Sean Lang

Keep up with Sean here:

Main band: http://www.myspace.com/firstreign
Side band: http://www.myspace.com/subdivisionsband

Personal Drumming videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLwQeBJYkrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQGZdELg0co

First Reign videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT10shrvaok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxHsRkk99WI

 

 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in love with music. When I was really little, my parents would put on classical music and I would get excited and run and jump around. I got my first kit when I was 10. It was called ‘the duke,’ which at the time, I thought was pretty badass. I loved to play it but swore that I would never ever play in front of people. I was sort of wrong about that, ha. For the first 3 or 4 years I was taught by various teachers here and there, and after a while I got tired of bouncing from teacher to teacher. I was a cocky little kid and decided I would teach myself from then on. I probably wasted at least 3 years not teaching myself anything. Then I found the internet…what a glorious thing. There is so much knowledge available for those who search. So I started learning beats and techniques from small online drumming tutorials.

A lot has changed since I started. I’ve been through a plethora of garage bands and other musicial wastes of time, but they all contributed to the player I am today. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the player I want to be, but the learning process is fun and the bands I play in make life quite interesting. I hope to do this until I die.

Sean Lang Interview:

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

SL:Technically, I was 10. My parents bought me a starter kit because a friend of theirs had a kit, and when we visited I would immediately goto the basement and try to play it for hours and hours.

 

 

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

SL:Yes, in High School I was in school band and jazz band. I’ve always wanted to be involved in some sort of drum corp, but that doesn’treally exist where I’ve grown up, in British Columbia. (to my knowledge)

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 metal influences?

SL: Derek Roddy (the speed and precision this guy achieves while playing with power and emotion is inspirational) Gene Hoglan (Symbolic is by far my favourite Death album) Mike Portnoy (I can remember seeing that one drum solo video where hes all 80s’d out– big mane of hair, nasty little singlet…and I thought, if I can drum half as good as him, I’ll die happy.’ And then I began to really practice Tomas Haake (I love his polyrhythmic interpretation of metal drumming–truly an innovator)

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who are some other of your favorites?

SL:Virgil Donati is my all time favourite. Because of him, I’m obsessed with polyrhythms and grooving in odd times. The guy is not human. I called it, and when the world finds out, don’t come whining to me!

 

 

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

SL:
Gojira – The Way of All Flesh
Abigail Williams – In The Shadow of a Thousand Suns
Textures – Silhouettes
Anathallo – Floating World
Mogwai – The Hawk is howling

 

 

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

SL:Not enough, usually! My ‘warm up’ is basically comprised of playing paradiddles (with sticks) on whatever is nearest. I’ve been planning on bringing a bass drum practice pad to warm up my ankles, but that hasn’t quite happened yet.

 

 

SD.com: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?

SL:I do read music, and it has been a huge asset in my playing. When I come up with a new groove, with a lot of interdependance, I like to break it down into bars, and then when I have the seperate bars hammered down, I can put them all together. I also teach drums, so reading music makes me a bit of cash on the side!

 

 

 

 

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

SL: So far, I have never been unhappy with a Pearl product, so I guess Pearl is my favourite drum brand in a way. I love the quality/price of Sabian cymbals.

 

 

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

SL: I’ll give 2! Firstly, playing slow is just as important as playing fast. PRACTICE BOTH. Dynamics are very, very, very important. Second, practice rudiments, it will greatly enhance the feel with which you can play.

 

 

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

SL:I’m an Opeth fanboy, so it would have to be Opeth on the progressive nation tour with btbam and dream theater. So tight. So heavy.

 

 

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

SL:End it?!? Just kidding. I would devote my time to writing and selling songs. I do that already, on a very small scale, so it would just be easy to slide into.