A few months ago we began working with the extremely funny and talented musician Lee Stanton, of the Australian band Thy Art Is Murder. There has been a lot of industry buzz circulating around the band since signing to Nuclear Blast Records and branching their tour schedule across the ocean to Europe. We thought we should take a few minutes and introduce you to him and together, learn how a metal band from Australia is quickly gaining popularity the world over.
“Music aside, I’d have to say it’s all about our work ethic,” said Lee. “A lot of great musicians write great music but you still have to really pursue the career and I think the boys and I have really worked hard the last few years leading up to this. It’s not like this has been an overnight process. Because Australia is such a small place to tour it’s hard for bands to gauge their progress and a lot of them get trapped in limbo of being established here but not really knowing what step to take next.”
Earlier this year, the band received news they had been nominated for a prestigious Metal Hammer Golden God Award for Best New Band. A bit of news that certainly took Lee and the crew by surprise.
“I thought our manager was pulling our leg when he told us that,” he said. “I think having Nuclear Blast behind the band has a lot to do with the band being pushed in the right direction. We personally are just trying to get everywhere and tour our asses off.
“When we started Thy Art, Sean and I used to joke about getting signed to Nuclear Blast and a few years down the track it actually happened. Receiving an email saying they wanted to work with us was mind blowing. To have one of the most respected metal labels in the world interested in your band is a pretty wild feeling!”
“Internationally, things have really got a wriggle on for us and that’s all down to the label and their badass PR girls that we have helping us out with press and those kinda things.”
Los Cabos Drumsticks artist Elijah Burton is on a mission. His goal - to make drum lessons accessible to children in his community who may otherwise not have the opportunity. Elijah lives in Stamford, Connecticut.
What sparked your idea in offering these lessons?
Well, as a child I always wanted to play drums but never had anyone to teach me one-on-one so now as an adult I want to make lessons available for youths in my city at no cost to them.
How do you feel music has enriched your life as a child growing up?
Music kept me motivated. I practiced so much I never had time to hang out with the bad crowds or get into any trouble. Now I am able to make a living doing music.
Are there any other music options currently available for underprivileged youth in Stamford?
No. The only way the children will be able to learn for free is through the school systems and that’s only if they are able to play the instrument prior to singing up. With my program, I’ll teach anyone who is willing to learn at no cost. It’s my way of giving back to the community and keeping music alive.
You’re still looking for a location. Have you tried community centres or church halls?
Yes I am still looking for a location. I have tried a few churches , none of which have had the space available. I have tried a community centre and am still waiting on a answer. I am very excited about these lessons. I believe they are going to help children who really want to be active in the music field.
Elijah Burton plays Los Cabos Drumsticks 7A Red & White Hickory.
We’re pleased to welcome Ben Ellingworth (Sub Atari Knives) to our artist family. Ben is a hardworking musician and an in-demand drum tech on the Australian touring circuit.
Welcome aboard Ben. We look forward to working with you.
We’re pleased to welcome James Varnado to our artist family.
James is a native of New Orleans, LA and first began playing drums in the local church. He has sat in with some of the finest names in Louisiana and beyond including Dixie Cups (Chapel of Love), George Porter and the Meters (Sissy Strut), Charmaine Neville of the Neville Brothers family, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers.
“With 19 tours out of the United States,” said James, “including trips to South America, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, I feel I have been blessed to be on stage playing and living a life doing what I love to do.”
James plays Los Cabos Drumsticks 8A Maple/Jazz Maple.
Taya is a younng drummer from Mississippi who has been with turning heads around the world as the beat behind Homemade Jamz Blue Band, a group featuring Taya and her two brothers Kyle and Ryan. We first met her when she was performing in our hometown as part of the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. With a new album recently released, we thought it was the perfect time to check in and have a quick chat.
What can you tell us about the new album?
Well, the new album Mississippi Hill Country is our second album that we’ve done independently. It is probably the most personal album that we have done and we are just very happy that it is now released, and that all of our fans will hopefully enjoy all the music that is on it.
Where does the name come from?
The album name, “Mississippi Hill Country” comes from the area that we live which is the hill country region of Mississippi. It is also the sub genre of blues made famous by the likes of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, etc. This sub genre of blues inspired the music for this album.
Did you try anything different in the recording of this album?
When it comes to recording albums, I always try to do my absolute best and keep my part of the music steady and fresh. I’m always learning something new everyday and improving my drumming skills little by little. I’m always adding new stuff into the music. One thing that I was able to do on the newest album. I was finally able get a little drum solo in one of the songs! So I’m really happy about that.
How does the band go about writing and introducing new music into the set-list?
When coming up with new music it’s always fun to me. It usually starts with my brother Kyle, the bass player, just fumbling on the bass and then he’ll ask us if we think this bass line will make a good song, and if Ryan and I think it could possibly work we’ll all just start playing along and then we’ll figure out where to put solos and break-downs. Then we’ll come up with a beginning and ending to a song, put some lyrics together and BAM! - we have a new song. It’s always scary putting a new song on a set-list because we may think it sounds good but we never know how the fans will like it. So whenever we play a new song on the list, we always look at the crowd and see how they react to the music. Thankfully we haven’t had any negative feedback from our fans so that makes us feel really good.
