Wilco drummer and percussionist Glenn Kotche espouses a view that players should aim for individualistic expression no matter what form of music theyre playing. Supporting this notion, he recalls one of his early gigs that might have raised a few eyebrows but ended up paying off big time. He told, I brought a metal sculpture with me to a show I was playing with Edit Frost in Chicago, he says. I was just looking for a way to make it more interesting, and with the sculpture I could hang a bunch of cymbals from it or play brushes on the base of it. I could use it for sound effects on one or two tunes – all kinds of things. [Producer] Jim O’Rourke saw that and thought, ‘Wow, this guy is doing interesting stuff. He’s not a conformist.’ I started to work with Jim, and through him I got into Loose Fur and then Wilco. I wasn’t trying to be weird or different or anything; I was just being myself. But its lots of little things that have made me work within Wilco and be successful in that setting. A lot of preparation and doing my homework went into it, but the biggest thing is trusting my instincts and listening to what I hear in my head. There are things that I learned playing in big bands or listening to a steel drum band that Ive been able to apply to rock, he says. Really, there’s just an endless flow of influences and inspirations out there. For me, it’s always about looking outside of myself and picking things up from other music, visual arts, movies, even literature. I ask myself, ‘How can I apply what this person did to what I do?’ It’s amazing what you can do when you look in different places. I’m all for practicing as much as possible and involving yourself in as many playing experiences as you can find. On the other hand, you have to be a whole person, too. Having a work/life balance is really important. I think Vinnie Colaiuta said something like, ‘You’re life is what gives you your groove. If you live in your practice room all the time, there’s probably not a lot of exuberance that’s going to come out in your music.’ That’s so true. Get out there and enjoy life, and then when it’s time to practice, give it your all.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 20:00:00 +0000
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