The music scene in Seattle has changed over the last five years or so. As the tech companies thrive the remnants of a quieter artsy city are slowly being pushed in different directions all at once. Despite this chaotic new personality, the city’s music scene just keeps getting stronger everyday. There is national spotlight on Seattle and women are at the forefront.
For many, Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack will forever come to mind when walking around this rainy city, and older institutions such as KEXP 90.3 or the Seattle Drum School are still strong but our world famous grunge sound has faded as an array of genres including surf rock, garage/noise pop and punk have become popular in it’s place. One of the coolest new characteristics of this growing scene is the fact that so many of the musicians are women. And they are not just highlighted because they are females, it is because they are talented at what they do, many with a refreshing empowered take on things.
I chose ten female drummers who kick ass in this weird/lovely town who you need to meet… here are their stories:
– by Miro Lion
Name: Emily Westman
Band: SISTERS/ Seattle Rock Orchestra
Drumstick type: Vic Firth 5a American Classic
Dream drum kit color: Sea foam green sparkle
Guilty pleasure album you love: Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (both of them)
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
A piece of lint so deep in your pocket you’ll never find it or even know it’s there.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
It’s very compelling and engaging. There are so many great players to bounce ideas off of and find new inspiration from. There are so many legit players here, and at the same time there are so many not legit players here who are finding success too. It’s really interesting to learn and always be thinking about what is gonna be popular at the moment and why. Some of the best players in town will go unknown to the general public forever, but we all (musicians) get to witness those players from time to time like a hot secret.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle:
eBay
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe it is a different kind of space?)
I love playing the Moore Theater, cause that’s my favorite sound crew and when I get to check my drums there I feel like Bigfoot checkin that kick drum. The Chapel at the good shepherd center is a gorgeous acoustic space, though. Love playing there as well and watching the sun set through the stained glass windows
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
Seattle has become very gentrified, expensive and filled with people I can’t relate to as well over the last few years. All the good peeps are still here too, but it’s a little more stressful than it used to be. The music scene experienced some major heights followed by a major lull of the past few years. I think it’s about to slingshot back out of that lull and be filled with creative bands who have something unique to say on a national level.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
A little of both. I was a music major in college majoring in classical composition with orchestral percussion as my principal instrument. I took drum set lessons when I was in middle school for a year or so, but I’m self-taught on the kit, otherwise. Everything I do is based in music, and being a drummer is just one of many musical hats that I wear.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”?
For a SISTERS show, Andrew and I shoot an espresso together and sometimes dance around the green room singing Motown tunes. For the rock orchestra, I down a huge burrito and jalapeño margarita with my wife.
Finally, three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Tribal
Prowess
Crazygoodtime
Name: Lupe Flores
Band: WILD POWWERS, and Tacos!
Drumstick type: Promark Oak 5B (wood tip and acrylic tip)
Dream drum kit color: Sea foam Green Sparkle!!!
Guilty pleasure album you love:
I don’t feel guilty about any of the music I listen to. I love Led Zeppelin III, (duh). When I’m about to fall asleep driving, I listen to Salt N’ Pepa “Very Necessary”. And everything by Tina Turner is perfect.
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
I like to beat the living shit out of the drums. Plain and simple.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
For me, drumming is a necessity no matter where I live. That being said, it’s a lot easier being in a dark, sweaty basement for hours on end, several days a week, when it’s shitty outside- which is often the case here, (obviously.)
Aside from the weather, it’s pretty awesome to live in such a liberal city full of artists and musicians. There’s never a shortage of people to play with or places to play. But with all of the major corporations moving in, and driving up the cost of living, the artists and musicians are being forced out, and that is scary and just plain sucks. Seattle is my home- I’ve lived in Washington since for 27 years. I grew up seeing all of my idols play Bumbershoot, and last year I got to play it myself. I LOVE this city. I hope we musicians are able to stay afloat here given all the recent change.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
I spend a lot of time at Trading Musician and American Music. (But Revival Drum Shop in Portland is fucking AMAZING).
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
The Sunset has always felt like home to me. I love that space, and the people there. It’s definitely the most comfortable. Neumos has my favorite sound system and green rooms, and playing the Showbox was fucking incredible.
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
It’s changed A LOT. Sooooooo many people have moved here which is good and bad. (Mostly bad. Please stop moving here, k?) It’s heartbreaking to see that practice spaces and smaller venues have recently shut down because they can’t keep up with the skyrocketing rent. But because Seattle is and has always been such a fierce musical hub, we luckily have a pretty rad support system. Radio like KEXP, labels like Sub Pop, Barsuk, Suicide Squeeze, and Hardly Art, festivals like Bumbershoot and Sasquatch, publications like The Stranger and City Arts, and the HUGE amount of musicians here, make a pretty solid base that I think is unfuckwithable. I feel lucky to call Seattle my home.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I’m self-taught in that I’ve never taken a lesson, but I learn watching and playing with people all the time. There are SO many inspiring drummers out there.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone” ?
