077 – Al Wilson: “Owning It” when Performing, Leaving Taylor Swift’s Gig After 6 Years to Focus on Family, Orchestrating Loops Organically

Originally from North Carolina, Al Wilson discovered his passion for drumming at the age of 18. Within a very short time, Al was learning “on the job” working as a full time drummer. While living in Colorado, this passion turned into a time of self-discovery and learning of all things drums and percussion.

 In an effort to find more work, Al eventually moved to Nashville and began working immediately. After a short stint with singer Josh Gracin from American idol, Al was recommended for the Taylor Swift gig. Taylor was only 16 years old and at the beginning of her career. Things snowballed so fast that Al not only became the her touring drummer, he also acted as band leader, production manager and travel agent.

After six years of nonstop touring, Al decided to leave Taylor’s gig and redirect his attention towards his family. 

Most recently, Al has been steadily building his workload back in Nashville with freelance work and teaching all the while maintaining a healthy balance between work and family.

In this podcast, Al talks about:

Looking for more creative outlets and songwriting

Discovering his love of drums at 18

Self-imposed crash course in learning to play

Strengthening the left hand through songo grooves

Putting the time into learning the gig – owning the material

Working with Taylor Swift

Creating loops as organically as possible

The reason for leaving Taylor’s gig

Al Endorses: Ludwig Drums, Vater Sticks

This episode is sponsored by Sakae Drums.