Eric Schnee

 

Keep up with Eric here:

www.myspace.com/thebinding

www.myspace.com/ericschnee

www.myspace.com/paria – track 1 wrote & performed

 

 

 

 

My name is Eric Schnee and I am from Morris County in Northern New Jersey. I developed an interest in music at a very early age. My mother exposed me to bands like U2 and Eddie and the Cruisers early on and my father is an amazing piano player. It would be rare that I didn’t hear music coming from my dad’s piano growing up. I have always felt a deep connection to music that makes you feel something as well as more aggressive music for its raw energy. I became very interested in the musical aspects of heavy music as well as its overall power. I saw Aerosmith with my dad at a young age and I loved the whole live music setting. I was amazed by Joey Kramer’s command of the instrument. My first heavy show was Slayer and I knew that if i could survive a Slayer show as my first metal concert I could take anything that was thrown at me! I started playing in bands around age 14 and I got my start playing in a local pop punk band called Karma. I loved playing in a band and playing shows. I did a lot of playing with friends jamming on our favorite metal and punk tunes. I knew that I wanted to pursuit drumming and music seriously when I saw The Dillinger Escape Plan play at the Warped Tour in South Jersey.

 

I became more involved in drumming in high school, participating in as many school bands as I could for the purposes of gaining more experience and knowledge of the drums. I also started studying with Stu Miller, who is a great drummer and one of the biggest influences in forming my drumming. I had the good fortune of meeting another one of Stu’s students, Chris Pennie several years later and began studying with him. We became buddies and I learned an amazing amount of knowledge about drumming, how the music industry works and what passion for music is. While in college, I formed the band The Binding that would later go on to release one self-titled EP under Imagine It Records that earned a lot of underground critical acclaim. We did one tour and I cut my teeth playing extreme music with them. Upon the break up of The Binding, I was asked to join midwest metal/hardcore band Paria (Black Market Activites/Metal Blade). I accepted the offer, learned the songs, flew to Omaha, Nebraska and landed a slot in the band. I relocated to Omaha, did several more tours, wrote nearly an albums worth of material and recorded an unreleased demo before realizing that it was time for me to move on. I am currently hard at work practicing as much as I can and working on a new project that will take me to new horizons.

 

I have always tried to cater my style to what the music calls for. I believe that to be a good musician, you must learn to play for the song and not overplay the song. A lot of people don’t seem to pay attention to that. Feeling and groove are very important to me, so I have always tried to combine the metal style with my own finesse and feel for the particular song at hand. I have taken inspiration from lots of eclectic sources so I feel just as inspired by the great drummers as by a good piece of art, electronic music and of course personal experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Schnne Interview:

 

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

Eric: I started playing when I was about 12. My parents bought me one of those crappy little kid drum sets years before that though, maybe when I was 8 or so and I jammed on that until I broke it haha. I also played guitar for years before i picked up drums but the drums came more naturally so I made the switch.

 

 

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

Eric: I played in a lot of school bands in high school: marching band, concert band, jazz band etc but never did drum corps. Although that would have been very cool. I didn’t do any school bands in college, that was when I focused on starting my first “heavy” band The Binding.

 

 

SD.com: You mentioned that you took 4 years of lessons from Chris Pennie of Dillinger, what was the most valuable thing he taught you? Could you also tell us something about Chris, we may not know?

Eric: Aside from the amazing amount of drum knowledge that Chris has passed down to me, just being around him and seeing how a real musician does it was invaluable to me. Our lessons would often turn into long in depth talks about music and how we felt about it and listening to his experiences as a pro drummer. It was really exciting and inspiring to me. As far as actual drumming goes, he opened me up to a lot of different styles and I learned some independence from him, stick control, and learning how to play things up to speed. I really got to see his life as a drummer day in and day out because we shared a practice space in NJ. I would hear him in there sometimes playing away until 2 or 3 in the morning and that really inspired me to push myself and further develop my passion for the drums.

