THE BATTERY SERIES : Amanda McElwee Then Falls The Sky

1.What is your name and what band do you play for?

Amanda McElwee I am the drummer for Then Falls The Sky

2.Who made you want to play drums and why?

   

In the 5th grade I tried to play the snare in the school band and was told I would never be a drummer, guess I proved him wrong. In high school my brother needed a drummer to jam with so he gave me lessons. It wasn’t until I saw Carter Beauford at a Dave Matthews concert that I decided to take it more seriously. I was just amazed that so many different sounds and styles could come out of one instrument.

3.When did you get your first kit? Tell us about it…

When I was 12 I sold my bike and a bass guitar to get my first kit. It was a cheap Mapex 5 piece kit I think it had silver shells. The cheapest Zildjen cymbals I could get which where broken many times over the years.

4.Where your parents supportive of you and your loud / expensive new habit?

  

They have always supported me and my brothers talents. They bought our first instruments, then we had to do chores and pick up odd jobs to buy more. But they still attend Shows every once in a while.

5.What drum performance on an album is perfection to you?

Ants marching – by Carter Beauford. I love the tone of that snare.

6.Tell us about your current kit and set up in DETAIL.

I play Tama imperial star shells 22” kick 10”,12”,13”’16” Tom’s with a metal body mapex snare. Toms have Remo black hydraulic heads Aquarian pin strip on the kick and Remo control dot snare head. Gibraltar rack holding Menil HCS crashes 16 and 18. 20” menil ride. 16” menil China, 18” Sabina brilliance China, 18” whanton trash china. With the menil hats. I’ve always been a pro Mark kinda lady, but recently found these Diamond back sticks that I just love.

7.If you could have a dream kit tell us about it in DETAIL

   

T&K custom drums 22” kick toms 10-12-14-16 and 14” snare purple to black gradient finish with all black hardware. With Menil byzance cymbals with a brilliance and a trash China.

8.Name your top 5 drummers excluding Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy

Carter Beauford, Dave Grohl, John Wysocky, Victor Ribas, Howard Davis

9. Do you prefer Live or Studio?

I’d have to say both. Studio is very personal and peaceful, but there rush like live drumming.

10.Do drummers really get all the chicks and if so how do we convince the guitarist?
   

Definitely, us drummers don’t care what the guitarist thinks. That have to follow us anyway.