Band Of Horses' drum setup in pictures
Creighton Barrett's drum setup
From South Carolina to Seattle and back again, Band Of Horses have followed a winding trail that has brought them critical and commercial success.
On the eve of the release of their third album, Infinite Arms, Rhythm magazine sat down with drummer Creighton Barrett, who joined the group for the tour of their debut album, Everything All The Time, in 2006.
Read more: Zebra Drums Free Floating drum kit
Among the exclusive shots of Barrett’s setup you’ll see in this gallery are snippets from that interview, in which the drummer discusses his penchant for vintage kit, the importance of adapting your style to suit the band you’re in, and the recording process of Infinite Arms.
You can also check out Rhythm's current issue 187 fronted by Stone Sour's monster sticksman Roy Mayorga. Or subscribe to Rhythm here.
The Kit
When it comes to gear, Creighton’s tastes run to the vintage end of the spectrum…
Cymbals
"…22" K light ride from Zildjian, which he says, slightly shame-faced, he keeps breaking."
Snare
Creighton’s touring snare is a Ludwig Black Beauty that he can’t give up "because nothing else sounds like it. I really can’t get into wooden snares, I don’t know why."
Vintage gear
His other pride and joy is a hulking ’70s Rogers kit that features a 26" kick, 14"x10" tom and an 18"x16" floor tom...
Playing mid-tempo and being the timekeeper
When Creighton first reached Seattle, post-punk and math-rock were in ascendancy. Volume and speed were the principal job requirements for gigging drummers and it was only after joining Band Of Horses that Creighton realised the challenges presented by not playing at breakneck speed all night.
"Job number one with any project I’m involved with is not overplaying because that’s not your space, especially in this band. It’s a song band. It’s really important to know your place as a drummer in a band like this. You are the timekeeper.
"The hardest thing I’ve ever learned is playing mid-tempo. Playing fast it’s easier to hide your mistakes and your bad qualities that you’ve got from teaching yourself how to play drums.
"There’s so much more noise rather than actually trying to be the timekeeper. So that’s where I’m at now. It’s a struggle at times because there is so much more attention focussed on you.
"Being super-technical on the drums is so much fun, not that I can be that technical, but when it really comes down to what the drums are, it’s the rhythm. You’ve got to hold it down and be that anchor."
Drum sounds
Finding a drum sound that made Phil [Ek - producer] happy was no easy feat either…
Sonic experimentation
That was not the end of the sonic experimentation for Creighton, who used everything from roto-toms to concert drums in the recording process…
