Street Drum Corps Preview – at U.S. Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach Pier – August 6, 2010

Los Angeles’ very own, Street Drum Corps who have been very busy lately on tour all throughout the US and Europe with The Used. In the midst of all of that they managed to put together a record that is set to be released later this year. We were able to catch up with Frank Zummo to get an update on everything going on with them lately.

We’re looking forward to your performance on August 6th at the U.S. Open of Surfing.
Do any of you surf?
We’re stoked and excited to play the event!  None of us surf (other than the web), but we love the sport. 

When you started creating beats on random household objects, did you ever think or consider that you would eventually take the activity to another level and land where you are now?
Definitely not.  It was just something we did for fun as another musical outlet. I started out drumming on my mother’s pots and pans before I had a real drum set. Bobby, Adam and I all share that same story. When we formed the band 6 years ago, I would of never thought this is where we would be right now. It's amazing!

How did you three come together to form Street Drum Corps?
We met in Los Angeles 6 years ago and instantly bonded over our love of drumming and percussion.  We quickly formed a band, where our first show was called BANG!. We jammed together in a junkyard and filmed it, and wound up getting hired by Six Flags Magic Mountain to perform at the park, and really just built the show there. After that, we recorded our first record and were fortunate to tour the world.

How did your signing to Interscope Records happen?
We had a friend who got us a meeting with Jimmy Lovine. We had the feeling that Jimmy would get the overall concept of where Street Drum Corps was coming from and how we wanted to take it further, and were thrilled that he did indeed get it! It's been amazing working with him and the Interscope team. They all understand us, which is awesome. 

Were any of you ever members of your high school's drumline?
Yes, we all played in our high school drumlines!  We also played in Concert band, Jazz band & Orchestra. Maybe even a band camp here or there, ha!

Who do you think are the the best drummers out there?
My faves are John Bohnam, Dave Grohl and Tommy Lee.

If you had to explain to someone why percussion in any band is the most crucial aspect of the music, how would you go about explaining that?
Simple.  Drums are the heartbeat of a band.  It’s that primal rhythm that makes you move and groove!

Have you ever just gone outside into a busy street and started making percussion fueled music with trash cans and other objects?
Yes, we all actually do that on a daily basis!  Here’s a clip of us doing just that:


What artists has Street Drum Corps collaborated with so far, and who are you most anxious to collaborate with in the future?
We have collaborated with artists such as Linkin Park, Adrian Young from No Doubt, 30 Seconds To Mars, Deftones, Tommy Lee, DJ Aero & Bert from The Used. We would love to work with Jay-Z and other big beat producers!

What can we expect from the band's highly anticipated major label debut?
We are breaking the mold by putting out a double album.  One disc is a full drum record produced by the Band and Jamie Rise with special guest drummers like Tommy Lee, Adrian Young, Matt Sorum and more called “Big Noise” that sounds like the soundtrack to “Godzilla.”  The other is a fully realized rock/pop disc produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects) that boasts an eclectic mix of our trademark drumming with fully realized songs with Bobby on vocals.  It’s got everything from big ballads to crushing rock tracks, and of course lots of drums!  For a behind the scenes look at Street Drum Corps in the studio, check it out HERE

When will we see a full tour from SDC?
We just wrapped a 9 week tour in 16 countries with 30 Seconds To Mars and should be hitting the road again at the end of this year. Our e-single "Knock Me Out" is available on itunes now. You can also check it out on our MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/streetdrumcorps

For fans of the band, you are in for a great show and for those of you that are new to Street Drum Corps’ eclectic mix of the band’s trademark drumming on stuff they find with the vocals of Bobby Alt laid on top, this is something you will want to check out!
Band website: www.streetdrumcorps.com

Street Drum Corps will be performing at the U.S. Open of Surfing
at the Huntington Beach Pier on August 6, 2010

-Stephanie M.-
Senior Staff Reporter
 

 

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