Nashville Drummers Podcast

Welcome North Carolina native, Kyle Wilkerson! Kyle is the touring drummer for multi-platinum, award-winning country artist Jordan Davis. We dive straight into Kyle's career, discussing family life, golf-centered touring routines, and memorable courses and markets like Europe and Australia. Kyle recounts moving to Nashville in 2010 after Appalachian State, leaving education and classical percussion plans to focus on drum set, beginning his Nashville career through radio tour with Maddie & Tae, later joining Michael Ray, and subbing for Jordan Davis in 2020 before joining full-time in 2021. He shares pragmatic advice on evaluating gigs, professionalism, and relationships, plus views on Broadway, changing Nashville, and the importance of learning Ableton/playback. He outlines gear, endorsements, and emphasizes staying healthy, present as a parent, and taking action without waiting. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:06 Welcome, Kyle!
1:17 Morning Routines
2:41 Golf and Drumming
5:02 Favorite Courses
6:01 Move to Nashville in 2010
7:46 Jordan Davis Early Years
9:39 COVID-Era Gigs
10:44 "Buy Dirt" Breakthrough
12:19 Maddie & Tae Radio Tour
19:53 Switching Gigs
28:52 Drum Box (Sponsor)
29:34 Touring Europe and Australia
32:10 Linkin Park Night Off
33:05 Band Life and Festival Season
34:03 Playback, Tech, & Ableton
45:24 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor)
46:05 Early Influences and Jazz
51:11 Finding Your Passion
54:21 Drum Supply (Sponsor)
55:18 Classical Percussion Carryover
59:56 Nashville Then vs Now
1:13:19 Family Doubts and Validation
1:15:08 Raising a Family
1:20:41 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor)
1:21:45 Career Milestones and Venues
1:24:30 Relationships and Rates
1:27:25 Keeping the Show Fresh
1:31:42 Festival Sets & Country Covers
1:34:51 Endorsements
1:40:57 Career Longevity
1:43:40 Rapid Fire Food Talk
1:45:27 Spurs Fandom and Soccer
1:47:29 IG Handle Story
1:49:50 Outro

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

Drum Box
https://drumbox.space

Drum Supply
https://www.drumsupply.com

Low Boy Beaters
https://lowboybeaters.com

Rezo Custom Drum Heads
https://rezoheads.com

Connect with Kyle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatbillionaire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.wilkerson.395

Music Featured in this Episode:
"Tucson Too Late" - Jordan Davis & NEEDTOBREATHE (Live at CMT Crossroads)
"Next Thing You Know" - Jordan Davis (Live at CMA Fest 2024)
Support the show
Connect with us:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC

Welcome Arizona native, Mace Santa Maria! We cover Mace's move from Phoenix to Nashville four years ago, following a formative year at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. She discusses learning the drums at age 10, major influences like the Jonas Brothers' drummer Jack Lawless (whom she recently met), and how Broadway demands fast adaptation through cues, band-specific arrangements, and on-the-fly decisions. Mace breaks down her unique Pelican-case rig, Nashville do's and don'ts, and opportunities for live streaming and subscription-based content. She details touring with indie-pop artists Brooke Alexx, 76th Street, and Tornsey, building Ableton show transitions, maintaining health and alone time on the road to avoid burnout, and the importance of LGBTQ+ community and representation in her career. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:53 Welcome, Mace! 
4:31 Broadway Connections 
6:48 What's for Breakfast? 
9:52 From Phoenix to Nashville 
12:48 Early Drumming Roots 
16:21 Meeting A Childhood Hero 
19:35 Broadway Survival Skills 
28:49 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
29:53 Broadway Rig Rundown 
37:35 TikTok vs Instagram 
42:07 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
42:49 Queer Pop Tour Scene 
53:50 Ableton Show Builds 
56:29 Staying Healthy On Tour 
1:01:24 Birthday Plans 
1:03:55 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
1:04:37 Pizza/Candy Debate 
1:10:54 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
1:11:52 Tour Highlights and Burnout 
1:16:57 Music City Audiology 
1:17:39 Charting and Music Education 
1:29:09 Groove MPL (Sponsor) 
1:30:20 Home Studio and Iron Maiden Mic 
1:35:05 Tattoos and Hobbies 
1:41:09 Outro

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

Rezo Custom Drum Heads
https://rezoheads.com

Drum Box
https://drumbox.space

Drum Supply
https://www.drumsupply.com

Low Boy Beaters
https://lowboybeaters.com

Music City Audiology
https://www.musiccityaudiology.com

Connect with Mace:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santamariuhhh
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@santamariuhhh
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@santamariuhhh

