John Sankey

 

Keep up with John here:

www.myspace.com/devolvedmetal

www.devolved.net

www.myspace.com/brutalozzydeath

 

 

 

 

I grew up in a very musical family. My Mother and Father were playing in a band together when they were only teenagers and I have one sister who is a music teacher, so I was always surrounded by music. I grew up in a very small town out in the Country in Australia, so there was literally zero opportunities as a musician there. While I was in high school I played in a band with 2 other guys and we just performed all cover songs at weddings and pubs, everything from Credence Clearwater Revival to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Once I had finished school I packed up and headed for the Gold Coast so I could try and get into a band that was more the type of music I was into then, metal!!!

I played in a few different bands which were more of an ‘alternative’ sound before I decided to start a new band and write much heavier and more extreme music. I met Brett (Devolved guitarist) and he and I began writing a bunch of material, we wrote a handful of songs and recruited another guitarist and a bass player/vocalist and Devolved began. We have 3 releases and have toured Australia, UK, Europe, Japan and other parts of Asia, with bands such as Machine Head, Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Opeth, Arch Enemy and many more.

In 2003/2004 I came to the USA and worked with Dino Cazares (x-FF guitarist), we wrote a bunch of songs before I had to return to Australia due to visa restrictions. During that time people in America started to become familiar with Devolved so in 2005 we decided to relocate Devolved to Los Angeles, where we currently live. We are working on our 4th studio release at the moment and we are also re-releasing our debut album, ‘Technologies’ through Killzone Records in the next few months.

I have performed the drums on all the Devolved releases and also recently recorded the drum parts on the Limb From Limb debut album ‘Rip Him From His Fucking Throne’. (www.myspace.com/brutalozzydeath). I have also toured with various other bands filling in and have done session work with many different artists of all different musical genres. I am endorsed by Premier drums, Sabian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks, Aquarian drumheads, Axis pedals and Wilson sports

 

 

John Sankey Interview:

 

 

SD.com: When did you start playing drums?

John: When I was about 13 or 14.

 

 

SD.com: Do you play in a school band or any drum corps?

John: Haha, no not at all. I grew up in a very small town in Australia and there was no such thing as a school band or drum corp. We had a rugby team that was about it!

 

 

SD.com: Have you ever taken any lessons?

John: I had a couple of lessons from the only guy in my town who played drums and he was in an old time dance band, so he tried to show me how to play a barn dance and gypsy tap. Not exactly what I was interested in playing so after a few lessons I decided I would just go it alone and work things out for myself.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: What album do you think best represents your playing?

John: I think both of the full length Devolved albums represent my style and overall playing equally. If I had to choose I would say I prefer my drumming on the most recent cd, ‘Calculated’. After we recorded the ‘Technologies’ album we toured extensively so by the time we were ready to track the next album my playing had improved and was stronger, I was also more focused and analytical on the writing process for my drum parts on ‘Calculated’.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

John: I have always tried to do my own thing and have deliberately tried not to replicate other drummers or become ‘generic’ with my playing, so I guess the following guys are players who stood out to me as being a little more creative and defined their respective bands sound further with their drumming.

–    Matt ‘Skitz’ Sanders
–    Tomas Haake
–    Igor Cavalera
–    Lars Ulrich
–    Vinnie Paul

 

 

SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?

John: Gene Hoglan… period! Obviously there are a million other drummers out there who I could add but I hear countless drummers who play ultra-fast, which is great but to me the majority just all sound much the same. Then there’s all these virtuoso fusion-style players who are amazing and I totally admire, but that just isn’t of any great interest to me and never has been. I much prefer a guy like Gene who has an unmistakable style and sound, and at the end of the day is just a fucking machine! The fact that he has been a part of so many killer albums throughout the years is also something I have great respect for… and he is just a super cool down-to-earth guy also!

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 3 CD’s that are in your current personal rotation

John:
–    Exodus – Fabulous Disaster
–    Carcass – Heartwork
–    Dio – Holy Diver

 

 

SD.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo’s regularly?

John: Never. None at all. To be honest I wouldn’t even know how. I never learnt any of fundamentals of drumming so when people ask me about any basic drum patterns or exercises I generally just give them a blank look cause I have no fuckin clue what they are talking about. Obviously It would be a hell of a lot better for my playing overall if I did learn those things and practiced them but I think because I went about things my own way I have adapted my own style a little more, which to me is the most important element of being a musician. I never practice or even sit behind my drum kit unless we are rehearsing or playing a show, I would honestly be bored within about 2 minutes if I wasn’t in a band environment actually making music when I play. I don’t see the point at all if I’m not playing as part of a group. Probably not good advice for young drummers but that’s just me.

 

 

SD.com: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?

John: Probably the grip I use on my drumsticks. I started using it years ago when we began touring a lot to stop blistering on my hands, which can be really fuckin painful during long tours. I got used to the feel of playing with the grip and then I was offered a sponsorship with Wilson Sport Company so I have used their racket grip ever since and now I just couldn’t play a set without it. I only use a really thin grip so the stick is still evenly weighted and the natural feel is still there, but if I pick up a stick without it, it just seems all wrong to me. That’s the one thing I make sure I have a good supply of when we leave for tour… lots of Wilson stick grip.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…

John: Do your own thing and don’t fall into the trap of emulating other players too much. Try to find your own style and sound, and don’t be afraid to try different things that might not seem acceptable within the ‘scene’ at that time. If other people don’t like what you are doing or try to degrade you for trying something different then that’s their problem, stick with it cause soon enough everyone will probably be trying to copy you.

 

 

SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

John: The one that stands out immediately to me is when I first saw Paul Bostaph play with Slayer on the Divine Intervention tour in Brisbane, Australia. I think after Lombardo left the band practically every drummer within the metal scene was really curious to see how Bostaph would handle the drumming duties. When I first heard that album I was totally blown away by the drumming and to this day I think it is easily the best drum performance on any Slayer release. When I saw them on that tour I just watched him the whole time and he was absolutely flawless, and so fuckin tight. His playing that night definitely made me realize it’s more important to concentrate on playing the parts at a solid pace so everything becomes ultra tight and mechanical rather than just go out there and try to blast through every song and play as fast as possible… that might make the drummer look good but the band suffers overall when the music as a whole just becomes in inaudible mess. One other performance I should mention is Pete Sandoval on the ‘Domination’ tour… fucking insane, I’d never seen anyone play like that!!!

 

 

SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what else do you want to do with your life?

John: Music is the only thing I have ever known and been a part of so I would definitely be doing something within the industry. Maybe management or part of a record company… basically any other part of the industry other than playing where it is actually possible to make money! Other than that I probably would have never had the chance to live in America and I’d be stuck back in the small town I grew up in driving tractors on a farm and breeding cows!