Matt Greiner

Keep up with Matt here:

www.myspace.com/augustburnsred

I was born and raised on Christian contemporary rock/worship.  I grew up going to festivals like Creation, Cornerstone, and Purple Door.   I would always have my eye on the drummer, regardless of what band I was watching.  I didn’t even know what it was to ‘play drums’ but I knew it was for me; it all just clicked with me.

My mom made me play piano at age 10 and for the next 4 years I took lesson with a local teacher.  I learned to sight read and began to hone my sense of tempo, dynamics, and melody.  Sometimes instead of ‘playing piano’ I would instead hit notes as if they were drums, I would ‘make beats’ with the piano.  After my mom could no longer stand me banging on the table and slamming the piano, she convinced my dad to buy me a snare drum.  I used to spend hours per day hitting that snare drum.  About a year after I was given the snare drum, I expanded my horizons and purchased my first drumkit; a chrome finished Pearl Export.  I began playing drums on the worship team at church and learned how to be the backbone of a band.

When I was 16 I went to a see a punk band called Second Hand.  They had just lost their drummer and asked me to play for them.  I learned all of their songs off of a cassette tape and practiced with them a handful of times.  Before long I got sick of playing the same two monotonous punk beats.  Brent, JB and I started ABR and we started writing hardcore music.  I purchased my first double bass pedal (a Tama Iron Cobra double pedal) and we began our career.  Before long we were touring and got picked up by Solid State.  We just finished recording our 3rd full length, slated to drop sometime in June/July.

 

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Matt Greiner Interview:

 

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

Matt:  15

 

 

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

Matt:  No, I was actually homeschooled.  Yep, that’s right, I was THAT kid.  I would get done my ‘home’ work as quickly as possible so I could play my drums.  The earlier school was done, the more time I could play.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Matt: Currently… 1) David Husvik (EXTOL)   2) Aaron Spears (USHER)   3) Blake Richardson (BTBAM)   4) Dominic Howard (MUSE)   5) Tomas Haake (MESHUGGAH)

 

 

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

Matt:  I really dig Ronnie Vannucci Jr., the drummer for The Killers.  I love watching Justin Foley from Killswitch Engage, that dude’s got chops.  Travis Barker, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, and Aaron Gillespie are some other personal favorites.

 

 

 

 

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

Matt:  I’ve been jamming (in no particular order):  1) Converge – You Fail Me  2) Air – Talkie Walkie  3) Circa Survive – On Letting Go   4) Cult Of Luna – Eternal Kingdom  5) The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism

 

 

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

Matt:  I loosen up my hands first with single/double strokes to a click.  I’ll then run through syncopated patterns with my feet (with one of those gibralter practice pads from Guitar Center).  Then I’ll do some stretching and pushups/pullups to get my heart rate up.  I’ll then run over some of the harder songs on our set.  Once I can play the hardest song from start to finish, I know I’m warmed up.

 

 

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

Matt:  Cornerstone Christian Music Festival in Bushnell, IL. in the summer of 2007.  Everything clicked at that show.

 

 

 

 

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

Matt: I love Truth Custom Drums and Zildjian Cymbals.  I just got a new Truth Bubinga Kit, it has so much body; I love it!  Zildjian A Customs are the only crashes I’ll use in the studio.

 

 

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

Matt:  Focus on groove and control, NOT SPEED!  I’m not sure what it is about speed that intrigues drummers today but it’s killing me.  Everyone wants to know how to get fast overnight.  It’s like wanting to run before you’ve figured out how to walk.  You MUST have control of your limbs before you can play (consistently) fast.  If you rush into playing fast you’re going to hit a wall sooner or later and have to get back to the basics and work on control. SLOW DOWN!

 

 

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

Matt:  Does a live DVD count?  If so then definitely MUSE on their Absolution tour.  I’d have to say I enjoy As I Lay Dying most live, they hit so hard and are so tight every night.

 

 

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

Matt:  Live and fish on a boat. NO LIE!