Nashville Drummers Podcast

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

ⓒ 2026 Nashville Drummers Podcast, LLC

Welcome Massachusetts native, Wesley Bourque! Wes is currently the touring drummer for rising country singer/songwriter Logan Crosby. In addition to gigging and recording, he serves as Artist Relations for NY-based distributor/record label United Masters. In this wide-ranging conversation, Wes shares his journey from small-town New England to the move to Nashville in 2014. We dive into his early years working day jobs at well-known coffee shops, building relationships, and his thoughts on navigating perception and identity. He shares lessons from Broadway, prepping for fill-in gigs with and without charts, and high-stress playback realities including redundancy and backup plans. Wes dives into Noble & Cooley’s history and his personal connection to the company, plus touring highlights and challenges with Logan (including a van fire) and why story, narrative, and platform-specific content matter in today’s saturated music landscape. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:51 Welcome, Wes! 
2:17 Broadway Connections 
9:10 Ableton/Playback Stress 
18:24 Noble & Cooley Origins 
29:13 Unexpected Event Planning 
30:14 Full Circle Maddie & Tae 
33:03 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
34:07 Networking & Coffee Shops 
36:08 Breaking Out Of Labels 
39:31 Artist Relations and Marketing 
45:28 Saturation and Storytelling 
50:28 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
51:11 Marketing For Musicians 
55:46 Subbing Prep (Charts vs Memorization) 
1:00:37 Japan Fly-Date Story
1:07:45 Iconic Fills and Pranks
1:09:58 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
1:11:12 NAMM Lessons and Trade Shows 
1:24:04 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
1:25:06 Landing Logan Crosby Gig 
1:29:13 Tour Life and Van Fire 
1:37:31 Advice for Younger Drummers 
1:44:48 Whiskey Jam Wobble 
1:48:44 Platform Content Strategy 
2:00:20 Handling Mistakes During a Show 
2:03:34 Music City Audiology (Sponsor) 
2:04:25 Guitar Hero Drum Lore 
2:05:42 Rapid Fire Questions 
2:14:52 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
http://musiccityaudiology.com

Connect with Wes:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bourquechop/

Music Featured in this Episode:
"So Damn Free" - Logan Crosby
"A Parking Lot Far Away" - Logan Crosby
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 multi‑platinum Nashville session drummer, Aksel Coe! Since moving to Nashville in 2018, Aksel has quickly made a name for himself as one of the city's most sought-after session drummers, having recorded on many of today's top country, pop, and indie tracks. Recent recording credits include Ella Langley (ACM Song of the Year 'Choosin' Texas'), Role Model, Holly Humberstone, Zach Bryan, Sierra Ferrell, Willow Avalon, K. Flay, Margo Price, Orville Peck, Sasha Alex Sloan, Cody Jinks, Sam Barber, Wyatt Flores, and Joshua Bassett, among many others. We dive right into Aksel's diverse musical upbringing and his journey from the West Coast to Nashville. Aksel shares invaluable advice and perspective on the home recording process — from creating efficient workflows on and off the drums, when and when not to cheap out on gear, and how to create and effectively market your own sample or loop pack. We discuss avoiding burnout, Nashville's shifting studio landscape, and of course, his acting debut in the 2025 biopic 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.' We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:45 Welcome, Aksel!
5:25 Breathwork For Drummers 
10:54 Engineer vs Drummer Hat 
14:07 Practice? 
16:55 Early Life and First Kit 
25:46 Buy Cheap Or Buy Twice 
27:52 Too Many Snares? 
28:44 Session Preset Workflow 
29:46 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
30:49 First Drum Kit 
33:23 Mentors and Vintage Pearls 
37:42 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
38:23 Vintage vs Modern Recording 
39:23 Recording Trends 
40:33 Burnout and Identity 
42:10 Tracking 537 Songs 
49:15 Live Band vs Studio Players 
55:32 Free Jazz Influence 
57:35 Recording As Improv 
1:07:53 Session Nightmares 
1:20:42 Splice Packs Strategy 
1:25:26 Sample Packs Explained 
1:34:15 Record Yourself More 
1:35:06 Flaws vs Tendencies 
1:40:40 Overdubbing Cymbals 
1:43:31 Session Communication Skills 
1:47:44 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
1:48:25 Home Studio vs Commercial Rooms 
1:55:19 Scarlett vs Apollo Debate 
2:02:47 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
2:03:44 Aksel's Acting Debut (Springsteen Movie) 
2:11:32 Music City Audiology (Sponsor) 
2:12:48 Rapid Fire Questions 
2:20:37 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
http://musiccityaudiology.com

