Drew Kellough

Pop/Rock/Hip-Hop Session Drums

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7 Reviews (6 Verified)
Drew Kellough on SoundBetter

Having recorded for years in multiple historic recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, I will record professional drums and percussion for your songs, with a fast turnaround. I can provide individual drum tracks and a mixed drum bus for your convenience. I have free loops available for download on my website.

I am a session drummer from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I have worked with multiple artists across various musical backgrounds, including: Caleb Elliot, Space Tyger, Speckled Bird, Jacob Brock, Thad Saajid, Yolandra, Oddly Ginger, Semi Athletic, Hayden Scott, Smoke Break Cashis, Low Main, Kat Elizabeth, and others.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

7 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

Endorse Drew Kellough
  1. Review by Marco P.
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    Drew is an excellent drummer, with outstanding sound quality in his recordings. He's a top pro and it showed once again on our second project together.

  2. Review by Marco P.
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    I had a very good experience with Drew overall, the tracks sounded great, he delivered on time and he added some extra percussion details that were very welcome!

  3. Review by Charlie R.
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    Drew did an amazing job laying down drums on a demo of mine. Great communication, fast turnaround, and beautiful playing. Highly recommended to all! Thanks Drew!

  4. Review by WaxMan aka Frank Fvanti
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    5 stars again with drew

  5. Review by Frank F.
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    Drew is in the pocket ..5 stars all the way

  6. Review by Charlie R.
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    Drew did a great job recording live drums on a demo of mine - great communication, quality playing, highly recommended to all! 10/10, thanks Drew!

  7. Review by Austin Motlow
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    If you need great drum sounds, you've come to the right place. I've worked with Drew on multiple projects, and he always delivers. Time feel, execution, and sonics are all dialed in every time.

Interview with Drew Kellough

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: I played drums on a song called Velvet by the artist Space Tyger that I am proud of. It features my live kit, on top of samples, with a very cool arrangement by Kyle, the artist. That song was a lot of fun to record in the studio and the sounds were a blast to find.

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: I have a few projects I am actively working on. One is an indie rock project that has heavy influences by War on Drugs, Bob Dylan, and U2. Another is an indie pop project that has influences in Frank Ocean, Maggie Rogers, and Tame Impala. Lastly, I am working on a record that is a mixture of western style and modern hip-hop. It fuses the acoustic-driven sounds and lyricism of western music and the low end and beat-driven sounds of modern hip-hop. I am producing and playing drums on all 3 projects.

  5. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  6. A: Session cellist Caleb Elliot and mixing engineer Austin Motlow. I work with both of them often in studios in our area.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: For me, it depends on the project. If a project seems very organic, with lots of live acoustic instruments, I may run my drums through tape. I generally have tape plugins on drum busses every time I print a drum bus though, even if I don’t actually run the drums through real tape. The harmonic expression of tape seems to always make drums sound better.

  9. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  10. A: I will always treat your song with as much intentionality as I treat my own music.

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: I deeply love exploring sounds and recording for multiple genres. Finding appropriate sounds is very inspiring.

  13. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  14. A: They ask if I can have a quick turnaround. I usually have projects complete within 24 hours. If a revision is requested, I may extend that one extra day.

  15. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  16. A: Recording professional quality drums takes a lot of work and a lot of time with the craft to fully provide a great product.

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. A: Do you have any references for parts? Do you have any references for sonic landscape? Do you want individual drum tracks or just a mixed drum bus?

  19. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  20. A: It helps so much if you have a specific sound or feel in mind, and can provide a reference track or demo drum machine (logic drums also work) that gives a good idea of that preference.

  21. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  22. A: A late 60s Rogers kit, 4 channel 1/2” Otari tape machine, UA Apollo x8p, laptop, and a midi keyboard.

  23. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  24. A: I have been a session musician professionally since 2018, but I have been recording since 2011. I have played in bands since 2006.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Heavily hip-hop influenced with jazz touch, and roots in indie pop and rock.

  27. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  28. A: Either Spaceface or Sunshine Boysclub. Both have incredibly unique sounds, the production is evocative, and the lyrics are thoughtful.

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: When you are recording drums, quality starts with the source. Great sounding drums, cymbals, and great touch make for great recordings.

  31. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  32. A: The aforementioned genres. But Indie Rock and Indie Pop are having a strong presence recently.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: My ears. I think I spend so much time listening that the playing just comes naturally. I listen acutely to feel, sonics, and to production choices on every song I hear.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: I bring a sensitivity to dynamics, feel, and tone to a song. I spend a lot of time researching how songs are recorded, so I can have a lot to offer artists as they request certain feels or sounds.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: I usually ask for a stereo track of the song with drums and one without, unless the artist does not have any demos with drums. I also ask for a couple reference tracks for style of playing and maybe tone of the drums. I then do my thing, send a bounce of my drums with their track, and allow them a revision. Then I send another bounce. After getting paid, I send a google drive folder with all the separated tracks.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I have a few pieces of vintage gear, including a very cool Yamaha pm400 that has transformers on the way in and on the way out which gives it that old Neve sound. I have a great Otari MX5050 Mk3 tape machine that I almost always run my drums through. I use a binaural head to really give my drums a lot of stereo width, which I think gives a cool character to my drums.

  41. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  42. A: Questlove, Aaron Sterling, Blair Sinta, Jake Reed, Dan Bailey, Ash Soan, Aaron Steele, Mark Guiliana, Brian Blade, Nate Smith, Brody Simpson

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: I do remote drum recording often. Clients send me tracks to professionally record drums to.

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Semi Athletic - Smoke Alarms

I was the Drummer and Percussionist in this production

Terms Of Service

One revision is free. If it takes too long to get feedback, my studio setup may have changed, due to workload. If you are quick to communicate any revision needs, I can have them done immediately.

GenresSounds Like
  • ?uestlove
  • Aaron Sterling
  • Blair Sinta
Gear Highlights
  • 1/2 inch Otari tape machine; 1/4 inch teac tape machine; level loc compressor; Summit Audio tube compressor; dbx compressor; pinoeer spring reverb; many percussion instruments; 20/12/14 ludwig maple drum kit; 16/10/14 ludwig bop drum kit
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SoundBetter Deal

Repeat customers can have multiple revisions for free, if responses are reasonably quick.