As for stuff about Chris…hmm he likes to eat a lot, he also writes his own electronic atmospheric music that is really good, his mom is also a fan of heavy music. He’s a stand up guy and the real deal!

 

 

SD.com: Stu Miller, who also instructed Chris Pennie, has also given you lessons. Did you feel any pressure to live up to those he taught before you? and what was the one thing you took from those lessons?

Eric: I never really felt any pressure in that way from Stu, he’s a totally laid back guy and great drummer. Plus Chris and I are several years apart so we were at different stages in learning at the time. The best thing I can remember right now that Stu said to me was on one day when I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by all the other great drummers out there. I asked Stu, “Why would anyone want to hear me play when there are so many amazing drummers out there.” He gave me a simple answer: “You have to make them listen, you have to speak with your drums.” I still carry that piece of advice with me today.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Eric: Completely off the top of my head…Chris of course, Stu Miller, Gary Chaffee, Brain, Carter Beauford and Tomas Haake, guess thats 6.

 

 

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

Eric: Right now some favorites are Aaron Harris, Martin Bulloch, Dom Famularo, Dave Witte and Orri Pall Dyrason.

 

 

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

Eric:

Mogwai – Government Comissions (BBC Sessions 1996-2003)

Dimmu Borgir – Stormblåst

Portishead – Dummy

ISIS – Clearing the Eye DVD

Hayaino Daisuki – Prototype

 

 

SD.com: What do you like and dislike most about touring?

Eric: My favorite thing is getting to travel and see new places and getting the chance to rip it up every night and move people with your music. Not to mention all kinds of crazy experiences you wouldn’t normally have. The least favorite thing is feeling exhausted all the time. I really enjoy touring overall though.

 

 

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

Eric: I usually practice singles, doubles and paradiddles on the hands and feet as much as I can. I like to mix up the rudiments and combine things like groups of 4 and 5 and see how they sound. I also like to just jam around my kit when I’m alone and see how smooth and interesting I can make it.

 

 

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

Eric: I’ve been using a Yamaha Stage Custom kit for a while now and I think its great. Its a super durable, solid and excellent sounding kit. It doesn’t seem to require a lot of maintenance in terms of tuning and it can definitely take a beating. For cymbals I have been using Zildjian hi hats and crashes, Sabian’s Neil Peart Paragon China and a Paiste 20″ Rude Power Ride for that heavy ping sound. Favorite heads are Evans EC2s and the Power Center for the snare. Favorite sticks are the Vater Rock. I should mention that I am also endorsed by dB Drum Shoes. They make an excellent comfortable shoe for anyone that has been looking for the right feel for their pedal. I’d recommend checking out their site…. www.drumshoes.com

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Eric: I’m usually pretty quiet and focused before shows. I like to really get in the mindset of playing a killer show and not let things distract me. If I get a chance, I will set up my hand and feet pads and play singles, doubles and other rudiments for a while to get the blood flowing. I usually try to pay a lot of attention to my technique when I’m doing the pre-show warm up. I also like to stretch out my arms and legs so I am feeling loose and not stiff.

 

 

SD.com: What advice do you have for young drummers?

Eric: Follow your heart and dont let others discourage you. Sometimes drumming will take you on weird and interesting journeys. Go with it and enjoy the ride. If you do what your heart truly tells you, you won’t go wrong. Practice a ton too haha.

 

 

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

Eric: That’s really tough. The first time I saw Dillinger when I was 14 (also the day I met Chris) I think has changed me forever. I had never seen anything so fierce and insane before. A guy was blowing fire in peoples faces in the crowd and it was the only time at a show I feared for my safety- I loved it! That showed me what  you can do with heavy music, and I have been in love with it ever since. More recently I saw Sigur Ros in Philly and I was absolutely blown away by their performance and feeling that they conveyed. I remember my jaw being dropped and in awe for an hour after their show.

 

 

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

Eric: I have a degree in graphic design, so I would probably pursuit that full time (I do it on the side now). I would also like to compose and arrange experimental electronic and ambient music.