Catching Up with Jamie Douglass, 11.27.13

I recently had the pleasure of running into Jamie Douglass at one of his many, many gigs around town and realized that it had been almost exactly two years since I first interviewed him for milk&honey.  Jamie continues to be one of the hardest working drummers in Los Angeles and when I had a chance to chat with him between rooftop sets with Doran Danoff at Perch, it was just as I had suspected.  Over the past two years, Jamie’s been up to no good all over town and beyond, playing with the likes of some incredibly talented artists.  When I asked Jamie if he would be up for catching up via email, he was kind enough to oblige.  As Jamie and I exchanged emails, I realized that it is virtually impossible to catch up with someone who’s on the move as much as Jamie is, but I certainly didn't let that stop me from trying.

Photo by Stefani Newman

So, when we last spoke, you were playing with quite a roster of bands and artists.  Who are you currently working with and where can we find you gigging these days? 

Austin Hanks plays blues and rock & roll and has a great band with a somewhat rotating cast of characters, all hyper-talented.  We play just about every Sunday afternoon at the Piano from 4-7.  

Every Thursday night (when possible) I play with Tripp Rezac at the Escondite on Boyd St. in downtown LA.  I am not exaggerating when I say that Tripp is the most soulful guy I know.  His music is a hybrid of rock, country, gospel and blues, and he is a fantastic lyricist.  We typically start at 10.

I also play with an awesome singer-songwriter named Clare Means at Trip in Santa Monica.  Clare has a beautiful, haunting voice and plays great acoustic guitar, and her songs run the gamut from ethereal ballads to goofy punk rock tunes.  

In late November I'll be on tour to Northern California and Oregon with the Kyle Gass Band.  Kyle is one half of Tenacious D., and the rest of the band [members] are all killer musicians and hilarious guys.  Needless to say I'm really excited to play with them.  

I'm also playing with Andy Clockwise, whom I think you have heard; he is an amazing artist and tough to categorize, killer showman, lyricist, impresario who wraps great songs in punk and electronic sound, and cranks the volume and energy to 11. Our next gig is in December at Bardot.

Some other artists and bands I'm currently (or have recently been) working with are Shani, 8-Track Cadillac (featuring Ted Russell Kamp and Hunter Perrin), Beeswax, Fantastic Toes, Funkyjenn, Missy Modell, Abbey Lane, Doran Danoff, Chase Cohl, Yonatan Elkayam, Patches Run, The Hang/Trey Green, Paul Chesne, and Brethren of the Coast (feat. Duane Betts & Pedro Arevalo).  

It's been a busy few months, needless to say!  

Photo by Sandra Smith

Wow!  I thought I was busy.  The last two years have flown by at lightning speed for me and, so much has happen during that time.  I am guessing the same is pretty true for you as well given how much you've got going on.  What have been some of the most exciting things that have happened for you in the last couple of years?

The most exciting thing is the ridiculous growth in my drumming business playing with amazing original artists.  For many years I was making my living by teaching and doing a lot of cover gigs, and only playing with a couple of original bands and occasional sessions.  Now the bulk of what I do is original, creative music and recording on top of the teaching that I love.  Plus, it is exciting to work with so many world-class singers and instrumentalists.  I feel very lucky and I hope it continues!

On top of that, I am excited to be engaged to my amazing fiancee Rachael Lawrence! We are getting married next June and we are very happy.

I have absolutely no doubt that your success will continue and congrats on the engagement!  I cannot believe how quickly the holidays have come and Thanksgiving is already upon us, so I have to ask: What is your favorite way to spend the big T-Day?

This isn't exactly unique, but I love big gatherings with family and friends and lots of food! The last few years I've felt very grateful and Thanksgiving means more to me than ever before for that reason.

What are your plans over the winter holidays? Will you be gigging or taking a break?

I'll be around for most of December playing some shows and wrapping up the fall teaching season, and then Rachael and I will do some skiing in Colorado. We can't wait. 

Nice!  Okay, last question: Is there any music that you are digging right now (outside of the music you are playing with your various awesome collaborators, of course) that you would be excited to tell others about?

I love a band called Ultraista, and Andy Clockwise hipped me to a DJ/ producer named Lindstrom.  I love the electronic stuff, partly because I don't play very much electronic music (but I am a beginner at it) and it's exciting to be at the early stages of discovery of a musical style when I've been working with other styles for many years. But I always come back to the blues, classical, and especially guitar driven music like Jimi Hendrix and jazz like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. That's comfort food for me. 

Thanks so much for taking time out to answer my questions, Jamie!

Absolutely!  Have a great Thanksgiving!

 

Photo by Kevin Peterson

Be sure to check out Jamie’s homepage drumsetartist.com for regular updates on where you can see Jamie tearing it up on the drums!