For many musos getting paid, and getting paid enough to live off playing music is the dream, but more often than not it’s a very rare reality. If you’re feeling rock superstardom is an impossible dream, there are also a number of other ways you can cash in on your talent.
One example is solo artist Spender (aka Tommy Spender) who we spoke to last year. At night he traverses the country to playing live, recording and producing his own music, and working with Gotye, by day he runs his music company Donut Beach, writing and recording soundtracks for TV and radio commercials, producing bands, and teaching primary school kids garage band.
Also for the lucky is the opportunity to become a session musician; getting paid to play, tour and work with some of the most talented artists around sounds like a pretty sweet gig to us. One such muso living out this dream is Dave Jenkins Jr, though you might not know it there’s a pretty high chance you’ve heard Dave before.
Lending his expertise behind the drum kit, Dave has worked with Andy Bull, Daniel Johns, Eves The Behaviour and Kirin J Callinan just to name a few, and these days is one of the most sought after session musicians in Australia.
The multi-instrumentalist also has worked on a number of his own creative projects including Young Romantics and most recently as one half of up beat retro-pop duo Vigilantes. The Sydney two piece have recently released their brand new single ‘Elasticity’, and to celebrate we caught up with Dave to chat about what it’s like working as a session musician alongside some of Australian music’s most popular and divisive figures while masterminding his own projects.
The Beginning Of It All
“I first picked up the sticks when I was five years old. My father was a drummer and like most kids, I wanted to be just like him. I have these memories of sitting on his lap playing drums, when my feet couldn’t even reach the pedals. He tried various times to teach me back then but I don’t think I had the concentration for it.
It wasn’t until my best friend brought a guitar to school in 3rd grade that it all started to happen. Back then we were obsessed with the Beatles and Nirvana and would spend hours on end playing their songs. I have these old cassette recordings of our rehearsals that are absolutely hilarious. It sounds like two little chipmunks bickering about what song they want to play and why.”
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How Dave Became A Session Drummer
“It was never my intention to become a session musician. It’s not something I ever consciously decided to do. I think a lot of people have these misconceptions that you have to practice for six hours a day and study at music college, then when you graduate someone hands you a pair of sticks and a boarding pass to your first international tour. The reality is very different. Sure, some musicians do it that way, but for me it was a slow burning and organic process.
The first paid gig I did was with Andy Bull for his Phantom Pains tour in 2011. At the time Andy was performing without a drummer and had reservations about incorporating drums into that setup. I feel like my musical instincts are what sealed the deal in that instance. I was very aware of what Andy was doing melodically, and was conscious not to get in the way of that. For a while I was juggling a day-job and my drumming work, but thankfully that is no longer the case.”
A Day In The Life Of A Session Drummer
“I can honestly say that every day is different. How your day runs depends on a number of factors… who you are playing for, where you are in the world, and what you have coming up.
When I am Sydney I spend the majority of my time at my studio ‘The Echo Creative’. I built the space with my friend/collaborator Marcus Catanzaro two years ago and it has been really grounding for me. When I am in the studio I can focus my time and make the most of the projects I am working on. Whether it be learning new songs, rehearsing, writing with others or writing for myself, I don’t think I could find that same motivation if I was working from home every day.”
Keeping ‘Work’ & ‘Art’ Separate
“It’s something I have struggled with at times, especially a few years ago when I first started being identified as a session drummer. I was drumming on the X-factor and playing for a lot of “Top 40” artists while also singing in my own alternative band Young Romantics.
I was writing these really dark tracks and playing tiny venues to no one, then the next day I’d be jetting off to New Zealand to play 8,000 seat arenas. These days, I am able to be more selective about the work I take on and the stylistic choices I make. It’s the first time I’ve really been able to combine the two worlds, and I’ve never enjoyed myself more.”
Favourite People To Work With
“I’ve got to say, working with Daniel Johns recently has been an incredibly stimulating experience. I have never met a more focused artist. He’s a true visionary, and very rarely lets anything stand in the way of his imagination.
Kirin J Callinan, is an artist whom I have been through a lot with, and come out the other side with a greater understanding of music as an art form. Kirin is a performer in every sense of the word. For him, life is a stage, whether the people around him are aware that they are part of the audience or not is another question all together. From Kirin I have learnt the art of theatricality. Onstage, everything should be considered; what you wear, what you drink, your interaction with your band members and the audience… it all matters.”
Career Highlights
“Daniel Johns – Vivid, Sydney Opera House 2015: Performing with Daniel for his first ever Solo performance at the Sydney Opera House last month was a real career highlight for me. Everyone in the band and crew worked so hard to realize Daniel’s vision, and translate his new material to a live setting.
We rehearsed for a month straight, often for 12 hours a day. We really pushed ourselves in every way imaginable and the shows really soared because of it.
‘Terrible Love’ with Kirin J Callinan – Sugar Mountain Festival 2015: This is a strange one, but something I will never forget. For this year’s Sugar Mountain festival Kirin was given the task of putting together a show incorporating the themes of ‘Terrible Love’.
What resulted was a 40 minute set filled with love-song duets performed live VIA SKYPE with Jack Ladder, Alex Cameron (Seekae), Blood Orange, and Neil Finn. Playing “Don’t dreams it’s over” to a karaoke backing track with Neil Finn singing his heart out via Skype is the most surreal and absurd thing I have ever been a part of.”
Worst Career Experiences
“In September of 2013 I embarked on my very first European tour. It has since been dubbed by the members of the band as “The European Tour of Hell”. On the way to the first show in Amsterdam our show was cancelled, on the second night in Hamburg my wallet was stolen, in Belgium a man chased me down the street swinging a chain screaming “This is my city!”.
In Paris I got stuck with the bill from the hotel that apparently the label were “taking care of” thus emptying my bank account and resulting in the American embassy withholding my visa, causing me to stay in London an extra 10 days with no money and no accommodation. I ended up missing our showcase at CMJ in New York and the first few dates of the American tour that followed.
That is a very condensed version of the ‘European Tour of Hell’… some day I will write a book about it all.”
The Birth Of Dave’s Personal Project Vigilantes
“Following on from the ‘European tour from Hell’, I felt starved creatively. I returned to Australia with a yearning to make my own music and indulge in something that would satisfy me as an artist. I reassembled my band Young Romantics, incorporating my friend singer/multi-instrumentalist Angela Ford. It was an incredibly prolific time for me as a writer. Angela and I would often be in the studio till three in the morning just throwing everything we had at these songs. As these tracks evolved it became clear that this was something very different to anything we had ever been a part of and so VIGILANTES was born.”
Vigilantes Plans For The Rest Of 2015
“The last six months have been a real whirlwind for us. We have toured with Andy Bull, New Navy, and Asta, all the while working on new material and shooting a music video for our track “Elasticity”.
The second half of the year will involve a new release and some serious touring with our new drummer Mikey Haydon (ex The Middle East – currently Matt Corby and Bree Tranter). This year I’ll also be performing at Splendour in the Grass with both Eves the Behavior and Dustin Tebbutt. Thankfully their set times don’t clash!”
Advice For Anyone Wanting To Become A Session Muso
“Adapt but don’t compromise. While “fitting in” is probably the most important trait for a session musician, it is important to retain your identity. Study the artists you work with, and the audience you are performing for. Pick your moments, and let your personality shine within the context of the music you are playing. Another one that seems to work for me is; Say “yes” now, worry about the scheduling ramifications later. More often than not it will work in your favour.”
