Working Drummer

The Drum Click
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  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
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With 500 episodes and counting, Working Drummer Podcast is the source for those interested in what it’s like to be a professional drummer. Hosted by Matthew Crouse and Zack Albetta, Working Drummer covers it all with a dynamic range of pro drummers who represent many different genres and scenes. Each weekly interview features a different performer, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. This unique approach has garnered a loyal audience hungry for unfiltered stories about making a living as a musician today.

  1. 556 - Nate Felty: Playing with Zach Top, Handling a Rapid Upward Trajectory

    11 HR AGO

    556 - Nate Felty: Playing with Zach Top, Handling a Rapid Upward Trajectory

    Nate had been a fixture on the Nashville scene for 14 years and recently landed the proverbial big gig. He found himself in Zach Top’s drum chair when Zach was an opening act in thousand cap rooms, and the whole operation was very DIY. Not long after, Zach’s popularity exploded make him an international arena and stadium headliner seemingly overnight, and he took Nate and the rest of his band with him. In this episode, Nate talks about: Feeling a buzz around Zach Top from the moment he joined the band The show that made them realize they were huge The learning curves that come with the big gig How his approach to songs happened to match perfectly with Zach’s needs as a frontman The evolving pay situation  ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

    1h 4m

  2. 19 FEB

    555 - Zoltan Tobak: Recording and Touring for Muscadine Bloodline, Gigs That Advance Your Career, California to Nashville

    Originally from Fort Bragg, California, Zoltan Tobak started playing drums at an early age. After years of performing throughout California as well as attending the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, he relocated to Nashville in 2014 to pursue music full time. Since 2016, Zoltan has been the live and studio drummer for Muscadine Bloodline, performing extensively and recording five full-length albums. Beyond touring, he stays active in the Nashville community, playing and recording across a range of projects. In this episode, Zoltan talks about:     Managing your social media presence     His unique name     His move from Northern California to Nashville TN     Taking a career growing gig vs taking a gig for money only     Drumming for Muscadine Bloodline     The power of space between notes     Filling in last minute on a major tour     Matt and Zoltan’s shared love of Family Feud ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

    1h 30m
  3. 554 - Sean McDaniel: Playing on Some of Broadway's Biggest Shows, Loving the Process,

    12 FEB

    554 - Sean McDaniel: Playing on Some of Broadway's Biggest Shows, Loving the Process,

    Sean McDaniel is currently the drummer for Chess on Broadway.  He also played Smash, Cabaret, Some Like It Hot, Frozen, The Book Of Mormon, Spamalot, Violet, La Cage Aux Folles, and Nine To Five on Broadway.  Off-Broadway he originated Hamilton. Sean can be seen and heard in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick Tick Boom.  He has played all over the country with American Idol Runner-Up Clay Aiken.  Other performances include Sutton Foster, Barry Manilow, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson, Sting, Dolly Parton, Idina Menzel, Tituss Burgess, Jane Lynch, and the Tony Awards. Sean earned his BM at University of North Texas and his MFA at New York University. He is endorsed by DW, Evans, Vic Firth, and Sabian.  In this episode, Sean talks about: Not just playing to serve the song, but playing to serve the drama The importance of getting some live playing experience you can then bring into a musical theatre show  The huge variety of playing experience he got at North Texas The common thread among great Broadway drummers/drumming Playing for the Tony Awards Finding ways to love the process, not just the product ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

    1h 1m

  4. 5 FEB

    553 - Ben Koller: Drumming for Converge, High On Fire, Advocating for Artists Through the "Heavy Music Collective"

    Ben Koller is an Los Angeles based drummer who worked with bands like Converge, Mutoid Man, Killer Be Killed and All Pigs Must Die just to name a few. He is involved in the Heavy Music Collective a community of musicians and royalties professionals that are committed to getting money back to the bands. In this episode, Ben talks about: Managing the dichotomy between road life and home life The Heavy Music Collective - accessing your royalties!!! His first clinic in Costa Rica The supportive community within the hardcore scene Drumming for the legendary band Converge Drumming for band High On Fire Recording from home Surviving a bad car accident

    1h 17m
  5. 552 - Nate Morton: 15 Years on "The Voice," The Importance of Mentorship, Finding Balance

    29 JAN

    552 - Nate Morton: 15 Years on "The Voice," The Importance of Mentorship, Finding Balance

