Keep up with Jeff here:
My name is Jeff Lohrber, aka Jef Leppard. I am currently living in Milwaukee drumming in the bands Harlots and Amora Savant. Right now, I am working on Harlots 3rd full length (2nd for Corrosive Recordings) “Betrayer” and Amora Savant’s debut full length “Do Not Fear Damnation”. I also help run Volatile Recordings and book smaller tours for JKID Booking.
I started out drumming for the band Eyes Upon Separation(Uprising Records) when I was 16 after about 3 months of playing. EUS broke up then I jumped to Surcease and my grind band The Tragedy of Dave Thomas before landing a spot in the Cincinnati hardcore heavyweights Suffocate Faster. I toured and played on the 2003 demo with Suffocate Faster, then I joined Victory Records artists Dead To Fall as a touring drummer. I toured with Dead to Fall for several months including stints with Between the Buried and Me and Molevolent Creation, and ended up getting a spot in Life Sentence Records’ Above This Fire. I recorded on the “MMIII” CD with them and then moved home to start Harlots. While playing in Harlots, I have jammed with bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Premonitions of War, Shark Sandwich, Backstabbers Inc., and Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus, and finally landing a spot in the legendary Today is the Day. With Today is the Day, I demoed on their upcoming full length “Axis of Eden”, played shows all over the east coast, and did a 2 week European tour. I have played on both Harlots full lengths “The Woman You Saw..”(2004, Feeling Faint Productions) and “This is the Second Death”(2006,Corrosive Recordings). Look out for 2007 to bring Harlots “The Human War Machine” 7″ on DebelloRecordings, Harlots “Betrayer” on Corrosive Recordings, Amora Savant “Do Not Fear Damnation” (label TBA), and plenty of touring in support of these records.
Jeff Lohrber Interview:
SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?
Jeff: I was 16 when I first started drumming. I first picked up guitar when I was 8, and played guitar in several bands that always had drummer problems, which inspired me to pick up drums.
SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Jeff: I played the snare drum in band in 5th grade, I got kicked out. We had our 6th grade band forms, I turned it into a paper airplane. The instructor warned me not to throw it, so I ran it across the room. I was kicked out instantly. I returned to my guitar and focused on learning White Zombie riffs.
SD.com: Ever take any lessons?
Jeff: I took one guitar lesson when I was 9 and walked the fuck out. The main way I picked up drums was goingto shows and watching the drummers in all the bands, and also playing guitar in bands, I would ask the drummers all kinds of question. I think the main thing you have to do is just pay attention and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! I think when it comes to watching drummers play, you have to analyze everything their doing. You are always going to have you’re own way of approaching a song, and it’s good to pick up fills from other drummers, but it’s also important to find things you don’t like about other drummers styles. This definately helped me develop my style.
SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?
Jeff: One cd in particular that influenced me a lot when I was first playing was Today is the Day “In the Eyes of God”. Brann Dailor, who’s now in Mastodon, was on this disc, and I had never heard anyone play like that at the time. I later ended up playing in Today is the Day so playing his parts live was definately an honor. Alex Vernon, who drummed for Dead Blue Sky and Twelve Tribes, then later played guitar for Mouth of the Architect, is another drummer that really pointed me in the right direction when I first started. All the drummers for Between the Buried and Me are drummers I watched pretty closely as well.
SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?
Jeff: Buddy Rich, John Longstreth, Ben from Converge, Bill Bruford, Dave Witte.
SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation
Jeff:
1. Converge – No Heroes
2. Mouth of the Architect – The Ties That Bind
3. Isis – In The Absence of Truth
4. Racetraitor – Burn the Idol of the White Messiah
5. These Arms Are Snakes – Easter
SD.com: Can you remember a night you think was your best playing ever? If yes, when and where?
Jeff: There was a show on the last Harlots tour in Duluth MN that Amora Savant played, and I hadn’t seen Amora in about a month and we had no practice. I had to play a double set and just fucking rocked through both sets like it was nothing. Another show in Geneva, Swizterland that I played with Today is the Day sticks out. Steve Austin broke a string in the middle of the set, and it was the first time I was ever asked to do a drum solo. I had to wing it, but it ended up sounding pretty cool!
SD.com: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?
Jeff: I like my Zildjian Z Custums, they cut very well live. For drums, you can play on almost any drumset and if you know what you’re doing you can make it sound good. It’s not like I have the money to be picky. I’ve been playing on a Mapex V Series kit with an 18″kick, 8″, 10″ and 12″ toms, and a 12×5″ snare for a long fucking time. I’ve played on a ton of other kits, but I love my small drums.
SD.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Jeff: Not really. I might warm up a little bit, but I’ve found that warming up wears me down later on. Normally I just set my drums up as quick as I can, then go smoke cigarrettes in the van and listen to music.
SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Jeff: PAY ATTENTION, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, and DON’T GET COCKY!! No matter how good you think you are, Buddy Rich will always be better.
SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Jeff: One of the first shows I went to back in 2000. The show was Undying, Twelve Tribes, Rune, and Dead Blue Sky, and I was super young. I just don’t think anything could top that show, everything was pretty new to me, and I had never really seen bands play the way those bands played. Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan always blow me the fuck away.
SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what would you want to do with your life?
Jeff: I’d be playing guitar in a band again. Anything to avoid the normal life.
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