Sam Becht - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Sam Becht, the drummer of Oolong and Remo Drive. We discussed how he initially learned to play the drums, his biggest influences, how he started drumming for Oolong and Remo Drive, two of his favorite songs he’s played drums on, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Why of course, thank you so much too!
You play in some great bands. You’re currently in Oolong and you also play live and in the studio with Remo Drive. How did it work out for you to be in both of those projects?
It really is a stroke of luck I get to play in not just one, but TWO seriously amazing bands. I couldn't ask for two cooler groups of people to make music with. It's funny actually, @oolong.li followed me on Instagram (@sambekt) a while back and would always post these videos from their rehearsals. I'd see like two guitarists, vocalists, even a bassist... but never any drummer! So finally I DM'd them just being like, "Why don't y'all have a drummer lol your music sounds so cool, let me drum for y'all." And the rest is history haha. How I got into Remo Drive is pretty much the exact opposite where I was friends with the Paulson brothers from playing shows together back in the day. My old band got to have Remo Drive open up for us in Flemington, New Jersey of all places and that's where our relationship started. Later down the road they had a UK tour coming up and needed a drummer so they decided to ask me and obviously I was thrilled haha. I quit my job the next day, that's a true story!
How did you initially get into drumming and who are some of your biggest influences?
I initially got into drumming because of my grandfather. He had a kit at his house when I was a kid and I would get to play it when we visited. He would eventually gift me one piece from his kit every year for my birthday. It made learning drums interesting because I would only get a piece at a time, compared to getting the whole kit at once. Some of my biggest influences would be Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), Zach Hill (Death Grips/Hella), Jose Pasillas (Incubus), and Perrin Moss (Hiatus Kaiyote).
Your work with Remo Drive has been during this interesting time in the band when they have been redefining the sound from those early releases. What’s it like being in the studio with them and how involved do you get in the writing process?
Getting to work in the studio with Remo Drive is such a fun and challenging experience. For starters, finding that chemistry with other musicians isn't easy to come by so the fact that I feel I've achieved that with the Paulson brothers makes songwriting more natural and enjoyable. Additionally, when we're writing songs I feel like I'm being challenged every time, which keeps it new and exciting. My involvement with the writing process has grown with each release since I've started playing with them. “Natural Everyday Degradation” I had a little input, compared to their recent release “A Portrait of an Ugly Man” I was much more involved.
The Oolong album has been getting a ton of hype. What do you think it is about that album that really resonates with listeners?
That's a great question haha, honestly, I don't know! I bet it's a different specific thing for each person who loves that record. That may be my answer haha: "About Your Imaginary Friend" is filled with so many little moments and intricate touches that one won't even notice until the 20th listen through. Everything from the lyrics, to the guitar layering, to (my favorite) the Xylophone throughout the album, it must resonate with a lot of people. I just love getting to share it with everyone and am glad Oolong shared their music with me!
What are two of your favorite songs that you’ve played drums on and why?
One of my favorite songs I've played drums on would be one of Oolong's new singles "Dippin Daniel". It's just such a fun and fast drum track I laid down I love hearing it back. Another one would be off of Remo Drive's "A Portrait of an Ugly Man" and it's called "The Ugly Man Sings". The drums on this track were just so wild and fun to write and I'm reminded how dope it was tracking that whole album when I hear this song.
What else have you been up to recently and what’s coming next?
Recently, I've been working on my next solo release under my name "Sam Bekt" and a variety of separate collab projects with artists "Rubber" and "Pinstripe Sunny" where I'll be singing and producing with friends. Also, my first ever kombucha collab is coming out very soon with a drummer of another awesome band so keep your eyes peeled!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
Of course it was totally my pleasure, these are some of the best questions I've ever been asked in an interview so thank YOU!
Follow Sam Becht:
Follow Sound In The Signals:
No comments: