In this episode, The Drum Panel returns with ME (Ben Hilzinger), alongside my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City), Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Bruce Springsteen, Mother Feather) for a roundtable discussion on all things drum.
Today we discuss:
How Gunnar personalizes drum parts for legacy bands like Eve 6 while still respecting the original recordings
The balance between improvisation and replication—what “respecting the instrument” really means
Dream gear: Lars Ulrich...
In this episode, The Drum Panel returns with ME (Ben Hilzinger), alongside my co-host Eric Urrea (Marina City), Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer, Bruce Springsteen, Mother Feather) for a roundtable discussion on all things drum.
Today we discuss:
- How Gunnar personalizes drum parts for legacy bands like Eve 6 while still respecting the original recordings
- The balance between improvisation and replication—what “respecting the instrument” really means
- Dream gear: Lars Ulrich’s ...And Justice for All Tama kit and Herb Alexander’s wild setup from “My Name Is Mud”
- Behind the scenes of the Primus / Puscifer / A Perfect Circle tour and being at the center of major drum world headlines
- Josh Freese’s quiet exit from Foo Fighters mid-tour and what Gunnar learned from watching him handle it with grace and intensity
- The surreal story of getting the call to play on a Bruce Springsteen record
- How much creative freedom Gunnar gets with Puscifer and how each tour takes on its own sonic identity
- Navigating feedback in the studio vs. live gigs—and why the context always matters
- Gunnar’s candid reflection after a rough wedding gig and how it reignited his desire to practice
- Blending live drums with electronic stems: what Gunnar calls the “hip-hop show” approach
- The mysterious phenomenon of “next day clarity” when learning new songs and why the brain needs rest
- Overcoming overthinking, performance anxiety, and “the yips”—and the importance of showing yourself grace
- Why not playing for a while might be the best practice you didn’t know you needed
'My Name Is Mud' Video - DRUM PICS
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