Welcome to the Band!
Red Elvises' New Drummer, Interviewed via Email by Kayt
Our Favorite Band has a new lineup, as most of you know, and soon fans all
over the U.S. will be meeting the new guys. So here's a chance to get acquainted a little
with one of them, Adam, Red Elvises' new drummer...
Red Pages: Please tell us a little about yourself… Name, age (if you want to share), birthday
(if you want us to know), where you were born/grew up, and so on?
Adam Gust: My name is Adam Gust, or "Gustav" as a Red Elvis. My birthday is August 10, 1973, and I
was born and raised in Minnesota. I lived there twenty years and then moved to Texas to
go to music school. I moved to LA two and a half years ago and auditioned for Igor and
Oleg in mid December of last year. Look up my bio at www.adamgust.com
if anyone cares for more info.
RP: How did you meet Red Elvises and/or hear about their
musician search? Had you heard their music before auditioning?
AG: I did some gigs for a band that Avi Sills, a Red Elvis alumni drummer, plays
with now. He recommended me and the manager called me for an audition. They were
auditioning the next day so I didn't really hear the material at all. The audition was
basically a jam session with some prospective musicians who didn't work out.
RP: What made you want to join Red Elvises?
AG: The audition was such a blast, the music is eclectic and fun, and we hit it off
really well. I wanted to be a part of that.
RP: What was the audition process like? Lots of competition? Did
things seem to click right away? How long was it before you knew you were chosen?
AG: Igor and Oleg really seemed to like what went down right away and so did I. They
asked me if the Red Elvises is something I would be interested in and I said absolutely.
I'm not sure how many drummers they listened to, but I don't think they considered anyone
else after they heard me.
RP: What’s your previous musical experience? How long have you been
playing drums? Have you played with other bands before?
AG: I played piano when I was a kid, trumpet in grade school, and started drums
in eighth grade. I studied music at the University of North Texas and have been
performing and recording professionally ever since. I have never done anything like the
Red Elvises, however, and that is part of the charm. I'm really pumped about it.
RP: Some Red Elvises fans are also musicians and even some who
aren’t have an interest in technical details, so please tell us a little about your drum
kit…
AG: I've been playing a Pearl Masters Custom kit but I recently got an endorsement deal
with Pork Pie drums. I bought a few of their snare drums (which sound freaking awesome)
but I won't have one of their kits for a little while. I so want a red sparkle kit with
a 24'' kick drum for this gig from them so they will have to customize one for me.
RP: Do you play any other musical instruments?
AG: I've studied other instruments but have maintained only minimal skills on anything
other than drums and percussion.
RP: Do you sing and/or write songs too?
AG: I can sing but probably will refrain from doing so in the band until the show is
second nature to me. I'm not a songwriter. I consider myself a musical craftsman.
I craft rhythm and energy and love doing so.
RP: Do you speak any Russian?
AG: As for my Russian, so far I can count to four.
RP: If you hadn’t gone for a career in music, what would you have
done instead?
AG: I have never seriously considered anything else. Practicing drumming and studying music
has been my focus for fifteen years. I think my dad would have had me be a civil engineer
but he wound up with a drummer and a screenwriter for sons. If I weren't doing music
professionally I would be working some temp job until I was. It is a great thing to
love your work and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
RP: Have you seen the previous movie Red Elvises wrote the soundtrack
for and appeared in, "Six-String Samurai?"
AG: No, but I look forward to doing so. Perhaps when we are on road I will check it out.
RP: What’s your favorite food? Do you like beer?
AG: My favorite food is anything I'm craving at the time. I've never been a big beer drinker
but perhaps that will change in this band. It is a curious thing to meet musicians one
day and decide that you will road trip the US together in a red van six months out of
the year. Things will be much different for me for sure.
RP: The girls will probably want to know… Do you have a girlfriend
or wife, or are you hoping to meet a lot of girls at the shows?
AG: May 6th will mark three years of marriage to my beautiful wife, Dawn. We will miss
each other dearly while I am gone with the band. She has always been very supportive
of what I do and I love her very much. Fortunately for the ladies, the rest of the
band are a bunch of bachelors.
RP: Now that you’re in this band, what are you looking forward to
the most? Have Oleg and Igor given you any idea of what life on the road in the Big
Red Van is like? Have you toured with other bands before?
AG: I'm most looking forward to kicking serious ass in the Red Elvises drum chair in
cities I've never been before. When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a jazz
drummer until I was in my first traveling rock band in Texas. Performing in a slamming
original band for loyal fans is the best thing! I can't wait for people to hear the new
band. The rehearsals sound great, the new material is bad ass, and putting it all on
stage with full PA and lights is going to slay. Long time fans may miss previous
members of the band, but that won't last after they hear the new line up and new material.
The band is all about having fun, being outlandish, and playing kick ass rock n' roll;
I believe we succeed on all counts. I look forward to meeting Red Elvises fans all over
the world. Peace y'all.
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