Interview: Charlie Smith

For many of us, the dream is being able to do what we love for a living!

Playing drums from an early age, and coming from drumming heritage, you could say it was destiny for Charlie Smith, but he has put in the hard work and made it happen.

I caught up with him recently to find out what it looks like to be a professional working drummer, and he has kindly shared some insights into how he got started, what’s going on in his career at the moment, as well as some advice for those looking to make a living from playing drums.

Motivations, experiences and routines

How did you become interested in drumming, and when did you start playing?

I got into playing fairly young. Having a session drummer, Paul Smith, for a grandad was a real influence early on, and I was sat learning on his lap about as soon as I could hold a stick. As I grew up lessons really started, as well as going and watching his sound checks with the likes of Peter Grant and Tony Christie in my early years.

I got my first full size kit aged 2 and it’s really continued since then!

Who were your early musical influences and inspirations?

Early influences I suppose was the likes of The Beatles, Queen and other things I was exposed to at home and with family. I was bought a Hank Marvin live DVD when I was about 4 and I still love listening to that to this day, great tunes, a really tight band and a great drummer, the late Peter May.

As I grew up I got into big band a bit, Buddy Rich, Glen Miller and Benny Goodman were all things I listened to, as well as more classic rock from the 70’s, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin and Journey.

What was your first professional gig as a drummer, and how did you feel during that performance?

My first professional gig I can’t say I remember too much!

I was playing in pubs and clubs from the age of 15 or so with a Soul band, as well as doing some gigs with an Americana blues type setup and a rock band while in college, so I can’t really recall what came first!

Either way though I suppose it was a combination of nerves and excitement, and you have to learn to control that so it doesn’t affect the performance.

I think we’ve all done the thing of being a bit excited and starting songs a little faster than you’d want, so it’s all about getting into the control and discipline.

What exciting things have you got going on at the moment?

Currently working on a few recording projects, a Daintees album that’s just been released ‘You Belong To Blue’ which has been put together over the last year or so, recorded at Blank Studios in Newcastle.

I’ve also had some work in my home studio for numerous clients, most of which I can’t mention but we discuss the recording of Ashley Walker’s forthcoming album in a forthcoming Groovecast Episode (probably out by the time this interview is!).

As for live work I’m continuing touring on percussion for the Islands in the Stream theatre show, as well as a plenty of dates with Martin Stephenson & the Daintees, including Glastonbury Festival in July and a tour later in the year.

How do you prepare for a live performance or studio session?

Preparing for a gig or session for me really starts with the gear, what kit and snare is the best one to take out with me, and making sure all my gear is well maintained, nice heads, well tuned, no squeaks or rattles (especially important in the studio) and also cymbal selections can change from gig to gig.

For a session I’d probably take a couple of bags worth of cymbals to have plenty of choice, and the same with snares, 2 or 3 at a minimum if I know there’ll be some variation in the material.

If its a reading job you want to make sure you have a music stand and light in the bag.

As far as physical preparation, I’m one for charting things out if needed, especially for songs I’m less familiar with or if there’s something new going in the set. Pre gig I try to get a little warmup done, even just a minute or 2 on a practice pad or on my knee in the dressing room, just so I’m not going on cold, especially if its a really quick set opener where you really can’t ease into the set.

How do you handle the physical demands of being a drummer? Do you have any specific exercises or routines that help you stay in shape?

Constant practice and trying to keep a bit of a pad routine has really helped, its something I try and get all my students into doing too, as dull as it can seem sometimes it really looks after the wrists and fingers and keeps the motions nice and easy.

As far as specific exercises I play, its constantly changing, the Crazy Army snare solo made famous by Steve Gadd has been a favourite recently, but I also dip into various books for different things, Max Abrams Modern Techniques for the Progressive Drummer is a good one as is Buddy Rich’s rudiments book. As a basis though theres usually some variations of Singles, Doubles, Paradiddles (and other Paradiddle rudiments), Flams, 5 and 6 Stroke rolls and all manner of permutations within them all.

Can you share a memorable experience or a particularly challenging moment from your career?

Theres been a few challenging gigs, but if you do your homework you can usually make it all work. Getting to play a few tunes with Tom Robinson (of The Tom Robinson Band) last year on a Daintees gig in London was a great honour, and the pressure was on with a packed house and minimal rehearsals, we really only had time for a 10 minute run through the stuff in soundcheck and a chat in the dressing room before doing it for real. But that was a fun one in the end, we’d all done the homework and we could enjoy the moment a little.

