TALKIN' CHOP: Volume 49 - Adrian Galindo

ADRIAN GALINDO

Alright, I have been getting into a few more of these bands in the last 3-4 yrs. I don't know why, other than, I dig the energy and some of them have some really good songs and the musicianship is pretty good. I was fortunate to discover another such band and drummer. Adrian is in a kool band called OVERDRIVE. I met and saw them perform on their first show in the U.S. on Aug. 23rd at The Viper Room in Hollywood. They were the opening band and my band played after them at a fundraising show. I was impressed and enjoyed their show.

So, naturally I had to get Adrian to share some of his drum life with us. He is definitely coming up and I think their tour will be a big step in their success. So before he becomes famous, Adrian is Talkin' Chop with me and you.

Name or Stage Name:

Adrian Galindo

Where are you from?

Monterrey, Mexico

How long have you been playing?

5 years now

What is or are your main genre of playing?

Everything between Pop/punk and Post Hardcore

How did you get where you are now?

We have been working even harder that we though we were going to work, nothing is easy, but is always possible. If you work hard enough in the right way to get somewhere, eventually you will get there, maybe not in the way you wanted, but it will be the best way you could have done.

What are your goals, short & long term?

Personally, my main short goal is to always be a better drummer that I was yesterday and that leads me to my long term goals that are being recognized worldwide as a band and drummer, and return the favor to people like me, that the music I listened and listen now made me the way I am, and that is something I wouldn’t change for anything in the world.

Artists you would like to play for, if you had the chance? I’ve always believed that bands are better with their own drummer but if I had the chance to play with someone that doesn’t have the same drummer, I would choose Eminem, Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber.

List some of your accomplishments:

Had the chance to make tours with my band mates that are the people that I love most. Some sponsorship's and the chance to share stage with amazing bands such as Get Scared and Pierce The Veil.

Your currently in a band called Overdrive, What kind of band is this?

It is the kind of band that you listen to, and have the chance to appreciate every instrument and have this extra plus with the amazing voice of Luis, it is the perfect combination of aggressive and happy, that for sure will make you dance your feet.

How did the band form?

Me and Luis Tamez (my long time best friend) have been making music together for years, and as we got older we started to think to ourselves what we wanted as musicians and where do we wanted to get, and formed this band with the purpose of people enjoying it and making them feel alive just as we felt with our favorite bands, we never knew how we gonna get here but we are and there is a long way ahead of us that we are very excited to live!

Tell me about recording your album Let's Run Away:

It was one of the best experiences of my whole life, it is something that if you are a musician you definitely have to do at least one time, it was the first time I was doing it, it was a day to remember.

What was your approach for this album?

We wanted the songs to represent ourselves and our feelings, we have always thought that if you want something, you have to believe in yourself and push yourself to do it, no matter what, you can always reach your goals.

Adrian, Luis, Eduardo & David

Were you involved in the production of the drums?

The sound is very clean.

Thank you! And yes, I was, our two producers, Jorge and Edgar with Luis and I we were all involved in the production of the drums, it was a hard work but it is always for the best, especially in the studio.

Is that the vibe you were going for?

That was exactly it! I personally wanted that sound, and with the help of my friends we reached it, I could not be more happy on how the drums sound in the album.

How long did it take you guys to finish the album?

We finished like in two months I think, the drums along with the bass were the fastest parts, we recorded the drums of the 10 songs in just one day, Luis recorded 2 of them and I did the other 8, we've been a good team and that way we could record everything in a period of 13 hours.

Do you like being in the studio?

Yes, I love it. It is this magical place where anything can be created for you to hear, you just need the right tools and the right minds to do it, and thanks to my friends and the team we had, we made it.

Are you one of the songwriters in the band?

I write most of the drums along with Luis, and also some arrangements in both guitar and vocals, in our album ‘Let’s Run Away’ I didn’t write any lyrics but we are actually making new music where I’ve been writing some of them.

OVERDRIVE - Baby You're Too Late

As Indie bands, you have to hustle to make things happen... do you perform any other roles in the band, other than drummer?

Yeah, we all have certain roles other than playing our instrument, is something you have to do to grow as a band, I’m more focused on getting shows for us, the more, the better.

You guys are on tour right now in the USA for the first time, how are things going and do you like touring? Things are going pretty great! We’ve been having our difficulties, but we’ve been solving them right away, is something that happens to all bands and it just depends on how you solve it. And yeah, as far as this has gone we LOVE touring, it is an amazing experience that everyone who has the chance to live it, should do it, I recommend it a 100% it is very fun and you learn a lot from it.

What are some of your goals as a band?

The main goal we have as a band is to transmit whatever we are feeling on the songs to the people, we put so much effort and feeling into creating, recording and playing songs that our main goal is to people to feel alive, just like we feel when we play, and to grow along with them, as they grow up they make us grow as a band, having bigger crowds and more people know us and have a little taste of what we do.

How is the music scene in Mexico, where you guys are from?

In Mexico, there is too much talent and the scene is pretty cool too, there are plenty of opportunities, they are just focused in another direction than the ones in The States.

Are the crowds pretty good? Are you able to do some pretty good shows there?

The crowds are great, they always are very into it in every song, they sing every lyric, we feel very lucky to have fans like the ones we have, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.

