Drummond is a guitarist and composer coming from New York, and last month he released his debut EP titled “Getting Comfortable.” The EP is available as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp.
In an interview for Progarchy, Drumm talks about his musical beginnings, the EP, and more.
Thank you for having time to answer some questions. First of all, introduce us the project called Drummond.
Thanks for having me! It started back in 2012 when I decided to write an EP. Things just kind of took off from there really. I wrote all the music and asked my good friends Eugene Bisdikian to play bass and Thomas Diognardi on drums.
Would you mind telling us about your musical background, as well as education?
I come from a pretty musical background with my grandmother playing piano for a living and my stepfather playing trumpet for a living, so music was everywhere around me. I’ve been playing guitar for about 8 years now, and started taking lessons when I was 12. I started formally studying jazz my junior year of high school, and have continued to study it in college.
You recently released your debut EP “Getting Comfortable” How was the creative process for it?
I had so much fun writing this EP, it took a while though. The first song was pretty much finished in 2012, and the last song was finished in 2015. I pretty much locked myself in my room during the summers and wrote and listened to music until I had the EP completed. Good times…
“Getting Comfortable” is a very eclectic release. What do you think I should describe your music as to my friends? The real question here is, what do you guys consider the music of Drummond to be?
This is always a hard one, because every artist has influences coming in from every genre you know? A lot of people have called my stuff prog rock/metal and a lot of people have called it jazz fusion. I think the answer is probably somewhere in between there.
This eclectic music must have a wide range of influences and inspiration. Would you guys mind enlightening us as to some of the influences you haven’t mentioned already?
I think I take most heavily from Plini, I just love everything he puts out. Along the same lines, I really love all of David Maxim Micic’s work, and Sithu Aye (who makes a guest appearance on the EP) always kills it. On the jazz end of the spectrum, I’ve been listening to a lot of Wayne Krantz recently, and Tigran Hamasyan too. All those guys are monsters.
Can you think of some moments where musical homages have been included in Drummond’s tracks?
That’s tough… I think all the music I listen to and study makes its way into the EP for sure, but exactly where, I wouldn’t be able to say. The whole thing is just a compilation of me trying to sound like the guys I listen to and love!
What’s the live experience with Drummond like? Any plans for a tour somewhere down the road?
I recently pulled together a group of great musicians and we have been rehearsing for a few months now, and once we tweak our live sound and get it sounding how we think is best, we will be hitting the scene. As for a tour, nothing in the works yet, but down the line I think we can expect some!
What have you been listening to recently? Also, would you tell us what your all-time favorite albums are?
I’ve been jamming on a lot of Wayne Krantz lately like I mentioned earlier. His record ‘two drink minimum’ is nuts. And I’ve also been really digging Owane’s new release ‘greatest hits’. I love his playing and writing, I highly recommend that record. As for all time favorites, the albums I always come back to are Plini’s EP ‘the end of everything’, Laurindo Almeida’s ‘The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida’ and probably Art Blakey and the Jazz messengers album ‘Ugetsu’.
What kind of advice would you impart to other musicians? Do you have any words of wisdom or inspiration for other artists trying to make their mark?
I think the best words of wisdom ever passed down to me were from one of my professors. He told me that if you have a goal and a passion, you have to do everything in your power to achieve it. Be aggressive until you get what you want, ‘like a bulldog trying to get a bone’ he said. That stuck with me. The best part is you have your whole life to try to achieve your goal, so don’t rush, stay relaxed but keep making progress!
Thank you again for agreeing to do this interview. I think I’m out of questions, so feel free to add anything you like.
Thanks again for having me, and thanks to all the people who have showed their support, its mind boggling!
“Getting Comfortable” is available from Bandcamp. Make sure to check it out.
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