Latest / LOYAL TO THE CRAFT / Dre Hemby: The First Loyal Kit, Teddy Swims, and Fellowship

Transcript

Dre Hemby: The First Loyal Kit, Teddy Swims, and Fellowship · LOYAL TO THE CRAFT

• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: Dre, thank you so much for joining, man, and taking the time.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: You guys are deep in rehearsal right now, but we have a lot to talk about.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: We've done a lot of cool things this year.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: You've done a lot of cool things this year, gearing up for an incredible arena tour with Teddy and the band.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: You guys got a lot going on, man.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: How are you feeling?
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man, I'm feeling really good.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh really prepared.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: We've been locked into rehearsals for the last couple weeks, so we're we're really knocking to it.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh got a got a few good things coming out, um a few videos that we recorded, um, a few uh new songs that we're implementing within the set, you know, of course, new arrangements.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the set itself, of I've seen just the the very basics of the setup that they have going on, and it's it's crazy.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like they're getting it put up together right now, but it is it's gonna be absolutely phenomenal, bro.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: We're just we're excited for this year, we're excited for the new wave of music that's about to be coming.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we're feeling good.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: We're feeling real good, Mike.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: How how does it feel and how does it look on the back end from the tour that you guys just did, you know, in 2025 when I saw you at some of the smaller clubs to now?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how many semis do you guys have?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: How many trucks are are in your kind of arsenal?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it must be insane to see that.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Bro, bro, we're huge now.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think what our last year's run was five buses and 11 trucks.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to say we're up to now nine buses and 25 trucks.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Holy moly, bro.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: It is it is huge.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Our staging alone is two and a half semis.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Our staging alone.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: So um, that's I mean, for those who don't know, that's just literally just the floor of the it's it's it's a big operation that we got going on, bro.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: We're excited for it.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the staging, the trust, the lights, the visuals, bro.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's all crazy.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it's all crazy.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: Unreal.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Shouts to Curtis and Luke and all the team in the back end making all that happen, man.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like what a what a ride, you know, from when we met you guys in Vegas randomly two years ago, now.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: It was literally October 2024, that I saw the maroon truck that Pat was driving.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, that's Teddy's bus.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: I had no ideas you guys were in town, no idea.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then we all hung out and and and chilled and came on stage, watched you guys from that to now, even backing up a few months ago, Coachella and that explosive performance.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, unbelievable ride, man.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Shouts to all of you guys for putting in the time and the energy, the vision, and just again, the team in the back end making that happen.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: I know you guys worked so unbelievably hard uh doing that, and what a what a journey it's been, dude.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, it has, man.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, even just reflecting back to, yeah, when we when we locked in, Vegas, Fremont Street, actually.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the gig.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I remember that whole time period.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: You was around the way doing another festival with the with the SJC boys, and you know, and and we just ended up coming uh together.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: You saw the bus, and it was just like, hey, like, hey, I'm I'm here, like let's link up.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: We had a good time, good fellowship.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And um, man, that's just it's crazy to think about two years ago where we both were, and uh now that this this thing has just become so big and so elevated and so worldwide, and it's just it's just really been blessing.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's been a blessed journey.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's been uh crazy to ride the waves and to ride the elevation, bro.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it's just been an amazing experience.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Unreal, dude.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: And and that word fellowship that you just said has been in my mind daily.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like I literally, you say it often, and I know you mean it.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: You truly mean it.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: You embody that word.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: And from the moment, yes, I was in Vegas for when we were young with Josh and Nancy and Sammy.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: That was around the time that the three of us and really the the the the loyal to the craft idea was starting to brew again.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: We were at dinner together, just getting to know each other a week before that.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, yeah, I'm going, I'm gonna go see Frank Zumo and Sum41 and the Newfound Glory guys and Goldfinger.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: And we left the festival and Josh and Nancy were like, yo, we gotta go to Hugo's cellar, great steakhouse right near Fremont Street.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: We went, there was an hour wait, we're sitting there.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: No joke, dude.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like, universally, something put us, something put us there that night for us to make a relationship with you, not just me, but Josh, Nancy, and Sammy and the loyal team.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because legit, like I had just seen Pat posted up a video on his Instagram because he's driving the maroon bus.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Saw it, hit you up, or hit Pat up.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: He was sleeping, hit you up.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: You literally came out, yo, what's up?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just like vibes from the second we met.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: I did the pinky with you guys before you went on.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was just like fam.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: You guys played.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: We saw the whole set, we got dinner, left, and it was like, how did that happen?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: Why did that happen?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: We weren't sure yet why.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: We had already been building you drums, you know, in my time at SJC, and we hit you up again the year the next year.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, you guys want to go do good?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Does freak freely want to come into a high school in Raleigh on your day off?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, no problem.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: No hesitation, no hesitation, no strings attached, no hesitation.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: You FaceTime me with Teddy.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yo, why wasn't I invited?
