lux

Keep up with lux here:

www.luxdrummer.com
www.myspace.com/luxdrumgoddess
www.myspace.com/sacredstorm
www.myspace.com/mysteryhangup

 

 

I was born on August 12, 1985. Was taught how to play drums at a Latin music school at the age of 12. For the next 3 years, I played latin music and played paid gigs in a trio band with my two sisters at weddings, parties, etc. Once we discovered bands like, The Cranberries and Sonic Youth, we taught ourselves how to play hard rock but it was Judas Priest’s album, Painkiller that turned me into a metalhead. My sophmore year of high school, my brother had brought home this cd and played it for us and I remember being blown away by the drum intro to the song Painkiller. Since then, I picked up another bass drum and have been playing double bass. I play in stilettos. I was Miss WFD 2007 at the Winter NAMM Show and that year set a record in the female division for Single Strokes at 901 in 1 minute. I’m endorsed by Axis Percussion, Paiste and Serial Drummer Clothing.

In November I was awarded ‘Best Female Drummer’ in the Metal/Hard Rock category by All Access Magazine. And in December I was awarded ‘Outstanding Female Drummer of the Year’ by Rock City  Magazine, both Los Angeles based. I’m currently playing in two bands. Sacred Storm (Thrash metal – though our newer material is a lot more heavier and technical) and Mystery Hangup (all female indie experimental rock). Both bands will be on national tours this summer between the months of June-September. Sacred Storm self-released our debut album, “Man Versus Machine” this past June.

 

 

lux Interview:

 

SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?

lux: I started playing drums when I was twelve years old. My parents had put my sisters and me in a Latin music school with my oldest sister Cat on vocals and guitar and my sister Bisou on keyboard. I remember when we first started going to that music school, I didn’t want to play drums. I wanted to play keyboard but after playing drums for a couple months, I wouldn’t give up drums for anything in the world.

 

 

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

lux: My Senior year of high school I played in Jazz Band for a semester which I definitely enjoyed. Getting to play Jazz with a whole band really helped me open my mind even further to different styles of playing.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

lux: There are so many amazing drummers out there and I listen to a lot of different music. For Top 5 I’d have to say: Chris Adler, Dave Lombardo, Pete Sandoval, Martin Axenrot, Steve Shelley. There’s definitely a lot to learn from each one of them!

 

 

 

 

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

lux: My favorite favorite drummers right now are Chris Adler and Dave Lombardo. I love all of Dave’s work with Fantomas, Slayer, and Grip Inc. He’s got great style and is definitely a well rounded drummer! Chris Adler is the kind of drummer who you look at and think, I want to be that kind of drummer. I’ve seen him live several times and he is just solid with his drumming every time! Not only that but he has great ideas he uses around the kit.

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

lux: My music library is endless. I’ll usually listen to Necrophagist (Epitaph), Fantomas (The Director’s Cut), Opeth (Ghost Reveries) which never gets old! Lamb of God (Ashes of the Wake), and Christian Death (Only Theatre of Pain).

 

 

SD.com: What do you do to warm up before a show?

lux: When I warm up before a show I usually stretch a little and drum on the back of my stick bag. I’ll do single strokes at a slow pace and work my way up in speed. Then I usually change it up and do paradiddles or I’ll do triplets in the RLL pattern and switch that up and start with my left hand. Any warm up is good before a live show.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Can you remember a night you think was your best playing ever? If yes, when and where?

lux: I would have to say, on Sacred Storm’s Shred or be Dead Tour last summer. We played in Oregon at The Trove. We had done several shows before that already, so my chops were just dead on. We had the sickest crowd on Tour too. I remember just rocking out and enjoying it really. The best is when you play your best and inspire others out in the crowd to play music. I had a couple of girls come up to me after the show and said I did great and that they wanted to learn how to play drums. That was awesome for me. We could definitely use more female drummers out in the metal scene.

 

 

SD.com: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?

lux: I absolutely love my Paiste cymbals. When I first started drumming and my dad bought me my kit, we had also gotten a beginner set of cymbals of a different brand. Later on in the years after they cracked, I had gone out to Guitar Center and played on a bunch of their cymbals but once I played Paiste’s Signature series, I had to have them! They sound great in both my thrash metal band and experimental rock band. In my setup I have a 16″ Signature Full Crash, 17″ Signature Fast Crash, and 18″ Signature Full Crash. Their Sound Edge Hi-Hats are just amazing and I recently picked up their 18″ Twenty China which is very dark and rich.

 

 

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

lux: Always practice with your best and stay focused. I find that sometimes, when I get to practicing, I’ll have other things on my mind like tour etc. and I’m not focused or really trying, but when I do practice with my all and put a little muscle to it, and stay focused, that’s when I see myself improving. That’s basically the different between a good practice and a bad one.

 

 

 

 

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

lux: For Best Live Performance, I would have to say the drummer for Kamelot. When we opened for them last September, their drummer did an awesome drum solo, but not only that. I loved the way he was able to get crowd interaction by using his playing and pausing for a couple seconds while the crowd would cheer, drumming continues, and pause again, which repeated itself several times but with the drumming getting shorter and shorter. Then he ended it with just shredding on the kit. The crowd going crazy of course. He’s also a very solid live drummer and exaggerates his movement behind the kit. That’s the kind of stuff I like to see. Other drummers who have blown me away live; Marco Pitruzzella (Brain Drill), and Andy Taylor (Diskreet). They are definitely sick drummers.

 

 

SD.com: Do you have and interests/hobbies outside of drumming?

lux: Outside of drumming I like to do web design. I’ve always loved the idea of speaking different languages too. Aside from English I speak Spanish and a little French and German which I’m still working on. I’m also looking to get into my roots more. It’s always important to know where you come from.

 

 

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

lux: If I had to stop drumming, I would dedicate myself completely to cleaning up our country.