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Sat. May 03, 2008 The following is an interview I did in 07' with 'Sticks and Stones' magazine. be on the lookout for a new interview in an upcoming issue of 'The Black Page' drum magazine!!!

Rich Redmond Feature Interview

1.What are some of your fondest memories with percussion instruments?

Great question! I have been playing for as long as I can remember. I started banging around on countertops, desks, pots and pans, and my legs when I was 8 years old. My parents took immediate notice and asked me if I wanted to play the drums. What an awesome thing for them to do! Drums are usually the LAST thing parents want their kids playing!!!! (Ha!) I started taking lessons at The Milford and Percussion and Guitar Workshop in Milford, Connecticut. My teacher, Jack Burgi, thought I was really advanced for my age. I devoured all the information he had for me and practiced on a blue sparkle snare drum, a brown vintage kick drum and a cracked no name cymbal. I kept on with my drumming studies all through elementary, middle and high schools. I played in bands, practiced a lot and headed to college and eventually received a Master's Degree in Music Education and Percussion Performance from the famed University of North Texas in 1995. Every part of my musical journey has been amazing and memorable!

2. What drives you to play?

Man...rhythm is in my blood!!! I'm not one to be up on all of the latest dance moves, but I will be the FIRST guy on the dance floor. I respond to rhythm like a drug! The cool thing about rhythm is that it is the basis for ALL music across the globe!!! It transcends languages, styles, fashions and time periods. It pretty much binds the whole damn world together (like the Force...Ha!). I feel like everyone on the planet has a purpose. Playing drums is my purpose! I can entertain, inspire and even heal people with my drumming! Music really has that power. It's a very important part of our lives, even if we don't realize it. I play drums live and in the recording studio, and they are both equally satisfying. Playing in front of 20,000 screaming fans is a fantastic, euphoric feeling! Recording is satisfying in the sense that you know that what you put down on tape will last forever, whereas a live performance is about a single moment in time that goes away. Playing drums is what makes me jump out of bed in the morning!

3. Do you have to work out? How hard is that on the road?

There are some drummers that can get away with not working out, but I think it depends on the types of music that person is playing and their body mechanics. I have a very hard hitting physical style of playing so I have to do some training. I do a combination of resistance and cardiovascular work. It depends on my schedule on a particular day, but I may do 30 minutes of each, or just 45 minutes to an hour of either one. For cardio, I might do 20 minutes on a stepper, 20 minutes on treadmill and 20 minutes on elliptical trainer. Either way, I like to do intervals and keep the body guessing. These activities make it much easier to get on stage and rock out for 75 minutes. It really is like running a race up there! Our road manager always makes sure we are set up at a local gym if there isn't one in the hotel or at the venue. On The Rascal Flatts Tour, there is a mobile gym that follows us from city to city...pretty sweet! I also try to maintain a balanced diet of 'clean' foods...not a lot of heavy sauces, creams or desserts. I avoid dairy, limit starches and take lots of pharmaceutical grade vitamins. And don't forget to drink water...lots of water!

4. What are some of your favorite artists you have worked with?

That can be a layered question. In addition to recording and touring with Jason Aldean, I play with many other artists. In fact, for many years, I freelanced and juggled a million different gigs and sessions. I has a great time working with people like Jewel, Stan Lynch (Tom Petty), Marty Stuart, Lucy Woodward, Robbie Nevil, The Pointer Sisters, Michael Peterson, Steve Allen, and Phyllis Diller. I recorded with them (sometimes without ever meeting them) or played a certain number of shows with them. Let me tell you, hearing Jewels' voice coming back at you on a recording you made is cool, and so is playing 'Neutron Dance' or 'I'm So Excited' with The Pointer Sisters! I've also worked with Miranda Lambert, Susan Ashton, Catherine Britt, John Anderson, Deana Carter, Crystal Schawanda, Anita Cochran, Gene Watson, Earl Thomas Conley, Big Kenny, Andy Griggs, Amy Dalley, Lila McCann, Mindy McCready, Ronna Reeves, Jo-El Sonnier, Lee Brice, Hank III, Pam Tillis, Amber Dotson, Emily West and BrittonJack. Working with everyone of these artists provided some unique experiences for me. I still continue to work on and off with some of these artists who are dear friends like BrittionJack, Emily West, and Amy Dalley. Pam Tillis' gig was great because her show consisted of 18 top ten hits. Everyone knew the words to every song! I also had a band called Rushlow, with Tim Rushlow from Litttle Texas. That was great because it was the first time I heard my drumming on the radio and in videos. We traveled the world and I met everyone in the radio 'business'! I would have to say that Jason's gig is the most satisfying because he is a new star on the rise, who happens to be a great friend. He gives me total freedom to play whatever I want and to be a complete showmen. I also play on all of his records and appear prominently in all of his videos. This usually doesn't happen in Nashville. We are breaking all of the rules with Jason!

