114 – Angela Lese: Drumming for The Dead Deads, Cultivating a Strong Fan Base, From “Regular Job” to Touring Musician

South Louisiana native Doug Belote grew up in Cajun country, immersed in the sounds of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, Cajun, zydeco, Dixieland, gospel, Latin and New Orleans second line rhythms. He began playing the drums at age 12 and worked in clubs and at recording sessions while still in high school. After just a semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he sold everything he owned including his drums and hit the road for The Drummers Collective in New York City, where he studied with Ricky Sebastian and Kim Plainfield and broadened his musical palette. In his early 20s, Belote began touring Europe, Japan and the Caribbean with a variety of New Orleans-based jazz, blues and funk artists. He has recorded on more than 100 albums and his resume includes work with Mike Gordon, Jeff Coffin, George Porter Jr., Willie Nelson, Sonny Landreth, Henry Butler, Delfeayo Marsalis, Anders Osborne, Cyril Neville, Ivan Neville, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Allen Toussaint, Fred Wesley, Steve Masakowski, Charlie Hunter, John Oats Shane Theriot, Derek Trucks, Susen Tedeschi as well as a 2010 performance with Eric Clapton at the Crossroads festival. Doug currently lives in New Orleans and tours with 12-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas. In this episode, Doug talks about: Recording in New Orleans for T.V. shows and commercials Working with Jerry Douglas and the funny story of his “audition” for Jerry His understanding of recording in Nashville His documentary: Street Beat – Drumming Below Sea Level Studying with Kim Plainfield at Drummers Collective Playing with Sonny Landreth and Eric Clapton on the 2010 Crossroads concert Living in flood prone New Orleans Doug endorses: Yamaha drums,Zildjian cymbals, Shure in-ear monitors and Pro-Mark drumsticks We’d like to recognize and thank listener James Osborne and his support of this podcast through Patreon. See and hear more about James at: jamesosborne.com.au This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

21 Feb 20181h 47min

Lemuel Hayes is the drummer for B52s founding member Cindy Wilson’s solo project. Originally from Gainesville, GA, he didn’t set his sights on a music career until age 22, after a few years as a mechanical engineering major at Georgia Tech. After playing and teaching around Gainesville, Atlanta, and Athens for a couple years, he decided to move to Nashville. But he then began to think LA would be a better fit and made plans to relocate. Weeks before he was supposed to move, a broken arm not only kept him in Nashville but put him on the sidelines of music for months. While working at Guitar Center and rehabbing his arm, Cindy Wilson’s project got going and he also caught on with some artists under Jack White’s Third Man Records. In this podcast, Lemuel talks about: Hosting a jazz radio show in college What made him quit engineering school to focus on music Flying out to LA to spend a day with Josh Freese What first brought him to Nashville, and the freak accident that kept him there The physical and psychological challenges of rehabbing his arm Working at Guitar Center to stay afloat The random gig in Athens, GA that connected him with Cindy Wilson Teching for Sterling Campbell How Cindy’s band is a band, not a solo artist with hired guns This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

14 Feb 20181h 46min

In this episode, Nick Ruffini, host and creator of The Drummers Resource sit down with Zack Albetta and Matt Crouse, the hosts of Working Drummer to catch up from last year’s episode. The idea behind this round table came from the fact that all three of us were going through major life changes that effected our music careers in one way or another. We decided to check back in close to a year later and discuss some of the many things that have transpired over that time. In this episode Nick, Zack, and Matt talk about: * Catching up from last year’s roundtable * Opportunities in the music business outside of performing * The “Gig Triangle” – the money, the music, the hang * Allowing other things outside music to be a part of your identity * How and what we practice * Handling failures * Time management and finding ways to be productive throughout each day * Ageism in the music business * Upcoming guests for Drummers Resource and WDP * This weeks episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

8 Feb 20181h 47min

Rodd Bland was born and raised in Memphis, the son of Bobby “Blue” Bland and the godson of B.B. King. He began playing drums at age 3, and learning at the feet of legendary drummers like Tony Coleman, and Jabo Starks. The time soon came for Rodd to move into the drum chair for his dad’s band, and he remained for much of his career, until Bobby Bland’s death in 2013. Since then, Rodd has remained active with Memphis-based artists such as Rev. Shawn Amos, Brimstone Jones, and Otis Clay. In this podcast, Rodd talks about: Starting on percussion in his dad’s band as a high school student The variety of sub-genres that culminated in his dad’s music and in the Memphis sound Howard Grimes, Tony Coleman, and other Memphis drummers that have influenced him His (and my) favorite Bobby Bland song Jabo’s advice about cultivating your own sound How to take different types of cues from singers and figure out what they need without asking The history of Beale St. Having to reintroduce himself to the Memphis scene as more than Bobby Bland’s son/drummer His love of 90’s rock and grunge, and his relationships with Chad Smith and Matt Cameron This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

