27th October 2007 – Interview with session drummer Craig Blundell (RS Archive Post)

Craig Blundell, the busiest drummer around, talks to The Rhythm Studio about drum clinics, DVD projects, live drum n bass with his band External Unit, and his childhood heroes.

You're involved in so many different projects: drum clinics, sessions, your own drum 'n bass project and dvds… which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I get the kick out of drum clinics, imparting knowledge and making better drummers out there.  It's nice doing sessions, it's great to put a CD on and listen back to yourself, but I get my main kick out of doing drum clinics because I love inspiring people.

How did External Unit, your live drum 'n bass project, come about?

I was doing some online drum tutorials called Lick Library and I met the guys from the band, one of whom was a film editor and the other a sound engineer.  They'd auditioned over 20 drummers and they couldn't find anybody at all.   I was in there recording with them, I played with them and I took a minidisk home and had a listen - it really was a question of being in the right place at the right time, and it's my dream project, it's what I love playing now.

Have you had to adapt your equipment in any way to get that drum 'n bass sound?

Definitely - a smaller bass drum tuned high, more snares, lots of "white-noise" cymbals.  I've started stacking cymbals to get that really clear edge.  I use smaller hi hats as well, only 8" or 10". 

What was the inspiration behind the Two World Collide DVD you have been working on?

I got bored of watching basic drumming DVDs because so many of them have gone too ses up and down marching parade grounds and I'm rehearsing with Swedish metal bands.  It shows all the rehearsals, we see Adrian's first rehearsal with External Unit and then the last rehearsal before a gig six months later.  We also go on the road to two big drum festivals where we film both live clinics - Adrian doing two of my tracks and me doing two of Adrian's tracks.  It looks at how wetraight-forward and pre-produced.  I think it's really important to see the starting point, and then to show how that player got to that place.  What we're trying to do is a documentary.  I met up with Adrian Erlandsson about two years ago and I was blown away with his playing and I told him that I had always wanted to play metal.  I was really into Slayer as a kid but never went down that road.  He replied that he wanted to learn jazz, funk and drum 'n bass - he's not a choppy player, he never had lessons about rudiments.  So we thought why don't we swap over for six months, taking over each other's roles and try and come out at the end of it playing each other's jobs. In the documentary we go back to each other's roots: he goes to the Royal Marines and learns all the chops and go approached each genre of music over the six month period, and shows that even the pros have off days, play badly, struggle, and have to get across hurdles.  You see Adrian onstage in front of 20,000 people but you also learn what it's taken him to get there.

Have you worked on any particularly memorable gigs?

Bruce Dickinson was amazing, he was my hero cause I was a real Iron Maidon fan as a kid.  Also, Working with Mike Rutherford (Genesis) who is another hero of mine was just mad.  I do a lot of clinic these days as well and playing alongside people like John Blackwell, Billy Cobham and Dave Garibaldi is a mini-dream for me.

Did you always know you wanted to go down the session and clinic route?

Yes.  When I came out of the Royal Marines I struggled work-wise for a long time and then basically I thought, I love to talk about drums so why not do it onstage, chatting to people openly and honestly about how I approach my playing.  I've worked really hard, practising so much to get to a stage where I feel like I can impart knowledge and people can listen get something out of it.

Which drummers inspired you when you were growing up?

I was a massive Buddy Rich fan, also I was into prog stuff, Neil Peart of Rush and that sort of thing.  Billy Cobham, Gene Krupa and a lot of the big band stuff really. I was kind of brought up on that and sixties swing. The Beatles too, less is more, lay it down, bread-and-butter gigs really inspired me.

Are there any drummers or bands that you are really into at the moment?

Marco Minnemann, he's a great guy and a close friend and his playing is brilliant and the other one is another friend, Stanton Moore, who plays back to basics New Orleans swing.  Marco is pushing boundaries and really out there in terms of technical expertise.  Stanton can play a drum solo for an hour and have you tapping your feet right the way through which is incredible.

We've already talked about the DVD, is there anything else exciting coming up?

The next thing is getting the External Unit album out and then we'll go out and play it live.  It only started off as a fun project but now it's got quite serious and there are a lot of people who want to hear it and see it live too.  I am really proud of what we're doing live cause I don't think anyone is putting together that sort of dark, hooky riff drum 'n bass together on the stage at the moment.

14th March 2006 – Interview with Coldplay drummer Will Champion (RS Archive Post)

Coldplay's Will Champion talks to The Rhythm Studio about the recording the new Viva La Vida with, life on the road and the fortunes of his beloved Saints...

How's work on the new album going?

It's going very well.  We have our own studio now which is great because it means we can go in at any time of the day and we don't have to worry about wasting time in an expensive studio.  We've been writing and playing for most of the year now and have been recording for about 2 months... so far.

What was the inspiration behind recording in various churches in Spain?

The idea was to have a little bit of a change of scenery.  We were just recording group vocals and wanted to go to spaces that were acoustically and aesthetically interesting, to give the record some different character.

How has Brian Eno influenced the Coldplay sound?

Brian's work has always been an influence on us.  From the things he's done with Bowie and Talking Heads to his own solo records, his use of atmospheric sound and electronic treatment of traditional instruments is something that we've used heavily in the past.   Funnily enough, this record sounds less Eno-like than the last couple even though it is the only one he has worked on officially!

The final leg of the Speed Of Sound tour finished earlier this year - Do you enjoy life on the road?

I find that 'the grass is always greener' when i am coming to the end of touring or recording.  By the time we're finishing an album, I'm so keen to get back to playing live, but when we're 18 months into a tour, all I want to do is get into the studio.

Is there a particular venue or location that you have found particularly special to play?

Madison Square Gardens in New York is always very special.  But for the sheer size and sense of occasion, it is hard to beat Glastonbury.

How did you get into playing drums?

My next door neighbour when I was growing up had a drum kit and I occasionally played on that and also during music lessons at school.   But then I started playing other instruments when I was about 14 and didn't really look at a drum kit.  When I went to university my friends started a band up and needed a drummer so I said I would give it a go.

Do you think your drumming has benefited from the fact that you play other instruments 

My approach to playing the drums has always been from a musical perspective.  I'm not one for big fills and flashy rolls.  I try and listen to the song and only play when it is really necessary.  It is just as important when you don't play as when you do.

What's on your stereo at the moment?

I'm listening to the Klaxons record, Albert Hammond Jnr, Arcade Fire and a lot of Hip Hop.

Do you have any advice for young drummer and bands who are just starting out?

I feel that it is important to base a band around a group of friends.  Chemistry between band mates is something that you cannot overestimate.  It's more important than technical ability in my opinion.

What would make you happier: Southampton back in the Premiership or another Coldplay no.1 album?

Judging by their current form, I think a return to the premiership is unlikely for the Saints, but in a dream world I would gladly take both!!

For Coldplay's latest news check out www.coldplay.com