Connect with Aksel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akselcoedrums
Website: https://www.akselcoe.com
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 Chicago drummer, musician, and entertainer, Aaron Paulsen! Amassing over 4.6 million followers across social media platforms, Aaron has taken his generation by storm with his unique video creations that blend extreme musicianship, storytelling, and undeniable humor. We dive into Aaron's upbringing as a classical percussionist from Chicago, dropping out of a percussion performance scholarship during COVID to pursue content full-time, and the eventual move to Nashville. Aaron breaks down the genesis of his one-man-band setup and other rhythmic gag videos, and his shift from short-form to long-form content. The conversation covers mental health and social media trends, martial arts training and other hobbies, skepticism around traditional industry endorsement models, how to be your most creative self, and fulfilling your true purpose. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:51 Welcome, Aaron! 
3:43 Chicago Roots 
8:16 One-Man Band Origins 
10:14 Musical Family and Influences 
14:53 Comedy Influences 
19:53 Martial Arts And Drumming 
31:48 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
33:03 Move To Nashville 
40:18 Nashville vs LA Culture 
49:11 Content Creator Breakdown 
52:19 Authenticity vs Polished Content 
1:05:45 Dropping Out, Mental Health 
1:08:44 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
1:09:36 Social Media Comparison 
1:15:09 Be the Trend 
1:16:15 Skillmaxxing 
1:21:03 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
1:26:14 Shorts to Long-form Content 
1:30:54 Building a Brand 
1:36:10 Defining Success and Purpose 
1:43:47 PASIC and Percussion Culture 
1:48:40 Navigating Endorsements as a Creator 
2:07:52 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
2:08:59 Advice for Young Creators 
2:13:22 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 Aaron:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronpaulsendrums
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aaronpaulsen
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronPaulsen

Music Featured in this Episode:
...from "The Great Lock In Mixtape" - Aaron Paulsen
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 Brian Czach! Described by some as “Nashville’s greatest secret,” Brian moved to town in late 2015 and continues to find success as an in-demand freelance drummer, both live and in the studio. Known for his ability to adapt to a variety of musical settings at a high level, we dive into his musical upbringing in upstate New York, early influences (including Phil Collins), formal lessons, reading skills, and what led him to adopting traditional grip. He details warmup routines, fitness and hydration habits, and the value of recording gigs to improve feel and self-awareness. Brian explains how he began working with the Nashville Symphony and touring symphonic pops shows around the country, plus highlights like West Side Story and The Lion King. He covers his original Miles Davis tribute band MILEStones, how he built a pro-level home studio, the challenges of marketing and subscription platforms, Broadway logistics, and important mindsets for building a sustainable career. We hope you enjoy!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:49 Welcome, Brian! 
4:56 Nashville Greatest Secret 
7:22 Early Drumming Roots 
8:40 First Kit and Phil Collins 
11:52 Healthy Habits and Warmups 
17:48 Rezo Custom Drum Heads (Sponsor) 
18:53 Influences and Formal Lessons 
23:49 Switch to Traditional Grip 
38:05 Drum Box (Sponsor) 
38:49 Getting Symphony Calls 
52:43 Low Boy Beaters (Sponsor) 
53:25 MILEStones (Miles Davis Tribute Band) 
58:33 Patreon Burnout 
1:03:26 Nashville Jazz Scene 
1:11:34 Building A Home Studio 
1:21:07 Singing While Drumming 
1:24:08 Drum Supply (Sponsor) 
1:30:21 Social Media, Perception & Feedback 
1:41:40 Broadway Realities 
1:57:02 Music City Audiology (Sponsor) 
1:57:58 Rapid Fire Questions 
2:07:13 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
http://musiccityaudiology.com

Connect with Brian:
Website: https://www.brianczach.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/brianczach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianczach
YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/intherighttempo

Music Featured in this Episode:
"It's Gonna Be Yesterday" - Gabrielle Lovelace
"Long Days" - Jon Von Boehm
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