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, bro, you are of course invited, man.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: I just figured you'd you'd be busy or maybe taking time to rest your voice on the day off.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then boom, we get you guys to the high school and that fellowship of just doing good.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: No, no questions asked, like, let's go talk to some kids at high school and hope that we can inspire and motivate them.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, if there's musicians in the room, go chase your dreams and music.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: If you guys are graduating, going off to do whatever, we just want to give you a word of encouragement to go on and do the thing.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: That then led to us hanging out in January this past year at NAM.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: Again, no strings attached, just saying, What's up?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go to dinner.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: We all went and got some sushi.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: I was at the tail end of my career and exiting SJC, which was an emotional journey for me.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: That was one of the last things that I did in the industry as SJC guy.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't even literally talk about what was next.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: It was like, all right, well, see ya, like, bro, like great dinner, go do your thing.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: You're about to go play the Super Bowl and all the things that you were gonna do.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then fast forward, literally, the way the universe works in this fellowship, dude.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: Your production manager called me.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: We need a kit for Coachella, we need another kit for this, and I'm like, hey, I'm not at SJC anymore.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta call, you gotta call those guys.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: And the way that it all unraveled and worked was just like, we want to keep working together and doing good under the loyal umbrella, the purpose and the mission of inspiring kids.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: And the the concept of like, yo, noble and cooley could build these under loyal.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's new, it's never been done before.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: Not even really sure if they would be down to do it.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: And dude, what was it?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: 96 hours.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: That was on a Friday.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: That was on a Friday, and then on a Monday, we're on a plane.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: And then Monday, we're on a plane.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: First flight out, too.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like a whole day spent in Monday.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Spending Massachusetts.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: It was crazy.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I the whole the whole sequence of like all of that was just from the genuine, I know, fellowship.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: I know I do say that a lot.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: But that's really where it came from.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Just the the sense of familiarity and love and passion that I feel like there was an attraction there from me meeting all you guys and you guys also mutually meeting me in those moments.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we we already had worked and communicated, you know, via email, via text and everything else like that.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: But that our first time really encountering each other was literally by, you know, it seems by fate.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we just pulled up.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: And um it just felt like everything was always making the the the right direction, a step in the right direction.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: With, you know, with our PM hitting you up, even in the last, you know, the last minute, there was just some oversights that had happened on our side.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, we hit you guys with an emergency, you know what I mean?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like a straight up an emergency.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you stepped in, loyal stepped in, uh, noble and cooley stepped in.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: It was like, hey, like, what's up?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: We would love to, you know, join your frequency, your vibes of of of fellowship.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like me and you hopped on that flight and just even getting to the factory, getting to the grounds, uh, cold as it was, snowy as it was, um, it just already just started feeling right.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: We walked into the warehouse, seeing the drums being made by hand, seeing what they already had in stock, seeing, you know, the love and the passion that they exuded matched the love and the passion that we had already had for, you know, live performance, but we had already had for, you know, um loyal and for community and for, you know, give back and outreach.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: And it just felt so right in all the reasons.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, crazy enough that has nothing to do with the drums themselves.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um the guys were just so so so matched in our energies and and it just all of this just felt right in every segment.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like in every step that you look back with our journey since I first got with you guys officially in 2023, but us meeting in 2024 is just all the steps just led to such a a pure place in this, you know what I mean?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like just the loyal mission, the loyal brand, the loyal, you know, outreach, you know, and Dre and you know, following up in that outreach and also extending, you know, my hand and my you know, my love and my passion, and also, you know, our fellow, you know, uh lead, you know, our f our fellow musicians that's you know eventually to join.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: But it's just it just felt all right.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just all the steps that led to this, Mike, is just always felt in place and in time.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's just so beautiful.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like it really is, man.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate it's crazy, man.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate you so much.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like this is it just goes to show that in the industry that it really doesn't matter what logos on a drum, it's the relationship, it's the purpose behind it, which has been since day one of creating a drum brand when I was 15 by accident, and then re-realizing that I have a company when I'm like 22 years old, like seven years in, I'm like, okay, this is like a thing.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: It was always about fellowship, it was always about community, giving back, having each other's backs.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it what I I'll never forget that, man.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, we were literally on the phone on a Friday, and I said to you, Would you be open to this journey if if if all the other things don't line up?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you're like, Yeah, I mean, I've never really played a noble and coolie.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: I would love to get my hands on one if we can make that happen.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like the biggest deal because I know they make great stuff.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: And it was like, I'm trying to find people in Atlanta that have drums.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna drive one down to you from Maryland that I found, but I go, you know what?
