Leor Manelis on SoundBetter

Denver based musician with 20+ years of touring/session drumming, producing and writing. What is most important to me when recording is listening to the artist and making sure I play the best feel for the song. My best genres are singer/songwriter, Americana, dry 70's style, rock and indie rock.

Hello and welcome! I have been playing drums professionally for 20+ years and I currently live in the Boulder/Denver area. I am available for studio (live or online sessions) and live gigs.

I have recorded and played with Gregory Alan Isakov, Sun Way Street, Reed Foehl, Hello Kavita, Kid Reverie, The Paper Stars and many others. I have opened for national acts such as The Lumineers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Flobots.

I record my drum tracks at my own in home studio and the room is acoustically treated and features high end preamps and mics. My best genres are singer/songwriter, Americana, dry 70's style, rock and indie rock. For more sound samples head to RecordDrums.com.

Feel free to reach out with any questions- I'd love to work on your project!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

68 Reviews - 9 Repeat Clients

Endorse Leor Manelis

by Matthias
Verified
Super glad I reached out. Leor made my track better with some very fitting ideas, and was nice enough to share his knowledge on a few other things. Cheers and I hope to work together again
by Van Wampler
Verified
Leor brought some much needed energy to my track. Quick and on point couldn't have asked for more!
by Kevin P.
Verified
Leor did great once again. Always a pleasure to work with.
by Matt Ebso
Verified
Leor is great. He has rad ideas. He makes cool sounds when he hits the drums. He records those cool sounds well. My songs sound better with his drum recordings. I like working with him. I will keep coming back when I need drums. Thanks! 😁
by Eric N.
Verified
Leor is a pleasure to work with, a great communicator, creative, an excellent musician, excellent engineer, and true professional. Quality of work is top notch and the tracks sound great. This is the second time I worked with him and have nothing but good things to say. Excellent job once again!
by Karl L.
Verified
Leor is a talented drummer that was receptive to feedback and got the job done quick! I would highly recommend Leor.
by Greta
Verified
Leor did an incredible job playing on my track and he did it all very quickly, can't recommend him enough! Hope to work with him again in the future.
by Kevin P.
Verified
Another great project with Leor!
by Davis C.
Verified
Leor was great! Totally professional and very helpful.
by Jeremy Serwer
Verified
Wow, So glad I worked with Leor! This guy knows how to play in the pocket but better than that he knows how to create a symphony with his drums! Super versatile and easy to work with. Sound quality is also top notch with a lot of good options to choose from. Just drop the drums in and you'll want to keep a stripped down arrangement so his playing really shines. I'll be working with Leor again, thats for sure
by Sergio S.
Verified
Loved working with Leor
by Eric N.
Verified
Excellent job all around with more than enough options to work with. Leor overdelivered and I'm more than happy with the results. Excellent recordings with great tone, feel and creativity. True professional and great communicator. Will not hesitate to work with again.
by Scott Callan
Verified
Second time working with Leor, and I love how much he can find the right feel that supports a song. Looking forward to building arrangements off of the excellent drum tracks he's recorded.
by Scott Callan
Verified
Terrific drummer with a great ear for matching his approach and drum tone to the song. Worked fast and delivered a great performance. Definitely recommend Leor!
by Julia D.
Verified
Great and fast, thanks a lot!
by Jim H.
Verified
Leor went above and beyond to produce a great drum track for my project. Good communication and creative ideas.
by Joe K.
Verified
Leor was easy to work with, a quality musician and finished the job quickly.
by Ulrich F.
Verified
Hi Leor,
like I just said (just in other words): It was fun working with you! :)
by Kevin P.
Verified
Leor was great as always!
by Jay S.
Verified
Leor is quick and consistent, always delivers

Interview with Leor Manelis

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently working on 5 separate Albums and EP's with various artists. Paul Kimbiris and the Dark Side of Pearl, Taylor Tuke, Steven Eli, Hello Kavita and just finished the debut album for Doug Ahern.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Can't choose and shouldn't have too. It really depends on the band/song. With Hello Kavita, we wanted a vintage warmer sound so we recorded analog (2" tape) and then converted it to digital for mixing. Both can sound great if everyone knows what they are doing.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise you will be happy with the final product or it's free.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I am addicted to the creative process and love working with new artists. Coming up with ideas that
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your timeline? Are you going for a certain sound or style? Have you ever worked with a remote musician before and if yes, were you happy with the result?
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: First I listen. I listen for dynamics, pauses, emotional moments and ask myself if how can drums add value to each part. As I mentioned above, I like to be the back beat and look to practice restraint. I want to create something that will add to the song and not take over the song.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Andrew Bird. I love his music and the other members of his band currently. His last album, "My finest work yet", is inspiring because it was recorded mostly live and you can tell they all tried to compliment each other.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening & dynamics. I think listening to the artist is the most important part of the creative process. When you listen, you can hear all the nuances of the song and figure out what fits best for the song.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I tend to work fast and am highly communicative during the process. Send me the Logic session or the wav file, tell me the BPM and I can get started. If you have any ideas around the beat or sound, just let me know. I am drummer and father of 2 little girls so I am used to being told what to do. I take direction well and want you to be happy. I like to send you 2-3 versions using different snares and cymbals and you can choose what you like.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most common work is live drum tracking either for recording sessions or live gigs.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use an 8 mic setup with a hybrid Glyn Johns method when I record. A D112 inside and Royer ribbon outside on the kick, 57 on the snare, Miktek PM-10’s on the Tom’s, RODE overheads and a single AKG room mic. I tend to work in Logic mostly and have 2 recording spaces to record in. Small and dead or a larger room with wood floors.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am a firm believer in less is more and I really try to practice restraint in my playing. I love to have 1-2 tasty fills in a track if it calls for it and not take over the song. It's not about me, it's about you and your song. I love the drumming of Aaron Sterling,Ted Poor and Darren King. Bands like Andy Shauf, Gregory Alan Isakov and Leif Vollebekk are some of my favorite singer songwriters. Of course these the obvious bands like Radiohead, The Beatles, RATM, and Nirvana that were all huge influences for me.