5. What are your favorite groups, players?

I think there are two kinds of music...'good' and 'bad'. What determines those two labels is completely subjective. I even like to find the positive qualities in what some people would call 'bad' music. I am completely open minded when it comes to music. I can find the beauty in a Beethoven symphony, a jazz fusion tune, a hard core country tune or a Ramones song! The Police's "Synchronicty" and Van Halen's "1984" were the two records that made me think, "I want to play drums for the rest of my life!" As far as drummers go: Carmine Appice, Stewart Copeland, Alex Van Halen, Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, Steve Jordan, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Gene Krupa, and Dave Grohl really float my boat! Bands like The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Police, U2, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers really inspire me and that's just the tip of the iceberg! I am still learning, studying and evolving as a player everyday.

6. Family, anyone serious?

I have the greatest family in the world. We are all very close. I have two younger brothers. Everyone is happy and healthy. I have an amazing support system of friends. I actually tour with my best friends in the Jason Aldean band. My social calendar is always full and there is nothing wrong with that! I am keeping my love life very simple now.

7. What is your favorite adult beverage?

I don't want to promote drinking if kids are reading this, bit I do enjoy a nice cocktail from time to time. The 'musician lifestyle' gets a bad rap because it is associated with drug and alcohol addiction, but I will say this: It is impossible to do what we do night after night and not be at the top of your game! It is way too competitive of a field to flirt with addiction. I like a glass of red wine with Mom and Dad, or a grey goose martini after a really long day! I subscribe to the European lifestyle: 'Everything in moderation'.

8.Do you like Sports? Any favorite teams?

I'm not a huge sports guy. I wish I was, because the rest of the guys in the band always have ESPN dialed in on the bus! The guys love The Red Sox and The Georgia Bulldogs, so I know all about that stuff!

9. Describe life on the road.

It is not for the faint of heart! Ha! It can be lots of 'hurry up and wait'! You are always at the mercy of many external factors. You have to be easy going and flexible. If you are rigid control freak...the road is not for you! I have a certain number of things I have to get done each day for sure. I have to return calls and emails, workout, clean and maintain my drums, sound check...and then normal things like meals, showers and my one hour pre show ritual of warming up and stretching. The times and locations for those activities will change everyday. When we play arenas, it's like the movie 'Groundhog Day' because every arena looks exactly alike and all you see if concrete and metal. People will ask me how I liked a certain city and I say "What city? I saw the bus, the loading dock, catering, my dressing room and the stage!" We do occasionally get out to a mall or a bar and meet tons of cool people and fans. It's a fun lifestyle. Plus, we are usually in Nashville (my hometown) Sunday through Wednesday (depending on the season), so we can still maintain relationships and 'in town' projects. You really have to be surrounded by people you like and we are very fortunate that we are all best pals. It's miserable the other way around.

10. Any future plans or side projects?

Like I said earlier, I am a workaholic. I have a cool network of people in Nashville that work around my touring schedule to get me to record or play for them live. I love (and live) to play! I think 'days off' are for the weak! (Ha!) I am always showcasing a new act, recording someone's record, or playing locally with my favorite underrated musician pals. I plan on being part of Jason's rise to the top for years to come and then rocking in Nashville and playing on a million records. I am also starting to do educational clinics, seminars and master classes so I can pass along my drumming experience to a new generation. It will be a blast!

11.Any favorite moments on Jason's current tour?

We just announced from stage last night that Jason's first record had reached PLATINUM status, meaning one million people have his record in their car stereos and Ipods! It's an awesome achievement. We are back on The Rascal Flatt's "Me and My Gang" Tour for the second time as a support act and at their request. There is a great buzz about Jason in the industry! Every crowd has been enthusiastic and rowdy and the seats are almost filled to capacity while we play, which is rare for an opening act! The song "Amarillo Sky" was also nominated by The Academy of Country Music for "Song of the Year" and "Video of the Year"! I'll close by saying we are really happy and fortunate to be having such a great ride and we want to give a huge shout out to all of the fans! Thanks and we'll see you on the road!

Rich Redmond
www.richredmond.com
www.myspace.com/richredmond
www.jasonaldean.com
www.myspace.com/jasonaldean

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