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: If we're gonna go on this journey together, I need to be there.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: You need to be there, we need to feel it, we need to see it, we need to be in the energy.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: Booked the flights.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: I was on a plane from North Carolina to Atlanta at 5 a.m.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Met you at the at the terminal at the gate at 7 for a 715 flight.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I was getting nervous because you text me like, yo, I went to the wrong gate, or they changed the gate.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, I'm coming.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll never forget, bro, you walked up and you could just go, you like hugged each other, and you just go, this is a historic day, baby boy.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then my brain, I I was I had cold sweats, bro.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: I was so nervous, but I was so excited because of this journey that we're about to go on together under that fellowship, and looking out of the plane, and I've I've done that flight from North Carolina to Hartford, Connecticut many times to see my dad and my family.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: This time was different, though, man.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: My dad picked us up at the airport in Hartford, drove us to Western Mass to see the factory, and we went in and it was freezing.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: But you're right, man.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: The I've been in drum factories now for a drum factory for 25 years.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: There was something different about that place.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the smells and the aura and the energy.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think it being established in 1854 was one of them.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: But Luke, the general manager there, just saying yes immediately, didn't know how many drum sets you needed, didn't know what you needed.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: He was just down from the get-go.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: He's part of this fellowship.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: Meeting Ricardo and him asking you, what do you want your bass drum to sound like?
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want it to go dh or do you want it to go th?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: And like they nailed it, dude.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I I've got so much respect for them and so much respect for you for taking your one day off before like getting on the road for six months to do that, dude.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what a what a I felt like a movie.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: That was a movie in my life.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: It was a movie.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: It literally was a movie.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, literally on Tuesday, I was leaving the head back out for the for the Super Bowl.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it was it was just it was just so crazy how how everything just moved fast.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I mean, it just matched, bro.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I mean, I there's no simpler, there's no other way to say it.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: There's no simpler way to say it.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: There's no you know, exaggerated way to say it.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like, everything literally just fell into place.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Luke and Ricardo and the whole team, you know, their their vision, their execution of what they were already doing was literally just we were running parallel lines this entire time.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just it's it's so beautiful now that you know the roads have have merged, you know, finally.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because it's just been it's just been so beautiful.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: And uh all the responses, you know, of of everything, you know, the teases, the, you know, the people that have been to some of our shows, some of our festivals, you know, that they're they're privy, you know, to the drums.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: One, because the the color schemes are completely different than the last kit.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: So clearly you see the drums and you be like, oh, that's not what Dre was playing last year.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then two, you know, it's uh just a whole different sound and frequency that resonates with these drums.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I mean, and this is into, you know, priors or, you know, the other industry great names, but there's something special about the love, the consideration, and the craftsmanship that, you know, noble and cooley has put into those drums.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: So for loyal to have those same, let's you know, pay attention to details and that same consideration of all the little things, you know, it just literally matched up with me, which also matched up with the drums.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just been so beautiful.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's three major entities have like just found this cohesiveness, yeah.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: To we just, you know, just live and fellowship together.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's crazy.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: And again, shout to them, you know, dude, they've been down.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's this unbelievable, like, like you said, these worlds colliding where like my world was, you know, typically that pop punk, like early 2000s flashy color vibe, things that a noble and cooleie would be like, nah, we're not gonna do that.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: You coming in and getting what you got is definitely more along the lines of what they do.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: But there was a particular snare drum on the bench when we were there, and you and I both looked at each other because I know how much you loved the edge snare you were playing.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: And in my whole journey working with you, I was always trying to figure out that light bulb moment of like, what can we make that beats that?
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know I gotta beat it.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: I can't just match it, I gotta beat that.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: And we see we see this snare drum in the corner, and you like nudge me, you're like, what is that?
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Hey, what is that, Luke?
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: And he's like, Oh, Ricardo, come tell him about this.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, this is a special snare we've been working on, haven't developed it quite yet, but it'll come out someday, and we're like, what's it all about?
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: And it is a segmented stave hybrid where the staves are the top and bottom bearing edges, and the middle is a steam-bent solid ply of wood.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: Never been done before.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: And Ricardo, I have a full interview of Ricardo telling me about how he was inspired by the way bridges are made.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: He literally is like the way a bridge is made.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: You think of a bridge and how it can have that structure on top, all of that machinery, trucks, cars, movement on top of it, the winds, and the way a bridge is made, that's how that drum was made.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: He was inspired by a bridge to make the the the joints of the the staves and then joined together by that steam bent.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: He was like, I think we can get different frequencies out of this snare drum.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: And they were and they were down.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: You were like, could I could I try it?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: I know it's not ready, but I'd love two.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: One for A-rig, one for B rig.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then you guys got it, and what happened?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: It turned into more expedited.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I need two more.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we fell in love with the tonality of it.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what Ricardo put into those drums?
