I knew right from the start that this was something I really, really wanted to do. I’m not saying don’t go on auditions, you always should because, if nothing else, you will learn from it. But if you don’t get it, it’s okay. It just wasn’t meant to be. So, yeah, trust your instincts and be prepared! Know the music better than you know anything! Get up there and play with confidence. The drummer needs to drive the bus. That’s what the band needs and what the people want.
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