Having played for Justin Hawkins, Jordan Rudess, Martin Barre, Devin Townsend and even on the West End for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’, Darby Todd joins our very own Ollie Winiberg for a chat and kit tour.
Tweeters studio, Leatherhead UK. The home of Devin Townsend drummer, Darby Todd. This was my first interview for Drummers Review and I was buzzing! Not only is Darby a good friend, but he is one of the most capable, reliable and relevant drummers I know and his ever-impressive CV continues to grow. Alongside being a prominent and significant member of Devin’s band, Darby has also worked with Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), The Darkness, Robert Plant and even played for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ in the West End. This back catalogue evidences just how versatile he is as a musician.
After being welcomed in by Darby and getting a full tour of the enormous and impressive space that is Tweeters Studio, we went upstairs to his drum booth to set up for filming. As I walked in, the first thing I spotted was his famous orange British Drum Co kit, which sat proudly, surrounded by a beautiful selection of Zildjian cymbals and a pair of used and abused pro-mark 5a’s on his snare.
The four-tom, double kick set up was a condensed version of what you may have seen him use on stage with Devin (which was the same set up he used at 2023’s UK Drum Show) and in the kit tour, Darby details his set up and how he has cleverly created one kit for playing both metal and jazz.
We spoke a lot about who he has worked with and why his phone doesn’t stop ringing with job offers, but what stood out for me is Darby’s work ethic. He was a delight to interview and is always cheeky and charming, but beyond the jokes is a man who is absolutely and completely dedicated to his craft and who deserves all the success he is getting.
00:46 – Getting the Devin gig
04:25 – Approaching odd times with Jordan Rudess
08:30 – What’s being used?
10:25 – Two kick drums but a double pedal?
15:30 – The legacy
16:30 – Darby’s solo record
18:10 – David St.Hubbins territory
21:10 – Angering the strongest man in metal
22:00 – Why drums?
24:00 – Drum solo and kit tour
Darby Proudly Plays…
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