31 Jan 20181h 33min

Elton Charles is a Guyanese drummer/engineer based in Nashville. Originally from New Jersey, he started playing drums at the early age of five. Elton worked on learning the instrument over the years and, combined with a natural tenacity for playing, was accepted to study at Berklee college of music. After moving to Nashville in 2012, Elton’s experience has been a blur of touring, recording, and building his musical relationships within the music community. When not supporting up and coming artists and writers in music city, Elton is building upon studio clientele offering his talents as a drummer and producer. Elton is currently on the road with multi-award winning country duo Thompson Square. In this episode, Elton talks about: The challenges of running a home studio Studying at Berklee and creating a learning experience for himself Great drum sounds coming from the player Working with a click when performing live Translating programed drum parts to acoustic when performing live Snare tuning and playing style A better understanding of drum sounds from recording experiences Attracting new business in creative ways Elton endorses: Anchor Drums, Evans Drumheads, Promark Sticks, Puresound, Drumtacs, Paiste Cymbals, Porter and Davies, Sensaphonics in-ear monitors and Smokin Ace Cymbal Shields This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

24 Jan 20181h 31min

For almost 20 years, Seth Hendershot has lived in the college town of Athens, GA. He has played in a variety of original and cover bands and for eight years has owned and operated Hendershot’s. What started as a simple coffee house has since become a beloved bar, restaurant, and live music venue. For a city its size, Athens boasts a vibrant and influential music scene, with a place in the origin stories of many bands including R.E.M., The B-52’s, and Drive-By Truckers. Seth’s current playing activity is centered around two touring acts, multi-instrumentalist and singer Randall Bramblett and violinist Kishi Bashi. In addition to playing and running one of the city’s best and busiest venues, Seth is involved with The Athens Music Project in partnership with The University of Georgia to document and highlight the past, present and future of the city’s music, and is on the faculty for Camp Amped, a yearly rock camp for kids. In this podcast, Seth talks about: What brought him to Athens in the late 90’s The pros and cons of Athens’ “bubble” nature How he’s working to strengthen the ties between the Athens scene and the University of Georgia Balancing his playing career with life as a business owner Why he opened Hendershot’s, and what it has become since then His current gigs with Randall Bramblett and Kishi Bashi His involvement in Camp Amped and Nuci’s Space This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

17 Jan 20181h 19min

Matt Johnson has played on some of the most critically acclaimed records in almost everyone’s collections. He’s also performed on some of the more memorable tours from the early 90s on. From recording the seminal cult-creating album Grace with Jeff Buckley in 1993 at age 22, he’s worked with a wide spectrum of artists over the past two decades including Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Elysian Fields, Australia’s Angus and Julia Stone, Beth Orton, Keren Ann, Duncan Sheik, and the beloved St. Vincent, the avant-garde guitarist, songwriter and performer who continues to astonish listeners and concertgoers everywhere with her ever-evolving musical statements. In this episode, Matt talks about: Learning how to adapt for a live performance based on a programed or highly produced rhythm track Creating grooves that have more complexity with less density Teaching yourself to feel the space between quarter notes in unique ways Getting your brain to think differently by using a “role reversal” method with your limbs Distilling down your groove to to it’s most basic place in order to build it into a solid performance Failure seen as an experience on the way to some type of success that you could never have planned on The value of “grit” and the power of will and dedication Learning to utilize a double kick pedal Incorporating electronics to an acoustic set up Working with Rufus Wainwright Matt endorses: Tama Drums, Istanbul Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vater Sticks This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums

10 Jan 20181h 36min

With the exception of a few high school years, Justin Boyd has spent his entire life in Chicago. From the beginning of his career, he thought it important to be open to all of Chicago’s musical scenes instead of choosing one and staying in it. As a result, his experience there has been incredibly diverse. He disregarded the invisible barrier between North Side and South Side, and has managed to float smoothly between the many different genres and circles the city has to offer. He also put himself through two different educations – one in the professional world and one in academia, capped off recently by earning his master’s degree in composition from DePaul University. In this podcast, Justin talks about: Spending his high school years in South Carolina, and the influence it had on him as a musician Returning to school to get his master’s degree Racial dynamics in Chicago Other Chicago drummers who have influenced him How going back to school for his master’s filled some gaps in his “real world” education The city’s jazz and blues scenes, and why he prefers not to go all in on either His role as an educator in the Chicago Public Schools “All City” music program His current projects, both as a leader and sideman Justin Boyd endorses Humes & Berg Cases and Evans Drumheads. This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums.

3 Jan 20181h 20min