I've played on Grammy winning albums and toured the world with a host of different artists over the past 35 years. I have worked with Siouxsie Sioux, Peter Gabriel, Loreena McKennitt, Goldfrapp, Laura Pausini, Simple Minds, Miles Kane, Modern English, Coati Mundi, Michel Polnareff, Andy Partridge & Colin Moulding (XTC).
Hi, I'm Rob and I have worked with a host of different artists over the last 35 years because of the eclectic nature of my drumming. I enjoy many styles of music and can bring many elements to a drum part from more than just one musical place, clients & artists come back to me because of this skill time and time again. From playing big arena style beats with Siouxsie Sioux to the quiet laid back world music of Loreena McKennitt, I can work within all the parameters and provide exactly what your music needs. I have worked on stages and in studios across the world and have the experience to provide you with the drum tracks that will make your music come alive.
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
Languages
- English
Interview with Robert Brian
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I guess the Grammy winning album by Laura Pausini is pretty much up there. The sessions were great and I worked alongside some great players like bass player Charlie Jones (The Cult, Robert Plant, Goldfrapp) and guitarist David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel, Talk Talk, Kate Bush, Japan) and it was produced by the amazing Rik Simpson whose worked with Coldplay, Jay-Z and Portishead.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am working on my own album.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not as yet.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital in this instance, recording all together in one room then I would pick analog every time. When doing sessions remotely then digital makes life quicker and easier.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That they'll always get what they want.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love playing drums to help make my clients music sound and feel good and complete.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How much will it cost? and my answer is always "lets talk about it"
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That we just do and play what we want on the music, to get the job done.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I really try to get inside the music, the story, the narrative etc.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Always be clear with you wants and provide me with good stems and a clear picture of the song/music.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: I would take a record player, snare drum, drumsticks, practice pad, laptop
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have been doing this since I was 20 years old and went from being a busy gigging drummer, to an in-demand studio musician over the course of a few years. To this day I still continue that journey working in both of those key musical areas.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: It's a real fusion of understanding musical styles and song forms, alongside a very free and experimental nature.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would have loved to have worked with David Bowie, Prince, Miles Davis and also there's still time to work with Kate Bush!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Yes, never put too many effects on the drums when recording them, allow the artist/producer to do that afterwards. Give them good clean stems that they can work with. .
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: All different styles of music, the more the merrier!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Understanding and interpreting the artists song and framing their music with my drum part.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I will bring the mood, groove and foundation to allow the song to come alive.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: To talk with the client and get a clear picture of their song/music, finding out the mood, the story and the emotional content of the piece. Then talk about what kind of sound the drums should have, whether it's modern or vintage, and find out if there any reference tracks that the client would like me to listen too etc. Then get into the performance and keep the client in the picture at all times, sending ruffs and so on.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have use of a professional studio in Wiltshire called NAM Studios, fully equipped with a
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I like many styles from Steve Reich, Prince, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Dry Cleaning, Miles Davis, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Jellyfish, XTC, Devo, Nick Drake, Cinematic Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Parliament, Massive Attack, Brian Eno.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I do a real mix of different styles of music, and my clients come to me because I can really interpret their songs and provide the best
- Live drum trackContact for pricing
- Programmed drumContact for pricing
- PercussionContact for pricing
I offer 2 revisions and a 3 day turnaround when not on the road.
- Siouxsie Sioux
- Simple Minds
- Loreena McKennitt
- I have many drum sets to record with from my DW Kits right the way through to vintage Ludwig
- Leedy and Tama drum sets. I work from NAM Studios in the UK and they have all the gear that I need to make a world class recording.
