Rhythm magazine - powered by MusicRadar

With such a busy schedule how do you stay sane and keep on top of it all?

“I think it’s dependent on your inner attitude towards things; a balance of being able to cope under pressure through gratitude or humour, for example, while at the same time understanding that you made the choice to be there in the first place. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, then the choice is yours in terms of how you respond; you either change it or, if it can’t be changed, you learn from it by coping with it better. Getting adequate rest is very important too, as is being able to relax properly and take your mind off things. I find reading very helpful. When you play an instrument you also realise that it is a process that happens over years. There is a slow development, with peaks and valleys along the way. It’s not just about having an instant peak and staying there.”

If you could go back and teach your younger drumming self one important lesson, what would it be?

“Be yourself and be happy being yourself because, at the end of the day, that’s all you’ve got. When you are young and impressionable of course you want to imitate your icons, and that is why role models are so important. It’s the natural thing to do, but you have to graduate from the imitation phase and the peer pressure around you. We emulate people for good reason - because it’s valuable; we want to learn from them and develop our drumming vocabulary. But, if you are comfortable with yourself, then you can draw on all those different sources as part of the learning and growing process, assimilate the information and keep your own identity throughout the transition. I’ve had enough experience with it to realise the value in doing that, and I’d like to impart that wisdom.”

“Be yourself and be happy being yourself because, at the end of the day, that’s all you’ve got. When you are young and impressionable of course you want to imitate your icons, and that is why role models are so important. It’s the natural thing to do, but you have to graduate from the imitation phase and the peer pressure around you. We emulate people for good reason - because it’s valuable; we want to learn from them and develop our drumming vocabulary. But, if you are comfortable with yourself, then you can draw on all those different sources as part of the learning and growing process, assimilate the information and keep your own identity throughout the transition. I’ve had enough experience with it to realise the value in doing that, and I’d like to impart that wisdom.”