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Drummers on Drumming

Drummers on Drumming

By: Ben Hilzinger
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A podcast for drummers who think too much. Ben Hilzinger talks to the greats about creativity, identity, staying sane, and finding purpose behind the kit. Powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. For more inforamtion, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram.Ben Hilzinger Music
Episodes
  • Big Fat Five: Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White, PJ Harvey)

    Big Fat Five: Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White, PJ Harvey)
    Jul 1 2026
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, I’m joined by Carla Azar for a new installment of Big Fat Five. Carla is the drummer, a vocalist, and a creative force behind Autolux. She has also worked with artists like PJ Harvey, Jack White, T Bone Burnett, Jim Keltner, and more. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, the résumé is only part of the story. Carla’s playing has a rare kind of tension to it. It can feel mechanical and human at the same time. Heavy, strange, precise, loose, hypnotic, and deeply musical. She does not talk about drums as a way to show off. She talks about them as tone, shape, feel, texture, and response. In this episode, we get into the records and drummers that helped form her voice. CARLA'S BIG FAT FIVE: Artist - James Brown Album - Star Time Release Year - 1991 Key Track(s) - "Funky Drummer,” “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” Drummer - Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Starks - Artist - Can Album - Tago Mago Release Year - 1972 Key Track(s) - “Mushroom,” “Halleluhwah” Drummer - Jaki Liebezeit - Artist - The Beatles Album - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Release Year - 1967 Key Track(s) - “A Day in the Life” Drummer - Ringo Starr - Artist - Jimi Hendrix Album - Are You Experienced Release Year - 1967 Key Track(s) - “Manic Depression,” “Fire,” “Are You Experienced?,” “The Wind Cries Mary” Drummer - Mitch Mitchell - Artist - Aphex Twin Album - Come to Daddy Release Year - 1997 Key Track(s) - “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball,” “Come to Daddy - Mummy Mix” Drummer - Richard D. James - HONORABLE MENTIONS: Charlie Drayton - The first person Carla met and saw play in person and thought, “I want to play exactly like him.” He turned her onto the Star Time box set and the soul music that helped shape her playing. - Arist - J Dilla Album - Donuts - Artist - Timbaland Key Track(s) - Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Nigga What, Nigga Who” --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Terry Keating on the Mystery, Feel, and Gear of John Bonham

    Terry Keating on the Mystery, Feel, and Gear of John Bonham
    Jun 24 2026
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Terry Keating of the Bonzolium YouTube channel joins the show for a deep, hilarious, and wildly passionate dive into the world of John Bonham. This is a re-airing of an older episode that originally centered around five less obvious Bonzo tracks. And yes, we do get there. But with Terry, the joy is in the detours. This conversation moves through Bonham’s feel, the mystery of his gear, Led Zeppelin’s live chemistry, the obsession around Ludwig drums and Paiste cymbals, the difference between human time and perfect time, and why Bonzo still feels almost impossible to fully explain. Terry is one of my favorite sources for anything Bonham-related. He brings the kind of energy that makes you want to go back and listen to Led Zeppelin with fresh ears. In this episode, we talk about: • Why The Song Remains the Same was Terry’s gateway into Bonham• Bonham’s swing, feel, and natural sense of time• Why Zeppelin likely never needed a modern click-track mindset• The difference between human time and quantized perfection• Why Bonham felt like the conductor of Led Zeppelin• The strange magic behind Bonham’s snare sound• Why drummers are still obsessed with his exact gear• Ludwig, Paiste, 26-inch bass drums, and the mystery of the 15-inch depth• Terry’s friend George Fludas and the art of playing Bonham correctly• The “Bonham engine” and why his physical approach still feels unique• Five deeper Bonzo tracks, including:• “I’m Gonna Crawl”• “In the Light”• “Darlene”• “No Quarter” live• “Dazed and Confused” live This one is loose, nerdy, funny, and full of the kind of Bonzo talk only true Zeppelin heads can provide. Check out Terry’s work on the Bonzolium YouTube channel. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • The Drum Panel: Cynicism, Gimmicks, and Angine de Poitrine

    The Drum Panel: Cynicism, Gimmicks, and Angine de Poitrine
    Jun 17 2026
    Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Today, I’m joined by my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and returning guest Zack Albetta (Broadway's & Juliet , Working Drummer Podcast) for another installment of The Drum Panel. In this episode: Angine de Poitrine and the rise of microtonal math-rock weirdness Masks, costumes, performance art, and the word “gimmick” Why musicians can be so quick to dismiss what they don’t understand Cynicism as both a shield and a trap The danger of bonding through negativity How touring can breed complaints if you let it Choosing to be positive without being fake Why “I don’t get it” is sometimes enough Art, context, and the death of context Whether success in music is ever really linear --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
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