WILD POWWERS often does push-ups all together right before we take the stage. Tacos! eats tacos, and takes tequila shots.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you :
Nature. Power. Life.
Name: Stacy Peck
Band: Pony Time & Childbirth
Drumstick type: Vic Firth 2b
Dream drum kit color: Sparkle blue
Guilty pleasure album you love: I Really like the new Carly Rae Jepson Album but I feel no guilt
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
I like to call my drumming style “lazy illusions”. I don’t want to give too much away but IT WORKS.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
It’s great! A lot of people play music so you can always have a band. It’s hard to be a drummer in just one band. On the other hand it’s hard to have a place to keep your drums because of how expensive everything is getting and how many practice spaces are getting torn down.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
I usually go to trading musician, that’s where I bought my drums. I end up at guitar center a lot because it’s convenient and regret it every time.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
I really like Chop Suey & The Funhouse for 21+ and a few different all ages space that I’m not sure if I should mention their names 😉
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
I’ve been here 15 years and it’s really changed a lot but probably the most the last 2 years. It’s weird because it seems like the cooler the music gets for my tastes the less recognizable the city becomes. Maybe the music is a reaction to all the change.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I’m self taught. I just learned from playing with other people. I have trouble sitting and playing alone but I’m trying to force myself to do that more so I can learn some different tricks.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone” ?
I like to listen to Robyn or Van Halen and have one of those extra large red bulls. Usually by the time the show is finally going I am already exhausted and ready for bed so I gotta have my energy jammer.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
I’m the boss.
(This pic was taken in the first space we ever practiced in. This other band on campus was nice enough to let us come over to their house every once in awhile and use their gear, because none of us had any of our own. Usually though, pieces would be missing so we’d have to make do with a bit of a bootleg set up.)
Name: Gretchen Grimm
Band: Chastity Belt
Drumstick type: 5B 😉
Dream drum kit color: Deep red
Guilty pleasure album you love:
I guess I like a lot of music that would be considered a “guilty pleasure.” I’ve been listening to pop country a bit lately. I haven’t gotten into anyone’s full album, but “Chillin It” by Cole and “Girl In A Country Song” by Maddie & Tae are songs I’ve been listening to a lot.
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
When I’m drumming I’m just trying to do whatever I can to capture the vibe of the song B)
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
I’ve had a great experience playing music in Seattle. It feels very much like a community of people who want help each other out instead of competing.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
The people who work at Trading Musician have always been so nice and helpful to me.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
I really like Black Lodge, or any house show. We always had a good time playing at Chop Suey, but I don’t think we’ve played there since the new owners took over.
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
It definitely feels like Seattle is getting overrun with the tech industry. I’ve been here for 3 or 4 years, and there does seem to be quite a turnover of DIY spaces. It’s a bummer that it is so hard for them to stay up and running, especially because there are not many all ages spaces here.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I am mostly self taught. I took a few lessons when I was first starting out in college, but I never made time to practice 😛 Now I’m trying to figure out the best way to practice on my own. I’ve been playing along to songs that I like a little bit. The other day I learned this Three Days Grace song “I Hate Everything About You.” The bridge has a sick beat that really drew me in. My uncle who was in a marching band drumline heard some of our first recordings and thought, “Oh she doesn’t know what she’s doing.” He sent me this booklet of rudiments along with a DVD of this old guy talking through each one with no enthusiasm whatsoever: “Right left right right it’s as simple as that, not much to it.” Sometimes I do some of those rudiments… thanks Uncle Dennis!
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone” ?
I don’t have anything personally, but we usually try to make a little bit of time as a band to be together before we go on. Sometimes we just sit in a room together, sometimes we sing along to Carly Rae, I guess it just depends on our mood 😉
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
I love you….. that’s the message I’m sending to my bandmates when we’re playing together 😉
Name: Katia Roberts
Band: Folafemmes ( means “women players” in Maninka-kan/Guinea/Africa)
Drumstick type: Varies
Dream drum kit color: Madrona tree bark
Guilty pleasure album you love: Mamady Keita – Hamana
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
I drum Malinke rhythms on dununs. The newer trend is to fill up lots of spaces and do fancy rolls, etc. But I love leaving space and hitting just that one sweet note, in just the right pocket, so I guess my style is more sparse than most.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
Doesn’t matter where I am— I am having a blast if I’m playing with good musicians.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
Doesn’t exist any longer. Was “John’s Music”.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
Woodland Park!