Have you faced any setbacks or obstacles in your career, and how have you overcome them?

I can’t recall any major setbacks, but the day to day challenges of last minute dep gigs or heavy sight-reading gigs tend to keep you on your toes, and the only key to keeping that level of working up is doing it, both on the job and in the practice room.

So keeping reading and sight reading work going is a major part of what I do at home, whether on the kit or on the pad. As far as obstacles on gigs they come up every now and again, things like in ear monitors going down is never fun, or breaking a bass drum head (that’s happened twice, both on house kits!) mid show puts you on the spot, working out how to get around it in the moment and cope with what is thrown at you really tests you. But thats the part of the job that I do find exciting sometimes, and really rewarding when it all works out in the end. You try and minimise it but some things you just can’t ever plan for!

On your recent podcast with Steve Pearce, he talks about an "adapt or die" mentality. How do you continue to evolve as a drummer? Are there any specific techniques or genres you're currently exploring?

It’s definitely a key mentality for anyone in this business. For me it’s been a few directions I’ve taken with that in mind.

First or foremost learning percussion to a working extent (by which I’m no means a master but I know enough to do what I need to!), so having a knowledge of mainly Latin percussion, hand percussion and a little tuned knowledge goes a long way and has certainly given me opportunities and gigs I wouldn’t have done without that knowledge.

Along with that goes learning a little about electronic drums, and being able to navigate them and incorporate into setups and gigs as needed. I’ve used e-kits on the last 2 panto seasons and have often called on my trusty Roland Octapad and some satellite pads around my acoustic kit on a few shows. Being able to not only play but get the sounds and program it right is really key.

Behind the kit itself, for me its being able to have knowledge and ability in as many styles of music as you can, know your grooves, your latin patterns (again the percussion knowledge comes in here), jazz and rudiments to bring it all in on different jobs.

I’ve not long had a commission to compose and record a piece based around military snare work, so rudiments knowledge was a key base, before layering up percussion and drum sounds on top of that.

The Working Drummer - Career Advice

What steps did you take to transition from being an amateur drummer to a professional, and what advice would you give to those looking to make that leap?

I think the important thing for me was having great tutors around me, and playing with people who were far better and more experienced than me.

You learn a great deal sitting in a band with top players and knowing you really have to pull your weight and hold your own. Being able to take a wider look at what’s going on and where you sit comes out of having the confidence and ability to do your bit and open up the awareness.

Hows the groove? Is the band tight? Do you sound good? Are you balancing yourself? All of this is going through your mind as a pro player, and you’re trying to tick every box you can all the time.

For those taking the leap, take it in small steps, its not so much a leap as a long series of smaller hops!

Don’t rush into things or be over-confident, find and know your place and where you’re at.

How important is networking and collaborating with other musicians in building a successful career as a drummer? Can you share any examples from your own experiences?

As I said earlier on, playing with other musicians is absolutely key, and it really goes without saying, as a musician you thrive off working alongside others, and you find those who you gel with, but working with a variety of different players and also pushing yourself into different situations, whether it is a different band set up (Big band, trio, folk band etc) or playing different styles of music.

All of this helps you develop and become a good all round musician.

That also means having good ears, being able to analyse and understand how and why things work or how they’re played.

As for networking, its a term I always found a little formal and intimidating, but in short it just means to speak to, connect with and form relationships with other people in the industry.

Getting out to gigs, trade shows and knowing those on your local circuit is a real start, and also taking lessons from the best players you come across. I’ve been lucky to study with numerous different musicians, and become pals with those who’ve played on great gigs and with top level artists (one of which is bass legend Steve Pearce, who we recently interviewed over 2 episodes of Groovecast!).

But in this industry it’s constantly surprising how connections are made, and how you can almost always find mutual connections with people you work with.

The other thing I would say is to study with great teachers, be that formally in music schools or colleges, or 1-1 private lessons. Along my journey, I’ve had the pleasure of studying with Neil Bullock (UK Jazz legend), Mat Hector (Iggy Pop, Razorlight) and a fair few others.

Just talking to musicians of that calibre is an education in of itself, never mind watching them at work, and taking their advice and instruction to forward your own playing in different and new ways.

In today's music industry, what unique challenges do drummers face, and how can they stand out from the competition and make a lasting impression?

I think the most obvious challenge is the rise of both drum machines and backing tracks in the business, meaning you see some bands and artists now not even using drums on stage or in the studio, especially where plugins like EZDrummer and the like come in. There really isn’t the session scene there was 30 or more years ago.