Music Featured in this Episode:
"She's My Handsome" - 76th Street
Support the show
Connect with us:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC

Attendee and exhibitor interviews from the 2026 Music City Drum Show, July 18-19 in Nashville, TN.
Register for the 2027 Music City Drum Show
https://www.musiccitydrumshow.com

Interviews
0:00 Intro
3:33 Kris Mazzarisi - Story Behind Big Fat Snare Drum 
17:15 Derek Lee (Beat Note) - "Combining Passions" 
24:48 Daniel Hegerle - "Favorite Event of the Year"
28:27 Taylor Morgan - "One Year in Nashville"
30:38 Alex Mortem - "Play Hard, Play Fast"
34:36 Shawn Tracht - "The Great American Drum Shop Road Trip"
57:26 Mace Santa Maria - "Girls Stick Together"
1:03:43 Majo Herrera - "Enjoying the Process"
1:06:17 Christian Gendics - "Welcome to Town"
1:07:38 Ryan Whitt - "Keeping Things Rolling"
1:10:02 Ed Bettinelli - Thumb Thang
1:15:07 Ory Brochet - "Orybon Drums: Sound Different"
1:21:24 Josh Blount - Lucky Drums 
1:24:00 Matt Bover - "Best Pizza in Nashville?" 
1:30:34 Greg Hersey - "Innovation in Percussion Setups" 
1:35:22 Jacob Robinson - "Learning by Doing"
Support the show
Connect with us:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC

Attendee and exhibitor interviews from the 2026 Music City Drum Show, July 18-19 in Nashville, TN.
Register for the 2027 Music City Drum Show
https://www.musiccitydrumshow.com

Interviews
0:00 Intro
3:34 Tom Stanfill - "Drumming Community is Fantastic" 
5:49 Jacqueline Cloud - "Change, Content, & Fudge" 
11:04 Edgel Groves - "Music Tech & Business" 
15:04 Alexander Hubbard - "Talent Show Rockstar" 
16:15 Lleyton Brainard - "Identity & Lemurian People" 
20:32 Laurie Toscano - "Lobsters & Accordions" 
26:47 Fisher Wilkie - "Drums & Tortellini" 
30:53 Dorothea Taylor - "Rudiments & Stardom"
35:32 Outro
Support the show
Connect with us:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC

Welcome Pittsburgh native, Luke Zajdel! Luke is currently the touring drummer for country artist Walker Montgomery. A lifelong Rush fan, Luke shares why Clockwork Angels is his favorite record, memories of seeing Neil Peart play 5x, and his emotional reaction to Rush’s return announcement. He explains adapting the note-for-note prog mindset to Nashville’s more flexible country and session culture, learning charting after a last-minute Whiskey Jam call, and developing stage presence by loosening up. Luke shares how important mentors and teachers have been in his development, specifically studying with Mark Poiesz, who has helped with stage presence, mindset, and meditation. We touch on other influences like David Garibaldi, Morgan Rose, and Danny Carey, touring routines, fitness, meditation, home recording, and of course, Luke's seemingly perfect posture behind the kit. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:17 Welcome, Luke! 
2:23 On Tour w/ Walker Montgomery 
5:39 PPG Arena Homecoming 
5:52 Rush Roots and Favorite Album 
12:23 Six Months To Obsess 
13:53 Garibaldi Rabbit Hole 
15:09 Rock Showmanship Chops 
17:24 Seeing Neil Peart Live 
18:25 Nashville Grind and Purpose 
26:38 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
27:38 Looking the Part 30:23 Move to Nashville 
31:52 Early Gigs and First Kit 
34:50 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
38:39 Rush to Country Mindsets 
44:29 Mentorship & Meditation 
49:24 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
50:06 Touring Habits and Fitness 
54:09 Perfect Posture 
59:58 Lesson Routine and Teachers 
1:00:38 Overqualified For The Gig 
1:03:34 Tour Culture and Temptations 
1:09:36 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
1:10:33 Home Recording Goals 
1:13:42 Rapid Fire Questions 
1:21:22 Outro

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

Rezo Custom Drum Heads
https://rezoheads.com

Drum Box
https://drumbox.space

Drum Supply
https://www.drumsupply.com

Low Boy Beaters
https://lowboybeaters.com

Connect with Luke:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lzajdelmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/2112rushfan1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lzajdelmusic

Music Featured in this Episode:
"All Night Long Left" - Walker Montgomery
"Outlaws & Outsiders" - Cory Marks
Support the show
Connect with us:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
Podcast Artwork: GENUINE CREATIVE ART 

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC