Talking Heads’ Chris Frantz Talks Drumming

Because I’m old (at least that’s why my driver’s license tells me), my ears perk up when I hear the name Talking Heads or anything related to their particular brand of quirkiness.

In a recent interview with Musicradar, former Heads’ drummer Chris Frantz discussed his drumming routines:

Chris Frantz admits that he’s not always a demon when it comes to honing his drum chops. In fact, on the day we speak he reckons that he hasn’t touched his set in at least a month. “I really need to get back to it soon,” he says. “My right foot starts to go if I don’t practice. And you know, a drummer needs to have that kick drum working.”

Practice for Frantz usually means playing with other musicians, namely his wife and partner in both Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Tina Weymouth. “Tina and I will work on some stuff,” Frantz says, “but we both play accompaniment instruments, drums for me and bass for her. So we need to jam with other people. To me, that’s the best form of practice because it doesn’t feel like work.”

When not seated behind his actual kit, Frantz likes to play around with another rhythmic friend – a drum machine. “It always surprises me when I hear drummers say how they hate drum machines,” he says. “They’re so useful.

“It always surprises me when I hear drummers say how they hate drum machines,” he says. “They’re so useful”

“There are some things you can create electronically that you might never be able to physically play, but you can also write simple, sweet parts that you can then take to the kit. It’s a good way of practicing, too. Anything that gets you away from the usual way of doing things is something you should embrace.”

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