    Nate's formal drum set training began during high school with Grant Menefee in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his education in Boston, Massachusetts as a performance major at the renowned Berklee College of Music, studying with drummers such as Ed Uribe, Ian Froman, John Ramsay and Ron Savage. Upon graduating in 1994, he taught and played locally in Boston until moving to Los Angeles in 1999 where he has since amassed live performance and recording credits that include Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Paulina Rubio and Thalia among others. In 2010, he was the house band drummer on Bonnie Hunt's day time talk show, as well as performing with Cher for her string of appearances at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Now, you can catch him grooving during prime time on the NBC hit show, THE VOICE. In this episode, Nate talks about: His thoughts on both sides of the mentorship relationship The rhythm of the rehearsal and production schedule on “The Voice” His perspective on the LA scene The constant search for balance Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

    1h 32m

  6. 22 JAN

    551 - Matt King: In Demand Session Drummer, Creating Space Between the Notes, The Song is King

    Matt King is an in demand Nashville session drummer who’s performed on records for a number of country, pop, and rock artists, including several Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Dove Award winners and nominees. Some of these include artists like Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Janelle Arthur, Brad Hill, Jamie Floyd and countless others. Matt grew up in Hendersonville North Carolina, and attended the University of South Carolina before he moved to Nashville in the fall of 2002. In this episode, Matt talks about:     His pocket and time feel and it’s possible origins     Creating space between the notes & simplifying your parts     Developing a healthy and musical relationship with the click     The song is king     Recording with Brothers Osborne in the early days     In a sea of talent, knowing you have something to offer     Matt’s drum maintenance service     Tuning techniques for a Nashville session ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

    1h 28m
  7. 550 - Dean Sinclair: Playing with Worry Club and Capital Soiree, The Chicago Scene, "I Just Wanna Play a Really Cool Song"

    15 JAN

    550 - Dean Sinclair: Playing with Worry Club and Capital Soiree, The Chicago Scene, "I Just Wanna Play a Really Cool Song"

    Dean is the drummer for the Chicago-based bands Worry Club and Capital Soiree. He’s a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, very much a part and a product of the Chicago scene, and has done and continues to do a lot of what it has to offer in addition to his two steady bands. In this episode, Dean talks about: Starting out in the ‘burbs of Chicago and the surrounding area Initially pursuing a history degree with an eye toward being a professor  Working his way onto the Chicago scene as the scene emerged from the pandemic Getting his gig with Worry Club through using a hashtag on IG  How he approaches live versions of songs that are recorded with programmed drums Understanding and appreciating “how a song works What sets Chicago apart  Here's our Patreon Here's our Youtube Here's our Homepage

    1h 11m

  8. 8 JAN

    549 - Rich Malloy: Rediscovering a Passion for Jazz,  His Duo Group - Counterparts, Developing Your Own Voice

    Rich Malloy is a jazz drummer whose career has been built through consistent work in clubs, listening rooms, studios, and festivals. He has worked across New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Nashville, Fort Worth, and New Mexico, performing straight-ahead, groove-based, and improvised jazz. His work includes performances with Carmen Bradford of the Count Basie Orchestra, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Brenda Lee, Country Music Hall of Fame member Lorrie Morgan, and Freedy Johnston, named Rolling Stone Songwriter of the Year. He has appeared at the New Mexico Jazz Festival in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and has toured throughout the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, and Italy. His performance history ranges from small listening rooms such as the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and The Listening Room in New York City to national stages including the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and Late Show with David Letterman. Malloy also performs in Counterparts, a fully improvised duo with John Funkhouser, and builds practical music tools including Form & Time, a metronome designed to keep tempo, time signature, and musical form aligned. In this episode, Rich talks about:     Rediscovering his passion for jazz     Taking time away from music     Honoring the players before you but not replicating their style     His duo group - Counterparts     Discovering your own voice through improvised music     The power and responsibility of the drummer in improvised music     The App he developed for practicing - Form and Time ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

    1h 31m
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About

With 500 episodes and counting, Working Drummer Podcast is the source for those interested in what it’s like to be a professional drummer. Hosted by Matthew Crouse and Zack Albetta, Working Drummer covers it all with a dynamic range of pro drummers who represent many different genres and scenes. Each weekly interview features a different performer, sometimes with a less recognizable name, but always with an impressive and distinct body of work. This unique approach has garnered a loyal audience hungry for unfiltered stories about making a living as a musician today.

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