Tuesday 26 August 2014

DRUMMER WEEK: NISHANT HAGJER (UNDYING INC, RECTIFIED SPIRIT)

Welcome to drummer week!
There's no one better to inaugurate these two insane weeks with. Monster behind the drums, Nishant Hagjer has to be one of the most pounding and tight drummers most of us have seen live. Check this interview I did with the man himself. Stay tuned for many more of your favourites, this week onwards. :)

Photo: Danish R. D



Full name and age.
Nishant Hagjer, 20

What is your favourite dish/cuisine?
ALL KINDS OF HEALTHY FOOD!!

Kindly tell us about all your precious gear! (Sticks, cymbals, kit, skins, gear/bags)
Vic Firth Nova 2B Drum sticks. Paiste Cymbals (I break a lot of cymbals, so I get whichever model is available then and there. It takes a long time for overseas delivery!) Tama Imperial Star Drum kit, Roland TD 11K Electronic Drum kit. Tama Speed Cobra drum pedals, Pearl Demon Drive drum pedals, Joey Jordison Slipknot Snare Drum, Remo Powerstroke 3 drum heads, Remo Ambassador Snare drum head!

How long have you been playing the drums?
I've been playing for 8 years!

What got you into playing drums?
I used to play the keyboard and playing the drums on the keyboard had me hooked on to it. That’s how I got to know the basics haha! Then one fine day, I saw Tre Cool of Greenday drumming on VH1. That was it for me. His drumming, expression and showmanship made me get a drum kit!

Have you learned to read music as well, or do you just play by ear?
I play by the ear. I am currently learning how to read.

Loud and pounding| soft and accurate| the normal drummer. What do you prefer?
A mixture of the first two would sound great, but if I were choose one for a lifetime then its got to be LOUD and POUNDING.

Rectified Spirit
What thought goes into the composing process?
It’s a lengthy process. Nothing is fixed. If it’s a metal tune that I’m working on, then I generally start with the drumbeat. At times the beats are riff-oriented! I start with the keyboard and guitar for my pop project and that’s when I add beats and vocals, which turns into a full song.

What other music projects are you currently a part of?
I play drums for Undying Inc and Rectified Spirit. I have a pop/EDM/dance music bedroom project going on as well!

Do you have a day job? What is it that you do?
I’m a full-time drum teacher.

Your favorite musicians (Indian)
Guitar: Prasanna
Bass: Joshringdao Phonglo
Drums: Mithun Puthanveetil
Vocals: Yet to see many vocalists of other genres other than metal!

Your favourite musicians (international)
Guitar: Misha Mansoor
Bass: Henrik Linder
Drums: Matt Garstka
Vocals: Adam Lambert

Undying Inc
Can we expect a release from your band(s) any time soon?
Yes! We (Undying Inc) just released our EP and we have a few tracks ready already!

Whom do you look up to, as a musician and a band?
Multi-talented artists who have broken the barrier and come out of the vicious self-sponsored circle and are now comfortably doing their own thing, full time. I respect Periphery, they motivate me everyday, I've seen them grow over the past decade and its crazy where they are at now!

A message to all your fans (hello ladies!)
Hey all! Keep supporting my work, as that’s what motivates me the most! I do this every single day and I work super hard so if it puts a smile on your face, then I’m more than happy :)

Undying Inc on Facebook
Rectified Spirit on Facebook

Here's the official video of Undying Inc's song IRONCLAD.



1 comment:

  1. One of the crazy and best Drummer from North east India, Assam. Chhers Brother, DIO bless you...

    ReplyDelete