Big Fat Five: Matt Johnson's (Jeff Buckley's album 'Grace', St. Vincent) Top 5 Influences

This week’s guest is Matt Johnson...one of the most-respected drummers to a handful of the guests I’ve had on this podcast. He is probably most-known in the drumming community for playing on ‘Grace’ by Jeff Buckley. He was also the touring drummer with St. Vincent for a handful of years and played with many, many other artists (you can look them all up), but the two I just mentioned are enough to make him a legend. He’s an incredible teacher and a very philosophical thinker. This episode is chalk full of fun tangents that showcase his deep thinking and very passionate approach to music. We actually recorded this episode earlier in 2021, so I apologize for the wait, but it’s finally here!

So...the audio isn’t the best in this one, which is partly why I hadn’t released it, but I think the content is all worth it. The first words you’ll hear from Matt is him responding to a story that I’ve told a few times on this podcast about when we shared practice spaces across the hall from each other at a facility in Los Angeles. I took a lesson with him (it was obviously great) and at the end he wanted to see what kit I was working with him my room. At the time, it was a shared kit; it wasn’t even mine. I wanna say it was an old beat up Ludwig standard? with pitted heads and it was just falling apart. It did not sound good when I played it at all. But when he sat behind the kit, it transformed into the most vibey, musical kit I’d heard in-person in a long time. He proved it really is all in the hands and mind of the player. I think about that moment all time...anyways...enjoy my lighthearted, but simulatanously heavy conversation with one of my favorite drummers matt Johnson.

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Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

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