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
The Malinke scene I’m in has grown but people are drumming faster and louder and that’s incredibly boring to me. I LOVE the build.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
17 years ago, I was playing around with a djembe for a year until this guy, Frank Anderson, showed up to a drum circle with three dununs and players. As soon as I heard the dununs I KNEW that was my path and started hanging out and playing with Frank at his studio above “Ride the Ducks”. For the past 10 years, videos and reocrdings have been my main teachers.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”
Just starting slow and easy with a gradual build in tempo and volume gets me in the zone.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Life, Freedom, Passion.
Photo by :Krystal-Gayle O’neill
Name: Cat Harris-White
Band: SassyBlack
Drumstick type: My index finger
Dream drum kit color: Teal & purple with light pink & turquoise flecks
guilty pleasure album you love: Ray J- Everything You Want
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
Inner-outer syncopated space shoulder shimmy boogie
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
It’s interesting being out here. I like to be inside a lot so it works for me. I’m also very inspired by the rain and smell of it’s freshness.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
I don’t know but my current favorite music store is Trading Musician in the U District. They let me come in there and laugh about goofy things. They are also very helpful.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
One of my favorite places is Neumo’s, the other is Showbox Market they get the sounds I like. Also are really nice to me 😀
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
Seattle is constantly growing and morphing into a larger metropolitan city and the music scene is reflective of that. More and more of our local bands/artists are making heavy impact waves. La Luz & TACOCAT are some prime examples. More folks are feeling the sensation that is Seattle.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I am self-taught for the most part. I took djembe lessons for a semester in college but that’s about it.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”?
I stretch and do vocal warms up. I also pray to the God(dess) and Universe that I am on my path and okay. Then I tell myself I am okay.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Life beat realized
Name: Leah Julius
Band: Sundries (Bass for Thunderpussy)
Drumstick type: Vater Fatback 3A
Dream drum kit color: Pink Glitter
Guilty pleasure album you love: Blink 182 – Enema of the State (But pretty much any early 2000’s pop-punk)
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
Usually too fast, and too hard. Punk influenced with a heavy pocket.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
Intense, and so much fun. I’ve been fortunate to find myself in a scene of other rad musicians, of all genders, who love to play music as much as I do. I can’t ask for anything else.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
American Music. The fellas there are always super helpful and not condescending to us lady drummers (ahem, Guitar Center).
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
The Ballard trifecta: The Sunset, Tractor Tavern and Conor Byrne. Those 3 never disappoint.
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
As a city, it has become a lot harder to be an artist and live here. I only know a couple people
who are musicians and actually make a living playing music. Most people, myself included, work full time and still try to very seriously pursue music and it’s exhausting. As a music scene, or at least the part of the music scene that I’m in, crowds are tough. People are really picky and tend to prefer a pretty sterile mix of indie-folk and Hardly Art bands, it can be hard to build a following outside of that. And then, even if you have a great draw, chances are the audience is going to stand there with their arms crossed and you won’t be able to tell if they love or hate the band they’re watching. The redeeming factor is that once a band gets a following, those followers are incredibly loyal and will continue to come out to shows even if you’re playing the same set you’ve been playing for a year.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I took drum lessons as a kid but got distracted easily. Mostly I just played along to my favorite pop-punk and Anti-Flag records in high school to nail down my chops and style. But I really want to take lessons again!
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”?
Mostly I just have a ritual of what not to do. Drinking before playing a set on drums does not end well for me. Neither does being rushed. I like being at a venue well ahead of time and setting up my kit at my own pace. If I’m stressing and rushing, that usually comes across in my playing. I like to warm up on my practice pad when I remember to bring it… which isn’t often enough.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Everything. Therapy. Love.
Name: Heather Thomas
Band: Mary Lambert, General Mojo’s, Scarlet Parke, Jerett Samples, Tess Henley
Drumstick type: Vic Firth AJ3
Dream drum kit color: Who cares about color, it’s all about sound! But maybe a deep shimmery cobalt blue
Guilty pleasure album you love: I love the John Mayer Trio live album. The band is so solid! Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan are my heroes
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
Driving, solid grooves with a heavy backbeat and funky tasteful fills. You can lean on me!
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
It’s playing in all your friends’ bands and jam sessions and playing shows all over town. You really get to know so many musicians and everyone’s playing a bunch of different styles.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
I like Trading Musician and American Music.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
I love playing the Crocodile, and I’m stoked to play General Mojo’s album release there on July 15th!
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
The music scene is blossoming and all the bands and musicians are really coming into themselves. It’s very collaborative and cooperative and eclectic.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I’m always learning, so I feel somewhat like a self-teacher, but Ive taken drum lessons from tons of different drummers and got a degree in percussion performance.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”?
After I do some practice-pad warmups I usually bust out 20 or so pre-show pushups. Gets the arms working and the blood pumping!
