How and when did you discover you had an interest for music and the arts in general?
Honestly, it’s the first thought I could remember! I loved it all: music, dancing, theatre and film/tv. The moment where I decided I wanted to be a musician, though, came at the age of three at a Greek cultural event in Toronto. My dad was giving a speech and there was a Greek band on the stage. I remember wanting to be up there so badly to play with them. I snuck up on stage, grabbed a tambourine and sat there as if I was part of the band. I knew in that moment, that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

How and when did that interest turn into an obsession for sound and recording?
By the time I was 12, I started my first band with some girls at my school. Naturally after writing our first songs, we needed to make a demo recording to pitch to labels (I was an ambitious pre-teen). I had emailed my favorite artists asking them for advice on how to get started in the business. Andrew Franey, who was in a band called Smoother, had responded to me and called us on the phone during one of our rehearsals and offered to record our first demos. He arrived at my parents’ house with a PC and a bunch of mics, set it all up in the basement and recorded us on Cool Edit Pro. He then sent us fully produced demos a few days later and something shifted in my brain. It empowered me to start producing myself…to start finding ways to translate what I heard in my mind’s ear into something I could share with people. I didn’t have to wait for anyone to create. I just needed to go and do it. From that moment on, I quickly absorbed every experience I could when it came to sound recording. I eventually graduated to other systems and integrated analog processes into my recording set-up, but that DIY bedroom producer spirit never left me.

Out of everything you do – write and perform with other artists, produce, mix, record, etc. – is there one thing you prefer?
They all kind of feed into each other. I find myself being drawn more towards writing, producing, mixing and recording. Within this whimsical studio world, I can also exercise my artist spirit and my background as a multi-instrumentalist. All of these facets of what I do can all co-exist within the studio environment and that rush of creating something from nothing never fails to excite me. I have taken a hiatus from playing live. It was a source of great anxiety for me (I have had terrible stage fright my entire life). Though I do miss it sometimes, I definitely prefer studio life.

Why was the Canterbury Music Company studio ideal for what you wanted capture in this EZX?
Canterbury is one of my favorite studios. We are so lucky to have this gem in Toronto. The room itself has a “sound.” When you combine the room with that vintage Neve console, the outboard gear and their mic locker, you get sonic magic. I also love working with Jeremy Darby, the studio’s owner, and Julian, the house engineer. Jeremy is a legend in this industry and both he and Julian are incredibly creative and collaborative engineers. I am continuously inspired by them, the space and I have gotten some of my favorite drum sounds out of that studio. When the time came to select a studio for this Toontrack project, Canterbury was the obvious choice for me.

Take us back to the very beginning. How did your interest in music first begin and how come you ended up behind a drum kit?
Both of my parents are musicians so, of course there would be plenty of great music in the house at all times. They noticed that I had an interest in rhythm and spent a lot of my time tapping on my thighs or making the start of beats on the dinner table. However, it was my Grandfather who gave me the push I needed and got me some lessons when I was 12 at a local music school to get me started. I was hooked ever since!

Which drummers do you think helped shape your style growing up and learning the instrument?
This is a big question and I could probably name a few dozen greats, but I think my biggest influences were Carlton Barrett from Bob Marley and the Wailers, Questlove from The Roots, Jon Bonham of course from Zeppelin, Brian Blade, Steve Jordan and last but definitely not least, Paul Brennan. Paul was the previous drummer for Digging Roots and has played with many Canadian groups like The Odds and Big Sugar. I had the absolute pleasure of shadowing Paul for many years. He was always very generous with me in sharing his secrets and I learned the vast majority of my feel from watching him. Thanks, Paul.

To you, what defines a great drummer?
I think the greatest drummers always have a really great ear. Playing to the music without ego, serving the songs and the art. That to me defines a great drummer.

If you were to describe your style of drumming, how would you put it?
This is a tough one. I am still trying to find words to describe my playing everyday. I think this is because I am always trying to learn as much as I can. So, if I would put to words right now it would probably sound something like laid-back, pocket groove, greasy drumming. Or something like that anyway.