Backstage Pass with... Laurie Jenkins
From Latin Singers to Rock Bands,
Laurie Jenkins drums with the best of them!
By: Nicole Roberge
Many of you probably know Laurie Jenkins from his touring as drummer for Howie Day. But Jenkins career extends far beyond recording and touring with Day. He has also done the same with Heather Nova, Mint Royale, and Sandy Dillon. In addition, Jenkins has his own production company, Arclite Productions. And this all began at the wee age of ten years old…
A phenomenal musician, this London based drummer has been spreading his talents throughout the U.S. and Europe, and anyone who has had the opportunity to see him play is truly lucky.
Read on to see why Laurie Jenkin’s is one of Tuned In Music’s favorite drummers:
Tuned In Music: What was little Laurie like…did you always want to be a drummer? Why did 10-year-old Laurie pick up a drumstick?
Laurie Jenkins: Ha Ha - little Laurie was into sports and music and quite a competitive type of child. The reason why I started to play drums was that my Grandfather was a Professional footballer and also a drummer but my Dad was never allowed to play the drums as my Grandmother hated it, so when I was 10 my Dad bought me a kit.
TI: What did you do before you were a touring musician?
LJ: After school I was an apprentice Professional footballer then after that I was an Assistant Pro golfer – it’s all quite a complicated story really but I was playing drums all the time and when I was 19, my first band kind of had a hit record by mistake, so I went off on tour with them and have been doing it ever since.
TI: You’ve played with a variety of artists from Heather Nova to Howie Day. How do you usually get set up to play with different artists?
LJ: The thing with the music business is that it is actually very small and you tend to get to know a lot of people, so if you come across in the right kind of positive way, people tend to put you up for work here and there – the most important thing is to be polite and try and get on with people.
TI: Do you like playing different styles of music or would you rather stick with one genre?
LJ: I love to play different things, it keeps things fresh in the mind. After spending a year on the road with Howie for example, I am currently playing with a Latin singer so the disciplines are very different. It keeps you on your toes!
TI: You have been on the road a lot—what has been your most memorable experience?
LJ: Most memorable experience after 14 years touring – probably playing a show with Heather Nova in front of 145,000 people – wasn’t scary but quite surreal.
TI: What is the hardest thing about being a touring musician?
LJ: Being away from home, family and friends.
TI: Being from London and having toured extensively on both sides of the Atlantic, do you see a different musical dynamic in the US versus the UK?
LJ: Totally! I think the US can be too formulaic at the moment and are a little bit too safe in what is being put out. It’s a very tough time for the industry but I still think that you can find a little bit more diversity here in Europe
TI: Do you like playing live or spending time in the
recording studio best?
LJ: A healthy time spent between the two is great – when I have been on the road for ages all I want to do is get into my studio. When I have been in the studio for ages, all I want to do is go out on the road!
TI: Do you have any other endeavors besides drumming?
LJ: When I am not playing drums I like to play golf still and also follow football fanatically! I have always been a Liverpool fan so this season is somewhat frustrating.
TI: What is Arclite Productions?
LJ: Arclite Productions is a Production Company set up by my good friend Alan Bleay and myself. We do all kinds of things from Music Production, Remixes, Library music, Film/TV/Advert music. Since I finished Howie’s tour, we have been busy moving into a new studio premises, which is very exciting. It means I now have room for a drumkit to be permanently set up and miked, ready to go as well as enough room for quite a few people. It’s difficult here in London to find a large space as things are astronomically expensive but we finally found a great new premises so hopefully we can get things back on track in the new year.
TI: What are your upcoming plans?
LJ: In the new year – I think there is possibly a little bit of TV promo to do with Howie then I start rehearsing with Mint Royale (www.mint-royale.com) for their forthcoming dates which continue on and off through the first part of the year. I also have a few tracks to record with Heather Nova for her new record. We are also doing music for a film in Jan/Feb as well as trying to finish our own record! We are also setting up a small little label again so things are quite chaotic at the moment.
TI: What advice would you give to aspiring drummers…whether they are 10 or 60?
LJ: Advice………well, I think it is important that musicians in general realize how lucky they are to be doing something that they love – if you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it! Also play for the song and not for yourself.
Well said! And that advice has clearly been the route that Jenkins himself has followed. For more information on Laurie Jenkins and his drumming endeavors, visit www.laurie-jenkins.com