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Keep on Groovin’
Name: Kessiah Gordon
Band: Crater
Drumstick type: Typically Vic Firth 5a classics but I’ve also been digging Vater’s maple sticks.
Dream drum kit color: I’m not too picky about aesthetics but when I saw this C&C kit my heart did a little flip – http://bit.ly/1MzSEPA
Guilty pleasure album you love: Emotion – Carly Rae Jepsen…not really a guilty pleasure
though! I LOVE IT.
Tell me your drumming style in a sentence or two:
I like to keep things purposeful, tight, and locked in with minimal embellishments. My bandmates and music besties tell me I’m concise, aggressive, idiosyncratic, and hard hitting. I feel pretty good about all this.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle?
It’s incredibly refreshing how uncompetitive and chill the vibes are. Everyone is down to collaborate or help out in some way, and so much cross-pollination occurs across all artistic mediums.
What is your favorite drum shop in Seattle?
I honestly don’t really venture to “drum shops” on the reg…but Trading Musician has a decent rotating selection of used shells and cymbals.
There is an online forum on FB called ‘Seattle Music Gear Swap and Sale’ that allows local musicians to trade and sell equipment. Cut the middle man out and network with other rad gear nerds! I like knowing where used gear comes from and hearing people’s stories.
What is your favorite venue to play in Seattle (or maybe its a different kind of space?)
Really love the Neptune…I have also always had great experiences performing at Chop Suey and Tractor Tavern. Werewolf Vacation in the U District is the best house show type venue for sure. Black Lodge is another DIY venue that puts on good shows.
How has Seattle changed over the years as a city and as a music scene?
The city’s overall landscape is shifting pretty dramatically for the worst alongside the Amazon takeover: rent hikes, pretty much the shittiest humans ever have moved here from the depths of Mordor, and the never ending condo-centric construction blemishing historic neighborhoods. Massive massive massive bummer because this will eventually drive all the likable interesting people away…
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I started out at 10 yrs old with private lessons strictly on a practice pad because my parents wanted me to prove that I was serious about drumming before buying a set. I WAS. So I perfected my paradiddles over the course of a year and saved up my allowance to contribute to a real drum kit. From there I attended the Seattle Drum School (best place for little musical kiddos, seriously though)…on and off until my late teens.
Do you have a pre-show ritual or secret to getting yourself “in the zone”?
My hands get super clammy so I’ll just wipe them on my jeans over and over again until it’s time to play. Not much of a desired pre-show ritual though.
Finally three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Don’t drag it.
Name: Ruby Dunphy
Band: Thunderpussy (Seattle) , Boney (Chicago)
Drum sticks: For jazz, SD4 combos and Vic Firth HD4s, and for Rock any thing that won’t break
Dream drum set color: navy blue with white stripes on each drum
Guilty Pleasure album: American Idiot, Green Day
Drumming style in a sentence or two:
In it’s rawest and sincerest state, my playing is a fast, heavily sub divided, double stroke driven formulation of every thought in my head that I didn’t know existed. In all genres, I fall into a consistent search for how my playing (which is always influenced by the other performers present) can embellish, shape, and at times manipulate the time or pulse that the music is implying.
What is it like to be a musician/drummer in Seattle:
I find it common that musicians create a world that is predominantly based on and obsessed with musicianship in an almost athletic type of way. This can get redundant because musicians then just make more music-inspired music. I think that Seattle unintentionally does a remarkable job in reminding musicians that music is art, and is meant to be in cahoots with all the other consistently evolving arts, politics, and whatever else life has farted out onto us.
Favorite drum shop in Seattle:
Drum department of Trading Musician
Favorite venue:
The Chapel Performance Space at Good Shepherd Center
How has Seattle changed over the years:
I’ve only been living in Seattle for a little over a year and a half, but by living in Capitol Hill I’m definitely immersed in the midst of an unfortunately gentrified city full of pissed off artists striving to break a wall that seems to be getting bigger every day. A lot of the bands in Seattle seem almost exhausted by what’s happening and it becomes apparent in the scene; a good chunk of the music scene seems like everybody takes Xanax before every show which hopefully will change as time goes by. I have faith we’ll all wake up high on sex drugs and Rock N’ roll soon enough.
Are you self taught or have you had lessons in the past/present?
I started in my school band in 5th grade and in 9th grade attended Chicago’s (at the time) brand new public arts high school called ChiArts, studying jazz and classical percussion. I am now currently enrolled in Cornish College majoring in music performance.
Pre show ritual:
I don’t have any specific rituals but I always try and warm up in any way I can. But, if there’s a show that gives me nightmares and it’s all I can think about, I masterbate and eat a banana. (I stole that from a timpani player)
Three words to describe what drumming means to you:
Making folks move