150 – Matt Johnson: Touring with St. Vincent, Distilling Down Your Groove From Which to Build Upon, Creating Grooves with More Complexity & Less Density, Drumming on Jeff Buckley’s album Grace

Matt Johnson has played on some of the most critically acclaimed records in almost everyone’s collections. He’s also performed on some of the more memorable tours from the early 90s on. From recording the seminal cult-creating album Grace with Jeff Buckley in 1993 at age 22, he’s worked with a wide spectrum of artists over the past two decades including Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Elysian Fields, Australia’s Angus and Julia Stone, Beth Orton, Keren Ann, Duncan Sheik, and the beloved St. Vincent, the avant-garde guitarist, songwriter and performer who continues to astonish listeners and concertgoers everywhere with her ever-evolving musical statements.

In this episode, Matt talks about:

Learning how to adapt for a live performance based on a programed or highly produced rhythm track

Creating grooves that have more complexity with less density

Teaching yourself to feel the space between quarter notes in unique ways

Getting your brain to think differently by using a “role reversal” method with your limbs

Distilling down your groove to to it’s most basic place in order to build it into a solid performance

Failure seen as an experience on the way to some type of success that you could never have planned on

The value of “grit” and the power of will and dedication

Learning to utilize a double kick pedal

Incorporating electronics to an acoustic set up

Working with Rufus Wainwright

Matt endorses: Tama Drums, Istanbul Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vater Sticks

This episode is sponsored by Crush Drums