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out, Ricardo uh power.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what Ricardo put into those drums, put into that snare is just it's amazing.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you you think about the out of the the out-of-the-box concept, you know, building it the way a bridge is built.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you can tell because that snare is it's not like any other hybrid center that I've ever heard.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's a metal to wood, whether that's a wood-to-wood, whether that's a metal metal, you know, hybrid.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: The tonality and the the response and the versatility that goes into that snare.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's it's truly unmatched.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: And Ricardo, he outdid, he outdid the industry with that one.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: I I say that, like, I really I'll stick my chest out with that one.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out Ricardo, man.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a very beautiful snare.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's a very beautifully made snare.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: It just sounds amazing.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's so great.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just that it's it's stuff like that.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: That attention to details of of being so intuitive to be like, this could do something different.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: This could change, you know, uh, a life in a way.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: This could change a vibe and a frequency in a way.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's like that's what the that's what we've been looking for, and that's what we've been talking about in our journey of having our brotherhood and our friendship.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like, how can we keep pushing the edge and pushing the status quo to, you know, one influence and and inspire, but also like, you know, in the in the love of the music and the love of the game.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: And just I mean, just everything that's going on over there at Noble and Cooley.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we we went in there, I saw that snare, and and never mind even just you know playing it.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: It just looked beautiful.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: I saw it just it had my attention from the from the jump, but it was just so beautiful to see, so beautiful to hear the response.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I mean, you know, I played all the snares that they had in the room that day, and that one I just kept running back to.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's just so dope.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's such a good and they and they roll with us in this fellowship, man.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: It could have been easy for them to say, no, it's not ready yet, but they were like, Yeah, we'll we'll we'll push it through.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we we had two weeks to make two kits for B rig to go to Europe, A-Rig to stay here and go to Coachella, which obviously the attention you guys had at Coachella with all the guests you brought out and the stage reveal was just nuts, dude.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: You were up on a 20, 30 foot looking riser.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: They were just down, and it and it just goes to show again fellowship, the partnerships, all the things you just said inspire, but also how do we evolve and how do we create and continue pushing the needle?
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's been my journey since the jump of even being introduced to the drums at a young age.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then just man, just the journey of you unboxing the kit and FaceTiming, and we were we recorded the whole thing.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, Coachella, obviously, we came up and did a bunch of stuff behind the scenes.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Man, we've had to we've had to be pretty tight-lipped on this.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: You've obviously, like you said, been playing the drums, people seeing you on socials, but your homies coming out and seeing and talking behind the scenes.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: But the world truly hasn't really seen the rollout yet.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we we came up to Connecticut and filmed a playthrough of Mr.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: Know It All with you guys to get some great content, but in typical loyal fashion, which again is the purpose of all of this, we always want to have the side quest of doing good.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so you guys have just been so accommodating to us of like, hey, can we bring these kids in and get them tickets?
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: And Dre, would you come and gift a snare drum and just give these kids that we find that need a little bit of a little bit of motivation and inspiration?
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: And we found Elias, he's got a vision impairment, doesn't stop him.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: He had a dream of going to a show at Mohegan Sun this year.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: We made that happen.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: We gave him a drum, and it just it feels good, man.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Knowing that there's a young musician out there now learning what it's like to pay it forward and learning what it's like that there's a place for them in music.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's what it's about, man.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_01: And you you have been a pivotal person this whole time for Loyal to the Craft Man.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you so much.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Oh no, thank you equally.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's uh, you know, I've always wanted to just be impactful.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I I never really sought out, you know, the the extras, but I just always wanted the music and the the drumming to be impactful, you know, to the regular listener, to the next musician, the whole nine.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, the fact that I am blessed with this platform and blessed with this gift, and then, you know, I get to do what I do at such a high level and and you know, be able to give back to the alliases and you know, uh, and just be able to just, you know, inspire in a very approachable and touchable way, you know, to, you know, let people know, like you said, yes, there is a place and space and in music for you and your contribution.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, music is too number one expressive and too big and you know, too, too huge to ever try to limit to, you know, of course, a genre or a certain style of drumming or a certain style of anything.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: So it's all about who you are and what you know your heart wants to tell the world.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, who are we to you know tell the next that you can't express your heart, you can't express your soul, you can't express your grievances.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: No, let your light shine, let your, you know, let your Heartshine and you know this beautiful way that we love to express ourselves in music.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: And the faster I feel that kids can learn that, you know, younger, the more confident that they can have going through the different levels of their own personal journey.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, sometimes all it takes is just a simple, you know, yes, or a simple encouragement, or a simple ticket to a show, and that's all they need to, you know, start their journey, or start the next levels of their journey, or start their own process.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, what's 10, 15 minutes out of my day, no matter how much it may seem busy, you know, that could change the life and the trajectory of somebody else.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's never a problem to give back to, you know, the next because that's what this is all about anyway.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm not gonna be doing this forever.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: So while I can do it, you know, encourage you to also follow this dream that I'm getting to live.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Follow your passions of, you know, writing and creating music, expressing yourself.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's what it's all about, bro.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's what it's all about.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's the whole foundation of music and arts as a whole.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: 100%, man.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I can't express enough too.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it doesn't matter what age you're at, like, forever whoever's watching, listening to this, like, if you have a dream, go for it.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Don't let Tom don't let somebody tell you, including yourself, that you can't do it.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, Dre, honestly, bro, like, this has been an emotional journey for me.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, exiting the company I started as a kid, not knowing what was next, knowing that loyalty to the craft is here, but like leaving essentially the thought of leaving the drum industry at that level, you single-handedly helped put that reality into my world and my purview.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll never forget the journey of the phone call and the FaceTimes.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it was like midnight on a Friday night, and we're FaceTime each other, just being like, This is kind of crazy, right?