Describe your current set up & gear - heads and sticks...ect?

I have a Mapex V series 5 piece drum kit, a Tama S. L. P. 14x8 snare, all my cymbals are Zildjian, 14’’ Hi-Hats, 16’’ Crash, 19’’ Crash-Ride, 20’’ Ride and 18’’ China. A double bass pedal DW 7000.

Do you have multiple kits and snares?

I have two snares, the one I mentioned, and another one Mapex V series 14x6.5. And I have an electronic kit at my house.

Do you have a “Dream Kit”?

Yes! I do! My dream kit is an SJC 5 piece drum kit with two floor toms, a 14x8 maple snare, some Zildjian A custom and a double bass pedal DW 9000.

How do you describe your drumming style?

I describe it as energetic, I’m always moving and feeling the songs, obviously sometimes I have to concentrate a little more than other parts, but I’m always having fun!

OVERDRIVE - Pack Your Bags

Why the drums?

They are so energetic and I’ve always been that way too, is the best way for me to forget everything and express everything I feel at the same time.

If you weren’t playing drums, what would you be doing? Honestly I think that would be doing something music related still, if it wasn’t drums, maybe I would play guitar or bass.

How has drumming impacted or changed your life?

My life totally changed when playing drums, it changed in a very good way, for me it is the perfect way to escape, whenever I’m angry, or just not in the mood for something and I start to play, I relax a lot and that way it makes me see everything from a different perspective, also it makes me more active in life in general, I have more energy to do everything when I drum everyday.

Are you playing music as a full time career?

Not right now, right now I have another job in the mornings and that way I have all afternoon free to play and practice with Overdrive, also with that job I get a little money extra to invest in the band, but we are all working for it to be a full time career, and we will make it!

Are you involved in the local music scene in your hometown, other than just playing in your band?

Yeah, actually we all get involved whenever we can, to help bands reach their short term goals and help them make events in a better way, I’ve always believed that if all we help each other, we can change the whole world.

Name 5 of your drumming influences? Why?

Well, I started drumming because of Travis Barker, so it has to be one of my influences. Another one for sure is Luke Holland, this guy is amazing and can do a lot of things at once, I got the chance to meet him, he is a great guy. Another two of the same style are Conor Sullivan from Ice Nine Kills and Josh Manuel from ISSUES they are very fast and awesome with the double pedal. And last but not least Rian Dawson from All Time Low, I love the energy this guy has on-stage and also in the studio, you can feel what he was feeling when you listen to their songs is pretty amazing!

Name an inspiring concert that made you want to go home and start practicing?

The most inspiring concert I’ve ever been too is the one of my favorite band, All Time Low with three great support bands, ISSUES, Tonight Alive & State Champs, this one was on Houston in April 27th 2015, it is the most amazing and inspiring concert I’ve ever been too.

How much time do you practice?

At least I practice 8 hours a week, every time I have time to practice more I do it but at least is 8 hours a week, an average I would say 10 hours a week.

What types of things do you work on, in those sessions? Independence, coordination, speed and resistance are the ones I practice the most, I want to be better in every way.

Are you doing any freelance work other than Overdrive? I have it on plans and maybe I’ll start next year (2017) but haven’t released anything yet, I’m going to start releasing some covers of songs I like and upload them to YouTube and more social media so that I and Overdrive can get connected to more people, hopefully they’ll enjoy it.

Do you record drum videos of yourself? if so, how has it helped you?

Yes, and it helps a lot to see and hear yourself from a different perspective, you hear your mistakes and you can also see how you move and is easier for you to improve into a better drummer.

OVERDRIVE - Cool Kids (Echosmith Cover)

Do you have a crazy or interesting gig you can share with us?

Yeah! One of them is when we played with Pierce The Veil and Mexico, they are awesome dudes and we had this amazing and supporting crowd, it was an awesome show with great people.

What are your words of wisdom for your fellow drummers out there?

I can say that it is always hard to get better and to get chances but no matter what, you can always keep pushing yourself into the next level, and even if you don’t see any progress, there is, you may not notice it but when you think back when your skills weren’t that good, you will notice your improvements and that is one of the greatest feelings.

Last Words, Links, Hashtags and Thank You’s???

I just want to thank Talkin’ Chop for this interview, my band mates, specially Luis Tamez for pushing me to be a better drummer, to my closest friends Edgar and Kevin and to my family and my girlfriend Monnie for always supporting me in everything that I do.

Overdrive:

www.Facebook.com/OverdriveOfficialBand

Twitter /Band_Overdrive

Instagram /Band_Overdrive

Youtube: Band Overdrive

Soundcloud.com/OverdriveOfficialBand

Personal:

Twitter /AdrianG_OVD

Instagram /Adrian_Overdrive

Snapchat /adriangalindo7

Hey Adrian, Thx so much for sharing with us!

I wish you and the band nothing but success. I'm sure we'll share the stage again and you can show me some of those licks.

If you guys liked what you read, please hit up Adrian on his Soc. Med. and say 'Hello'. Most of all, if you dig his band, Purchase their album Let's Run Away and if you want to check them out live, go to their sites and check the schedule to see where they will be on the remaining dates on their West Coast Tour.