How to Lose a Drummer in Three Simple Steps (Actually One)

In today’s entry in the Corpse Diary, I explain how I managed to lose a drummer almost immediately after finding one.

Since I’d never done anything like this before, I decided — for once — to be thorough. Instead of getting excited about the first thing I heard and immediately approving it, I thought I’d test the entire system first. The idea was to complete one track from start to finish using all the musicians and processes I planned to use for the album. That way, I could iron out any issues before committing serious money.

I broke the news to Adrien first, with near-perfect timing — roughly forty-eight hours before he was due to go on holiday. Thankfully, he took it well and coordinated with Ant to get dry guitar and bass tracks recorded quickly. So far, so good.

When I contacted the drummer to explain the test run, he was fine with it — except he wouldn’t provide stems. He offered to do so in about six weeks’ time, once he finished recording for another band. Apparently, I’m not as patient as I thought, so I started looking elsewhere.

That’s when I found Mike. He asked for a demo, didn’t flinch at blast beats or BPMs, and within days sent back sixteen drum stems that absolutely nailed it.

Music done. Next up: vocals. What could possibly go wrong?

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