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: But like, I feel it.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: Do you feel it?
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: I'm good, you're good, and checking on each other and then getting on that plane and landing in Hartford into the snow.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: I can't really explain the feeling for me of again the nerves, but the the the excitement and the the wonder of like, all right, cool.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I was 15 when I started doing this thing, and I made a lot of mistakes.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: I made a lot of decisions and things that I, you know, wish I could do differently.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: No regrets in life, but yeah, I was a kid doing this and landing and then getting back on the plane with you that evening after we did the whole thing and got food with my dad and just bonded with my dad and hung out with him.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: I got to see him for a day, get lunch with you was incredible.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: And just the the faith that you had in this in the support that you gave me and us at Team Loyal, man, I'll never forget it.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then watching you play that kit that night, Coachella was a different thing.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: I got to see it live streamed, and that was just unbelievable in of itself.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: But to be in the room that night with Elias and his family sitting, you know, right next to me up top there, and seeing you and feeling the drums coming through the PA system and having watching my dad be like, whoa, because dude, you got chops, man.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like you are an incredible drummer in the way that those drums were made and tuned and and and all of it.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: Your your tech Sean did an unbelievable job, your front of house did an unbelievable job, you don't do an unbelievable job, and just hearing and seeing that, bro.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like still emotional from it, but it's been an emotional journey.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I hope that kids can see that, like, here I am as a 41-year-old, kind of starting over.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've got 25 years under my belt of certain things that knowledge and resources and connections, but like I'm starting this thing over and it can be done.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_01: The fellowship is what can help push you through.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: And um, I just can't thank you enough again, man.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like, for real.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's just been such a crazy year, and I know we're just getting started.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Oh no, man, for real, for real.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, um, we speak on this clearly offline a lot, bro.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, you you really are family.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was very easy to trust this whole process.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: Never mind just because of how easy the logistics came, but also, I mean, you know, Mike, you've you've been my guy as well, you know, for this entire tenure that we've been rocking.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, when when you have good people in your life and you have good energies that's always flowing around you, even in the dark seasons, you know, there's a certain trust and there's a certain, you know, love and and mutual respect that makes kind of the the hard decisions um a little bit easier.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, just the same, uh, the same encouragement.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's it's you leaving, I kind of felt the same way, honestly, in a certain point because, you know, it was a lot of what ifs in this new venture together, you know.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what if something couldn't be provided?
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: What if something couldn't be done?
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: What if something, you know, we were on a very, very small window.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I know, you know, we're explaining the story to people, but I I want people to really understand the gravity of like how this fell into place.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: We were on a literal two-week turnaround.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like, two kits, two full kits had to be done ready and sent in less than 14 days.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think really it was actually like 12 days, if I'm a little bit more accurate, not trying to be dramatic.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: And just for everything to fall into place, bro, it's just I trusted you the same way that you trusted me.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it was it was a mutual respect, a mutual love and appreciation.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um I think we both were equally nervous, you know, what is the industry gonna say?
