THE GLORIOUS SONS ’ ADAM PAQUETTE
Adam Paquette is the drummer for The Glorious Sons , who have been called one of Canada ’ s hardest-working bands since the release of the 2014 debut , The Union , because of their relentless touring . They ’ ve twice won the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year — in 2018 for Young Beauties and Fools and in 2020 for A War on Everything .
CM : If you ’ re to listen back to 2013 ’ s Shapeless Art EP or debut LP , The Union , from 2015 , and then compare that to your playing with Glorious Sons currently , is there an evolution you hear in yourself as a drummer ?
Adam Paquette : Absolutely , I ’ ve experienced a big evolution since Shapeless Art . I can attribute this to changes I ’ ve made in my drumming techniques , to the frequency with which I practice , and my overall mindset towards drumming . When things started taking off I wasn ’ t where I wanted to be as a drummer , and needed to get better as our success grew .
CM : Over the last year or two , is there any particular skill you ’ ve worked on learning / improving ? If so , how did you approach it in your practice regimen ?
Paquette : Yes , there are a few skills I ’ ve recently been working to improve . Specifically , my hi-hat technique , and the speed / consistent velocity of my kick drum hits . I approach this in practice by isolating the techniques before integrating them into the songs , I take videos of myself during practice to review , and I ’ ve taken a few drum lessons as well .
CM : Can you pick a Glorious Sons song on which you ’ re most proud of your own contribution ? What did you do on that song that you like ?
Paquette : I probably couldn ’ t pick one song , but I ’ d have to say I ’ m proudest of the entirety of our new album . We just wrapped recording in November , and it ’ s incredibly rewarding to see how consistent practice reflected on the recording process of the new tracks . I felt really prepared going into the studio , and that itself made me proud of my contribution to the finished product . I think the drums on this album sound really alive !
CM : What ’ s your best advice to other drummers on how to most efficiently and effectively improve on the drum kit ?
Paquette : The best advice I can offer other drummers is to incorporate consistent practice . That and get out and play live shows , play in front of an audience . The performance aspect of drumming requires a different headspace , so it ’ s good to get comfortable being in it .
CM : When it comes to drum and gear preferences , have there been any significant changes you ’ ve made in recent years ? If so , what led to the changes ?
Paquette : Yes , the biggest change I ’ ve made is the height I keep my seat . I moved it higher because I found it gave me a more consistent kick and a better overall feeling behind the kit .
CM : Lastly , for the gear heads , can you describe your go-to touring kit ?
Paquette : My touring kit consists of YC Drum Company drums – 14-in . snare , 13-in . rack tom , 16-in . floor tom , and a 22-in . kick drum , pretty standard . I play with Istanbul Mehmet cymbals , a 14-in . Sahara hi-hat , two 18-in . crashes , and a 20-in . ride . I use ProMark 5A drum sticks , a Porter & Davies drum thumper stool , a Yamaha [ electronic percussion ] pad , Yamaha hardware , and a DW 5000 kick pedal .
Michael Raine is former Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Musician .
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