The other thing that has really changed is the world of social media, people vying for views, likes and wanting to be the fastest, cleverest or most outrageous to gain popularity.

For me all of that is well and good but it doesn’t get you gigs in my experience.

What gets you gigs and leaves the right impression is being able to turn up and do your gig well, play good and keep everything solid. The best compliment I can get as a drummer is that the rest of the band feels safe with you behind them, and that you’re easy to work with.

Not only that but being a good person goes a long way too, musicians will often remember what you’re like off stage more than what you are onstage.

Turning up early, being nice and making conversation, and leaving everyone happy that you were there is absolutely the way you want things to be.

How have technological advancements, such as electronic drum kits and music production software, impacted your career and the drumming landscape in general? Do you believe these tools are essential for modern drummers?

I think having a knowledge of some of the tech is always a plus for anyone, but its just another tool in the toolbox for me. I wouldn’t profess to know it all, as some do, but then I spend time working on other things and not throwing all my focus just into one thing.

Being able to use the gear you have is the main thing, anything else you can generally learn and pick up as you go.

Working with electronic kits and pads is one thing but when you get into the likes of Ableton that’s where I start to get out of my depth, and that’s fine because the work I’m doing isn’t relying on any of it.

As for the production side I know enough to have my little studio at home and be able to remote record drums and percussion for clients all over the country. I’m by no means the best at mixing but I can get a good sound and most of that comes from having good drums, tuned well and mic’d up as best I can in the small space I have.

The rest I do is just very light processing, as most clients tend to like doing the rest themselves. Whether its essential or not to have a remote recording setup I’d say probably not. The biggest thing is have somewhere you can practice and work on what matters most, the playing.

The setup I’ve got is really because of the pandemic years and making something that allowed me to work from home, and I’ve just changed and upgraded things over the past few years to where it is now.

I’m still very much a fan of getting the sound at source, and I’ve built a collection of kits, snares, cymbals and percussion which has helped make the session work a lot easier and more satisfying.

I’m really an accidental collector of equipment!

In addition to performance skills, what other attributes or entrepreneurial endeavours do you think are important for a drummer to develop?

I think I’ve probably covered a few already, playing percussion and getting into the recording side have definitely been big ones for me.

As for teaching its great to pass on my experience and knowledge to the next batch of drummers, and though they might find rudiments, sight reading and technique boring sometimes, its really a key to everything I’ve done in the business, and for those who move on to music college or taking steps into the industry they will hopefully thank me eventually!

The music business gets sugar-coated a bit sometimes with thoughts of glamour and fame, but the reality is far from that - it's really hard work, dedication and practice that allows you build a solid career as a musician.

The Use of Social Media

What inspired you to start your podcast and blog? What do you hope to accomplish with these platforms?

The Podcast came about really organically during the COVID lockdown. Ashley (Walker - Bass player and all round nice guy!) and I did a couple of recording projects together and really hit it off, and the podcast became a bit of a way to take some of these conversations we were having which we thought were quite interesting and share them with hopefully like-minded musicians.

How do you choose topics and quests for your podcast? Do you nave a specific theme or focus?

We tend to keep it in the rough topics of the rhythm section (bass and/or drums!), music, the industry and anything generally connected to it! The guests came in a little later on, and for us its a great way to both share some knowledge from some great folks in the business, and also take our conversations in directions they might not ordinarily go in a normal podcast episode.

What are your plans for the future of your podcast and blog? Are there any upcoming projects of collaborations that you're excited about?

The blog was something I kind of got into the rhythm of a bit during lockdown, just a place to write a bit more long form than social media and go a bit deeper onto a specific thing, or talk about what I’ve been up to lately.

As things have been busier of late I’ve really not had the time to keep it up as regularly, but I’m trying to at least give it something every month or two alongside the Groovecast updates. We’ve released 20 podcast episodes across 2 seasons now (in both audio form on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the like, and in video form on Ashley’s Youtube channel), and there’ll be a 3rd season on the way soon. I think the general direction for the next batch of podcasts will be to maybe have more than just the one guest per season we have so far, so expect a few interview based episodes!

More About Charlie

Many thanks to Charlie for taking the time out to share his knowledge, experience and work.

If you’d like to know more, you can find him on the following platforms.

• Charlie’s Website: https://www.charliesmithdrummer.com

• Facebook/Instagram: @charliesmithdrummer

• Groovecast: https://linktr.ee/Groovecastuk

• Podbean: https://groovecast.podbean.com

• Spotify

• YouTube