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: What is, you know, how's this gonna play out logistically, you know, um for the fellowship, you know, because loyal, yes, is a whole big idea and concept and venture by itself, but it, you know, the gateway is still drum.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, still everything has to be right on that regard.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, man, equally, I I give you so much appreciation and gratitude for your equal trust, you know, in me as an artist and as a representative of, you know, such a big part of your brand as well.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is very, you know, very, very mutual, you know, love and respect here.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I, you know, I I just as much, Mike, appreciate you publicly, privately, you know, the whole nine.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, your vision and your execution.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just glad to be a part of this journey in this wave as well, because it's everything that I've always thought and wanted, you know, my career to have an influence and be impactful for as well, bro.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, mutually, I'm I'm appreciative as well to you, the whole team.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it it was beautiful, man.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: Just us being up there eating Mexican food with your pops, and we was, he's like, bro, this is this is gonna change things in a good way.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like, this is gonna change lives.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is gonna be so impactful and so, you know, so out there.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, just what's already been, what's already been.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, in every sense of the word, if we're talking about the drums, dude, I've never seen my camp be so reactive and so itchy to play my drums on a daily basis.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because like everybody is just in love with them, how they sound, how they feel.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: The drummers and the non-drummers, I I can't keep it.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: I promise, like they're they play the kit more than I do sometimes.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the responses from drummers and music heads alike, you know, in my DMs and you know, my my friends that's texting me.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: I've had some, I've had some heavy hitters of friends, you know, come out.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know this.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Giuseppe, my good friend Giuseppe, Devil West Prada, uh, my good friend uh Jarvis, uh Tate McRae, you know, some some heavy hitters, Paige, Paige Cooper, you know, Scissor.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody, everybody saying the same thing, like, yo, these drums are bananas, man.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like, so it's just it's just beautiful that it aligns in all the ways.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: It they sound great, they look great.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: Ted loves them.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, the the crowd, they respond to them, you know, they respond to them.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: They they love, you know, how I play, you know, how the drums sound.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it's just so beautiful.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, then it's just all gives the leeway to, you know, do the giveaways and be part of the community and be part of the next upbringing, bro.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm telling you, equal, equal, equal gratitude, my man.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: Equal gratitude.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm so excited for where this is going.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait for everybody to see, you know, what's the rollouts, you know, you know, the next community projects, next pop-ups, the next, you know, everything.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just so many good things that's coming out of the loyal community and the loyal brand and the loyal family.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and and I wish we could spoil it, but in time, everybody will see, you know, who's all joining the family and and who's all down for this venture as well.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_00: But it's it's beautiful, bro.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not, I I don't, I don't take any pioneer, you know, credit or whatever like that.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: But it really is, it is a warm feeling to be like, you know, the first, your word, not mine, the first of this.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is really, this is really, you know, really impactful for me personally.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is it's it's beautiful.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm loving already what we're doing.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: And we haven't even we haven't even hard launched yet.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, dude, it's crazy, dude.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, bro, like it was 12 days.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_01: You're right.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't even two weeks, it was 12 days to create that relationship, go through all of the the logistical things, sizes, what you want it to sound like, look like.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: We weren't even sure on colors yet, because you guys were still kind of figuring out some of the stage optics, but also launching a new brand.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, having loyal having Noble be down to kind of like ghost build this kit with the loyal logo on it.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: 2026 is a big year, man.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: You guys, you guys are about to embark on this arena tour.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: Bunch of love coming from Modern Drummer.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_01: Congrats on the uh nomination for the Modern Drummer Award.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: We got some insane things that we're about to start teasing with that snare drum specifically.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: So a little dangle in the carrot there.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: Stay tuned.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, there's just a lot to come, and this is only the beginning.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_01: And dude, yeah, I mean, launching a new drum brand in the last uh seven, eight months has been no easy feat.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: But it's honestly, I talked to some homies and I talked to my family and uh the loyal team here, and it's like, dude, I feel like I'm 16 again.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: I do.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I feel like I'm back in grandma's basement, just rolling my sleeves up, doing it myself, doing it, doing it with the small nimble team, learning as we go, and just like it feels really good.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you are, man, like I'm I'll say it forever.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're the first loyal drummer that ever existed.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: And uh literally the fact that that came together within a 96 hour period um will forever hold a massive part in in uh in my aura, in my energy, in my heart, and I'm I'm always appreciative and just so excited at what's to come, man.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_01: So unreal.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: Man, it's gonna be beautiful, Mike.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: I really can't, bro.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: We need a we need a Netflix show about this one day, dude.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: I had my little, I had Josh gave me a DGI camera to record some of this stuff, and I know I gave it to my dad.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, Dad, will you record?
