Drummimg News :
Q1. You started young and came from a long line of southern California drummers like Travis Barker, Josh Freese, Brooks Wackerman, Chad Sexton, Adrian Young and others. Fill us in on your back story. How did you become interested in the drums and what was your big break?
A. I’m from San Diego and was aware of all those guys growing up. I started by chance because my older brothers had already been dabbling with my dad’s drums. I decided to give it a shot, too, and my dad recognized that I had some rhythm. He started teaching me a few things and it quickly became an obsession for me. Shortly thereafter he got me “Led Zeppelin I” and that was it. Bonham has been my main influence since the age of 8 and I still can’t get enough.
Career-wise I’d say the biggest breakthrough was joining NIN when I was 21. It was by far the biggest step up for me and I cherish my 16+ years with the band. As you can imagine, playing with Foo Fighters was pretty unimaginable and has been absolutely incredible. I’m thrilled to be where I am playing with those guys.
Q2. How do you approach playing in situations where you’re expected to cover other people’s drum parts versus situations where you have the creative freedom to come up with your own parts?
A. It’s always been my philosophy to learn the parts as they are and let the artist tell you when they want embellishment. In my experience they always have. What’s most important is to play confidently and drive the band.
Q3. Talk a little about how your “open-handed” style of drumming came about. Did this come naturally or was it something you needed to work on?
A. It was completely natural. My dad was teaching me as a right handed player. But, when he left the garage to let me practice, I had the innocent realization that my left hand was closer to the hi-hat and that crossing hands didn’t make much sense.
Q4. Tell us about your endorsements, the set-up you’re using with Foo Fighters and how that differs from your other set-ups.
A. Gretsch, Remo, Zildjian, Vater, DW pedals and hardware. I’ve kept my Bonham sizes set up but changed/added some cymbals to have a bit more attack for FF. This band needs a lot of bell and tight crashes.
Q5. By any measure, you’ve already had a very successful career. Has it gone as you expected? What would you tell 8-year old Ilan to help him prepare?
A. Nothing ever goes as expected but I feel incredibly fortunate and know that I am. I wouldn’t tell my 8-year-old self anything new. The love of music, supportive parents, taking things seriously, treating everything like an opportunity and a lot of luck are what got me here.
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