I was born and raised in Queens, New York, where my parents were able to cultivate and encourage their young son’s interest in drums. Getting my first drum kit was contingent on practicing and taking musicianship seriously. I’m truly grateful for that opportunity. Some early drumming influences included bands like Green Day, Korn, Primus & Incubus, but nothing compared to the tidal wave of inspiration I received from Ken Schalk and Candiria. I finely combed through each album and analyzed every crazy move they made.
I discovered Candiria when I was 14 and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. When I heard the rumors that the band was planning a return from a 10 year hiatus I was overwhelmed with nostalgia from my high school and college years. I knew that I had to seize the opportunity to help push the Candiria juggernaut forward. Schalk, a long time friend, gave me his blessing to pursue.
Still, to this day, I try to play to Schalk’s ability to find the sickest pockets while making a small kit sound huge. I stand at 6’5” so you might think I would consider more cymbals and toms on the kit, but I decided to focus the energy to make the best of fewer components. I currently play a 4 piece kit (kick, snare, rack & floor) with a ride, high hat, 2 crashes and a china.
The new record “While They Were Sleeping” is available now on Metalblade Records and we couldn’t be any more proud. It has all the quintessential heavy-progressive elements that Candiria is known for with some classic and new flavors that will please old and new fans alike. The music and lyrics flow together in a captivating storyline that Candiria fans will never forget. Catch us on Warped Tour this summer!
“As a drummer, I depend on the proper tones and sustains of my instrument in order to project the rhythm in the music. I can’t always rely on a quiet environment to allow for proper drum tuning since live shows can be very loud and distracting. I also may not have the time to fuss over the complex details in tuning a drum. I can always depend on DrumDial to give me an accurate visual representation of the drum head’s tension without the need to hover my ear over the lugs. After a DrumDial tuning my snare and toms are big, boomy and ready for live representation. Whether I’m in a loud back room, right next to the stage, or at an outdoor festival, I know I can depend on DrumDial to get it right every time. “