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, I don't know what I'm doing.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just like, just I'm gonna hit record, you go.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully he got it in frame, but we got some documentation of that journey.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, doing that that what was it, a four-hour trip.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: We had to very quickly eat lunch and get back to the airport to walk back on the plane.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: I was gonna say, yeah, literally, we first flight the first flights in and the last flights out that same day.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was mad.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, testament, testament to relationships, though.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: All y'all aspiring musicians out there listening to this, for real, it is about relationships.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: From the from the jump, Curtis called me in 2020.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: Curtis is uh part of the management team for Teddy Swims, and he called me in 2020 being like, yo, I'm working with this new artist, like we got to get you guys making them drums.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_01: And that came from a relationship from from Josh Manuel, uh an Atlanta boy, you know, working with him back in the day with issues and and just being homies with Josh.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: Curtis was friends with him.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's kind of how we met.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: He told me about Teddy and um just introduced us, and there it was.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: So really like go for it, chase your dreams, it's possible, and uh create good relationships in that fellowship.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just it's just all about you know who you are as a person and then chasing your dreams and and you know, like, yeah, fellowship, bro.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like when Tang, when Curtis hit me up and was like, hey man, like, you know, I know you're I know you're you know pro till you die.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know it, but like, you know, I I got a friend that you really should just talk to, you know, he just you know, he's interested, you know, and I I I think y'all should, I think y'all will hit it off.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that was his actual words.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: He said, I think y'all would hit it off.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_00: And um, he put us on the email thread.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then I remember how even that even started, how that door started, you know, the same type of promptness and the same type of you know, just love and respect.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: You was like, hey, okay, well, I have a kit that I can get to you in rehearsals.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all start rehearsals and in, you know, a week and a half, two weeks, or whatever like that.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: I can get you a kit, you know, um, if you're down to try it.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think I texted you literally first day of rehearsals and was like, yeah, cool, let's do it.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like it didn't take no time because I was already impressed with you know how you know, response the the relationship, like how the relationship even responded before it even was able to even develop.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like first impressions are are everything.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: And just there was uh, hey, I love drums, you love drums, what are you looking for?
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what's your sound?
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: What's this?
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: What's that?
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_00: All right, cool, I got a kit for you.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_00: And just from there, it's just like again, every section is just always slow.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, relationships have have just been pivotal to all of this.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: And it's cool that we build in relationships even more with you know those that are matching this energy and matching this vibe.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's so many parts of the music community and the the music world that we'll be able to touch, you know, that loyal will be able to expand to.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because of the, you know, myself and the oncoming, you know, loyal family that will soon be announced and everything.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just so beautiful.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's just so beautiful how, you know, something as small as, hey, uh, one of the homies, you know, Frank Zumo, he really loves you guys.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like he really loves you guys.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: He loves Ted.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all are gonna be playing the same festival.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it'd be cool if you guys link up.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sure, bro.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: Drop the group chat.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: And hey, bro, like I'm here at the festival.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm here at the festival we just pulled up.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_00: Cool.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_00: And now we're in catering, you know, chopping it up, you know, eating before we both gotta play.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: Relationships, man.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, if if who you are as a person is a testament through your witnesses, that's that's all that matters to me.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I know who Mike is.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I already know who, you know, the Frank Zumo is gonna be, or you know, whoever just, you know, that we that we meet through, you know, relationships.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_00: So it was just it was just real easy, bro.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like you've always made it easy.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: Josh and the team uh have always made it easy.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um every company, honestly, have always made it easy.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but that you know just stems from the relationship that me and you have had and that has you know stood for the last you know five years of us working, four, four or five years of us working together.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just it's just been really cool, bro.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_01: That warmed my heart, the picture of you and Frank in front of your kit, dude, because yeah, that group check came together.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_01: I saw you guys in the same festival.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I gotta link the boys, like, let's go.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, you mentioned a couple people uh that were calling out your kit.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: There's another drummer that was a little envious of your unboxing when I FaceTimed you guys to watch you unbox the kit, which was a that was a trip in of itself.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_01: I was cold sweating that whole time.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I hope they made it uh uh okay.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you know UPS or FedEx didn't smash up the boxes.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_01: I hope the finish is what you guys want, and I hope everything's good.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that was a it was a it was a it was a risk at the end of the day, you know, like that was a first.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: But um, Zach Hansen was in the car with us.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_01: We had we flew him out to the lounge here to do an interview, and uh, we were coming back from an event we did with him.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: We had just gotten dinner, and uh he was sitting next to me in the car and you guys FaceTime me.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I literally had the phone like this, and Zach was next to me.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, he was like drooling.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, bro, what the heck?
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_01: I want that.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, bro, dude.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: They were I I mean, I know you're gonna put out the video, but I can't wait to see my own reaction behind it because bro, I was literally like mesmerized by them.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like to smell the factory on them, to sm still smell the wood on them.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's drum nerd stuff.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's just like getting a new car, you know what I mean?
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_00: Or you know, whatever.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like there was just so many details and like the the the craftsmanship and they they came out, everything came out perfectly fine.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I I know that was that was scary for all of us, you know, how fast the drums needed to get there, like what they're taking care of in that process.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: We have no room for error because if they if any uh if the the shipping company that we're using, if they mess up these drums, like we're kind of screwed right now.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_00: So it was a lot, you know, a lot of pressure.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, I got I have P I have PTSD from that type of stuff, man.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: Anytime a drummer calls me, I'm like, I all automatically go to the worst.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: Oh what strings am I gonna have to pull here to try to like fix this?