What are your summer plans?
My summer plans are to just have fun doing shows, continue travelling, stay busy and enjoy doing what I love most… playing drums and making our fans happy.
Taya Perry plays Los Cabos Drumsticks 5A Yellow Jackets.
Homemade Jamz Blue Band complete summer tour dates available here.
Ryan Halsey has ben a committed member of our artist family for a few years now and makes his living playing music throughout the UK. He is currently a member of The Gravity Drive. Today, June 10, the band has posted a free download of their new single Tear Me Apart to their website.
“The band has a very rich sound,” said Ryan, “with lots of layers and electronic instruments on the record. To reproduce this sound live, the Roland SPD-SX is an extremely useful tool. We play the majority of the parts live between five of us with the bass and extra elements as a backing track on a sampler. I also use the drum sounds featured in actual tracks using triggers, which allows me to blend the sound of my acoustic kit with the electronic samples. It does take some work to make sure all the instruments in the backing track are nicely balanced and that all the backing tracks are consistent volume when going from one song to the next. I’ve always loved technology and it’s really exciting to mix it with my love of drumming.”
Check out the song Tear Me Apart by visiting The Gravity Drive online.
Last fall we presented a feature interview with Dominic Randolfi after he launched his teaching practice, Jamm Studios, near his home in Merseyside, UK. It’s been a while since we’ve connected so we checked in for an update to see how things are going.
“Things are going well here,” he said. “The studio is going from strength to strength and plenty more students , plus new bands are rehearsing with us each week. We also were involved with two local events recently where some of our students performed as a band having had only one rehearsal. We are getting a great response to the things we are doing and new things we are looking to do, especially some more drum related events potentially planned for the end of this year. We are also working on finally getting the basic ideas down for our drum syllabus which we are hoping to do something different with, as we have been talking over some ideas for a while now.”
Jamm Space offers lessons on several instruments including piano, bass, guitar, the brass and woodwind families and of course, drums, all under one roof.
“On the playing front I will be playing with the Linda Campbell band at Methusala Festival in August and hoping there will be more dates added to this very soon. We will also soon be finished with work on the first two albums of material to be released very soon, with more to follow. The material is well thought out and Linda is an incredible songwriter so its a pleasure to work with the tracks and hopefully they will be out there for everyone to hear very soon.”
Michael checks in this afternoon with a quick update from California. A longtime member of the Los Cabos Drumsticks family, Michael is currently playing with the band Breakaway Patriot who are in the midst of plotting a series of summer shows while putting the finishing touches on their debut album.
“We’ve got our album almost done,” said Michael. ”We’re well beyond the 50% mark and will be releasing a new single very shortly. Daniel Malsch has been engineering the recording and we’re all really excited about. He’s worked with a lot of great artists.”
Breakaway Patriot will be performing during the opening ceremonies of this year’s America’s Cup which kicks off on July 4th.
Michael Miller plays Los Cabos Drumsticks 5A Intense White Hickory.
What can you tell us about the new album by Jason Boland and the Stragglers?
The new album was recorded 100% analog on 2 inch tape at Cedar Creek in Austin, TX. Shooter Jennings co-produced with us, and had a big influence on what I played on the record. He helped me rein it in, which can be helpful so there’s nothing being overplayed, and there’s room for the music to breathe.
Which model drumsticks did you use on the recording and why did you choose them over others?
I use Maple 7As for live and studio applications. I like the versatility it offers, between being lightweight and conducive to ballads, to withstanding the upbeat numbers where I’m crushing my kit. I rarely break these sticks, they usually get tossed into the crowd.
Did you try anything different on this recording in terms of production and sound or was it business as usual?
As opposed to a close mic situation with Pro Tools, we used room mics for the kit on this one. It provides a very warm sound for the toms (already nice and sweet from wood hoops), but doesn’t lose the punch or thump of the kick. This was my first time recording with my Spaun kit, and I am very happy with the mixed and mastered final product.
You’ll be playing a lot around Texas and the surrounding states this summer. Any festivals you’re looking forward to?
We have a Waylon Jennings Birthday Bash in Whiteface, TX with Shooter. That should be fun. His band is great! We’re also playing with our friends, Reckless Kelly, on July, 4th. It’s always a treat to see those guys. Truly a band’s band.
Country music seems to be in a constant state of change with new poppier sounds competing against old-school revival sounds. How have you seen the band’s audience change over the years?
We see a lot of the same faces with new ones mixing in, and I think that speaks to the grassroots approach we have always employed. It can be summed up simply to this: win one fan at a time, and you keep ‘em for life. If we can establish a connection to people, tune them into Jason’s lyrical message, and rock their faces off at the live show, then chances are they’ll stick with us through the leaner times.
How do you spend your time when you’re not rockin’ stages with the band?
Believe it or not, I’m a full time student pursuing an American Studies degree, so I spend a fair amount of time studying. I’m a married father of 2 as well, so family time is very important to me. I love to work out and play with my dogs, and hell, who doesn’t like drinking beer?
Brad Rice plays Los Cabos Drumsticks 7A Maple.
