song in two hours, start to finish: drums, vocals, guitars, everything. He’d come over and say, “Dude, I’ve got this idea...” We’d put down a scratch guitar with a click; he’d play drums to it maybe three times at the most. Then Gannin [guitarist] would lay down a guitar and bass track. Taylor would sing, and then we’d go grab lunch. After lunch he’d go home and the next morning we’d do it again. He went on a songwriting frenzy. We recorded twenty-five songs in five weeks.

It was a great way to work. Fortunately

 

Drew’s 5 Faves

I wasn’t on the road or doing sessions. My time window was open, so was Taylor’s and Gannin’s. The scary part was that Taylor thought we should put it out as a record. I thought he was kidding. I said, “If this is my first major release we have to redo everything!” We had recorded everything on a Digi 02 with [Shure] SM 57’s and Audix mics. Taylor said, “No, we’re putting it out like it is. That’s the cool thing about it.” I just embraced it.

In the past you’d hear a drum machine and you knew it was a machine, no human got the credit. Nowadays you hear a record and think that guy is burnin’. Then you hear him live and

think, “What happened?” That’s why I have so much respect for players like Jeff Porcaro: there was no Beat Detective back then.

I like the fact that Taylor’s record had a very garage band kind of sound. The idea was for the band to really sound on the disc like it would at a gig: No Beat Detective, no studio tricks. This way of recording forces you to be much more creative with parts, etc. Taylor had already planned this out, so his parts came out very creative. I realize now how important pre-production is to a project.

Whether you’re the drummer or the producer, it’s important to have a concept of the whole song and what it wants to be, not just a cool drum part.

 

Jeff Porcaro

Taylor Hawkins

Keith Carlock

Dave Grohl

Tris Imboden

This is the guy
that had it all:
taste, groove, feel
and an amazing
vocabulary.

Mr. Creative. He has this energy and excitement in his playing that is contained in this great groove.

My favorite new
drummer. He
plays amazing
and has the
whole package.
He sounds so
much older than
he is...in a good
way.

He turned the
whole drumming
community on its
ear. He’s just as
important today
as when Nirvana
first came out.

This is the other
guy. He’s the
reason that I play
drums!

Drew Hester is the perfect model of a contemporary, successful drummer. Whether touring stadiums with the biggest names in rock, playing sessions, or producing, he proves to be one of the busiest sidemen in today’s music scene. His wise advice: “It’s important to have a vision and know where you are heading.”

WEBFOOT

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