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_00: But it was crazy.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't even gonna tell you that I was gonna call you to unbox.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_00: I just called you and I was like, hey, so I got the drums like hey, let's just do this.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: My heart sank you was in the phone.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't even know you was in the car with Zach.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_01: My heart sank, and I'm like, guys, we were in a deep conversation, either about like we talked about in January at Nam, either about aliens or about some something about Loyal or Zach's life.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, guys, I'm sorry I gotta interrupt this.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: I have to take this phone call.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, Dre's either gonna tell me the drums made it and he loves it, or something happened.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_01: I need to know.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_01: And it was like, I'm gonna unbox him and I want you to join me.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Yes, yeah, guys, let's go.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: I was just like, so I didn't even know.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, I you know, I never try to intrude on you know what I think is you know your personal time.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty late.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: Nah, dude, it was awesome.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, I'm like, all right, let's just see.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: If he picks up, he picks up.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_00: If he don't, he don't.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you called him.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_00: Pulling them out, pulling them out the plastic, bro.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like, Sean, you know, my drum tech recording, he's sitting on the side like like he's eyes big.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's been a backline tech, you know, for years.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_00: He worked, you know, working out of Nola.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's seen every, every, every color schematic of a drum that you could possibly see.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: And he was just like, yo, those are fire.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: Like, and and bro, even the more so.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_00: So since the last time you seen them, the color pile, the color palette was exactly on when you see this kit against the new set, like against the new staging, the new background, the new ever.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man, never mind how they sound, they are gonna get everybody's attention.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna tell you that now.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_00: Cause like the blue just sits with the blue, like it's it's so crazy, bro.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_01: Josh Josh was driving on that phone call too.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_01: So, like, we hadn't even really seen many photos because they boxed, they didn't even assemble the drums.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: They they nested the shells because you had your your Evans heads at the at the uh compound to put on.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: So we're like, let's just nest the drums, save some box space, go.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't really see them that much.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_01: So Josh is driving.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, show me, show me.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, I'll show you in a little bit after this FaceTime.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta drive.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_01: But dude, it was exciting.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so stoked.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_01: And the way the color came out, too, man.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_01: It you knew you you knew Ted wanted like a blue and a black theme, didn't want it to look and feel like police or whatever.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_01: So it was a very specific color palette that we were going for, but without much in the way of like, here's the exact pan tone hex color, and you walked by a shell on the Noble and Coolie Rack, and you're like, that should be good.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_01: Save that and let me get back to you in like a week.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, all right, cool.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like, just it came together real quick.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that even truncated the 12 days into even less because it was like, whew, the journey was uh was special, man.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_01: We're here now.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: I cannot wait to see uh see the stage and see you guys ripping it up in just a couple weeks.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like I told you before we started recording.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna come up to Boston to TD Garden.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: I've been at that venue multiple times growing up in Massachusetts.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I gotta see you guys play in that that arena, dude.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's an arena, bro.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like seeing you guys at uh at Fremont Street, which is incredible in of itself, but it's it's a smaller room.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: Seeing you in a small room in Raleigh, seeing you guys on YouTube at the Coachella, and now I'm gonna see you guys in a Mohegan Sun was big, but T D Garden, man, you guys are in the big, big, big leagues now, and I'm so excited to see this journey roll out for you, bro.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, man, I I can't wait, bro.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's uh it's a new season for you know all of us, really.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_00: This is Uncharted Territory for all of us.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, our campus so excited, so excited.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um and really we're we're already proud.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we haven't even gotten into the big room yet, but like just seeing the set, seeing, you know, the show that the CDs and management and Ted have put together, like to see Ted's vision.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like to know to know Teddy, to know Teddy is his personality is all through this show, man.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's such a it's such a journey, it's such a vibe.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um and it's it's it's so exciting.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we're all we're all super excited for this, bro.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's this is gonna be definitely something special.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely something special, bro.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_01: Fellowship, baby.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate you so much, Dre.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for taking the time out of your seriously insanely busy schedule.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_01: I know you guys have been pushing like 10-hour days rehearsing for this, and you're about to hit the road.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_01: We wish you nothing but success and safety and health on the road and enjoy every moment, dude.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, bro.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for everything.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the love and thank you for the support, and thank you for, you know, just the the camaraderie, man, the brotherhood.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I I say this all the time to my my loved ones privately, but you know, I I say it, man.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, if this all stopped right now, the relationship I have with you would would forever keep going.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_00: If I'm in the area, you know, I would, hey, let's get on the boat.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_00: Where's Cov at?
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, t give Lindsay love for me.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it's it's you are you are my brother, you are my friend, and I I appreciate y'all um supporting and and helping my my vision and my you know my likeness um as Dre and as you know Teddy Swim's drummer collectively uh and separately.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's it's just beautiful.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I appreciate you, bro.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_01: Peace, bro.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see you soon.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_00: My guy