VWMusic

All images courtesy of Rogers & Cowan PMK/Image credit Desiree Friesen

By Andrew Daly
andrew@vinylwriter.com

Recently, I caught up with ever-versatile drummer Brian Griffin of The Black Crowes. As The Crowes’ newest drummer, Griffin is tasked with not only celebrating The Black Crowes’ storied past, but he’s already proving to be an integral cog in their feature endeavors as well.

Griffin recently took time out of his busy touring schedule to sit down with me, for a quick chat, where among other things, we touch on Brian’s origins, his early influences, his touring and session work with dozens of seminal artists, joining The Black Crowes, and a whole lot more.

Andrew:
Brian, thank you for taking the time. You’re out on tour now, right? How’s life on the road?

Brian:
It’s been great. I’m thankful to be out playing all these great songs again with a killer band and crew.

Andrew:
You’re playing Shake Your Money Maker in full this time around. That has to be a blast. What are your favorite tracks to play live?

Brian:
That changes from night to night, but recently I’ve been enjoying “Sister Luck,” and “Seeing Things.” They are such powerful soul tunes, and they provide a cool change-up to all the great rock ‘n’ roll in the set. With slower songs like that, there is all this room for every single note to really speak. 

Andrew:
Going back, as a young musician, what was the moment which first sparked your interest in the drums?

Brian:
I actually don’t know. [Laughs]. When I was in fourth grade, I knew I wanted to play drums in the school band, but I had never been exposed to any drums or drummers before then. 

Andrew:
When I listen to you play drums, Brian, I can hear tons of jazz influences bleed through. How integral has jazz been to your development as a drummer?

Brian:
I studied jazz early on. There’s a natural progression when you are learning drums to eventually learn jazz since there are so many benefits to your technique: swing, coordination, independence, ensemble playing, improvisation, sight-reading, etc. I’ve had some great teachers over the years who encouraged me to dig deep into that amazing heritage. 

Andrew:
I’m a huge Elvin Jones fan. Which drummers most influenced your style? 

Brian:
Elvin is incredible. There are so many amazing drummers that have made an impact on me, so I’d hesitate to pick any above any others. I’ve noticed that my influences change from time to time, but when I pick out some jazz to listen to I recently have been coming back to Elvin and Art Blakey. 

Andrew:
What were some of your earliest gigs where you first cut your teeth?

Brian:
I was in lots of school bands and played in lots of school band concerts; concert bands, orchestras, jazz bands, etc. I was fortunate that the public schools I went to had great opportunities to play and travel for different concerts. It was great for learning how to play in different size groups, and for learning how to play for an audience. By the eighth grade or so, I was also playing a lot with my older brother Kevin in different rock bands. 

Andrew:
You’re with The Black Crowes these days. How did you enter the fold?

Brian:
My friend Tim Lefebvre gave them my number a couple of years ago. He’s a phenomenal bass player who did some playing with them a few years back. Super grateful for that because I’ve been a fan of the Crowes for a long time. 

Andrew:
Was there an audition? If so, what tracks did you run through, and who else were you competing against?

Brian:
Yeah, they had me come audition in April 2021. I don’t know who else auditioned, but it was a really great experience; the band was absolutely raging and we played a number of the hits.

Andrew:
I really like the personality of the current lineup. It’s got the soul of the original, but both yourself and Isaiah seem to inject a lot of vigor into the band. Expand on that for me.

Brian:
Thanks for that. We all have a lot of enthusiasm for this music, and we workshop the songs a lot. We have a practice room backstage at every gig where any or all of us can experiment, and get comfortable before the show starts. It’s a great place to dig deeper into these songs and develop what we sound like as a band. 

Andrew:
How do you go about translating the original parts, retaining the base track, and then making it your own?

Brian:
Lots of homework. [Laughs]. I listen a lot, write everything out, and then get comfortable playing all the parts. Once we’re playing together, I try to be as present and in the moment as possible. My own instincts may kick in then; whatever serves the song best at that moment. 

Andrew:
How does your jazz-based background best lend itself to the sound of The Black Crowes?

Brian:
The Black Crowes’ music has so much great rock ‘n’ roll swing and swagger to it. Being exposed to jazz at an early age helped open my ears up to that side of music a lot. I really enjoy exploring that stuff. 

Andrew:
When The Crowes first reunited, a lot of people called it a one-off or worse, but I feel you and Isaiah, along with the Robinson brothers have proved the doubters wrong. This feels like a very real, and cohesive band. What can you say in regards to the inherent chemistry of the current lineup? 

Brain:
Thanks, man. Everyone is focused on making this the best band possible. It’s such a powerful sound when Chris and Rich are playing together. We each have our different backgrounds, but the incredible songs and the incredible dynamic energy of the Robinson brothers playing together just pull us all in. It really helps us fall into place.

Andrew:
To that end, 1972 was your first studio affair with The Crowes. Walk me through your experience in the studio. 

Brian:
Oh, what a total blast. There were no tricks or special effects. We all learned the songs beforehand, and when we got to the studio, we cut each of the songs live in one or two takes. It was just raw rock ‘n’ roll energy. It was a total highlight for me.  

Andrew:
After The Crowes get off the road, is a new full length in the cards?

Brian:
We sometimes play through these cool song ideas that Rich [Robinson] shows us. There’s nothing confirmed yet, but there is talk of some cool stuff in the future. Stay tuned!

Andrew:
You’ve shared the stage in support with the likes of Lana Del Rey, Patti Smith, Brandi Carlile, The Lone Bellow, The Wallflowers, Iggy Pop, and more. If you had to pick one moment, which sticks out most in your mind?

Brian:
I’m lucky to have a bunch of great memories, but I distinctly remember playing “Remedy” the first day I met The Black Crowes. The band was like a jet engine. A lot of their friends and family were there including a dog that was running around. Chris was dancing around, and I could see some smiles around the room. It was nuts.

Andrew:
What sort of drums, cymbals, and hardware are you using these days? 

Brian:
I’ve been playing Gretsch Drums and Istanbul AGOP cymbals for the last number of years. They just always sound right for the music I’m playing. 

Andrew:
If you could have a drum battle with any player in history, who would it be and why? How would you fare? 

Brian:
Oh, man. I don’t know. [Laughs]. How about John Bonham? I’d probably get crushed, and love every minute of it. [Laughs].

Andrew:
Last one. What’s next for you in all lanes, Brian? 

Brian:
When I’m home in L.A., I try to play and record with anyone I can, but right now I’m just focused on the band, and delivering every night. 

– Andrew Daly (@vwmusicrocks) is the Editor-in-Chief for www.vwmusicrocks.com and may be reached at andrew@vinylwriter.com