BATTERY DRUMMER INTERVIEW : Eric Skjuttorp / CHUGGER

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

My name is Eric Skjuttorp and I’m the drummer in Chugger and I do some freelance in various bands and projects.

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

It was actually my mom, she noticed I was a musical kid and wanted to support it. She signed me up for various music lessons when I was about 7 years old and I quickly fell for the art of drumming and I’ve been doing it ever since!

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

I think I was about 7 or 8 years old when my mom bought an Maxwell (by pearl) kit with some old Paiste 101 and 404 cymbals as a christmas present. I still remember getting home with that kit and starting to assemble it, I was like a kid on christmas day! ;)

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

My dad was never in the picture but my mom has been a huge inspiration to me and she has always supported my musical endeavors, even when it didn’t sound so nice! With a limited budget I had to make due with what was at hand, but I didn’t really care if the cymbals was broken or the tom heads needed to be replaced. My step-father actually built a new room in the basement so I had a place to practice!

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

Oh that’s a tough question! I think it’s a tie between ”Periphery II” by Periphery and ”Language” by The Contortionist, both albums are perfect through and through.

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

My current kit is a Pearl Vision with 10”, 12” rack toms and two 16” floor toms on either side of the kit, and 22” kick.
It’s not the most expensive kit but I do love birch because of it’s attack and musical tone.

My snare drum is a Pearl Freefloating brass 14” x 3.5”

As for the cymbals (all Sabian), from left to right:
18” Paragon China
14” Stage Hats
10” Paragon Splash
18” AAX Metal Crash
8” Paragon Splash
18” AAX ISO Crash
20” AAX Metal Ride
20” AAX Explosion ride (for crashing)
19” AA Holy China stacked with a 18” HHX O-zone Crash
21” AA Holy China
 

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

Another hard question, why do you do this?!

Allright, it varies all the time but for the moment I would love to be the proud owner of a Pearl Masterwork Heritage kit with 10” and 12” rack toms, 16” and 18” floor toms (again, one on each side) and a 22” base drum.

I’m very fond of my current snare but I wouldn’t say no to a Mapex Black Panther Sledgehammer 14” x 6.5” Bronze brushed!

I have aquired the cymbals I want already though I would love to switch the Metal Crash to a 18” AAX Explosion Fast Crash and the Metal Ride to a 21” HHX Raw Bell Ride!
All the cymbals would still be from Sabian!

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

Lucky for me neither Neil Peart or Mike Portnoy would make my list haha!

In mixed order:
1. Joey Baca - The Contortionist
2. Chad Smith - Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Matt Halpern - Periphery
4. Nic Pettersen - Northlane
5. Jay Postones - TesseracT

9. Do you prefer Live or Studio?

 

It’s always fun being in the studio but nothing beats the thrill of playing live! In the studio you can practice and do over until everything is perfect but live you only get one shot of nailing everything.

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

Well if my guitarists try to say otherwise they get a stick up they’re butt so I intimidation is the perfect tool!

Actually all guitarist I work with has girlfriends (and they’re faithful!) so I don’t have to fight them for it!