Danny McGonegle - I Decided to Give Myself a Chance

Nate Smith September 3, 2026

There’s an instagram reel of today’s guest playing at Smalls. The description, next to a video of a blistering solo, says “I used to have to be drunk to play at Smalls.”

That single sentence encapsulates almost everything he wants you to know about his story.

First, that now he’s by-all-measures a prodigious jazz drum talent.

Second, that a surprisingly short time ago he had crippling performance anxiety.

Third, that that anxiety led to alcoholism at a young age.

Fourth, that he’s now sober, and has poured all that anxiety into making himself the player and social media star he is.

Danny brings up his journey to sobriety in the first sentence of his interview. And, in person, he was not what I expected from his social media.

On Instagram, Danny presents as a macho “gym bro”, obsessed with 400 bpm ride cymbal, even if many of his videos are satirical and self-referential. I was fully expecting a Friday Night Lights character.

In person, he’s warm, humble, self-deprecating, and unironically excited to talk about music. And talk we did. Whether about overcoming social anxiety, the minutiae of practice routines, the role of the left hand, great jazz drummers we both admire, at what stage players should get on social media, or how music is subjective except somehow Tony Williams, we got into it.

I’ve often thought about building a musical career in modern times as at least 3 axes: musical ability, virality, and integrity, with the last 2 seemingly slightly in conflict, and the first somewhat allowing for the third. (Trust me, I’m making a video on this.)

In a world in which people sing jazz solos while bouncing on a pogo stick, dress up as medieval monsters, or actually become “what my friends think a jazz drummer is” for follows, Danny’s charted a high-integrity course: showing what a “real” modern jazz drummer can be, with some whimsey, humor, and wit, and always putting the music first.

If you’ve ever struggled with performance anxiety or motivation, or just wanted to see “behind the curtain” of one of the most fascinating young jazz drummers, you’ll enjoy this interview.

See you soon!

P.S. did you know you can sign up to be the first to hear when we open up new slots for Impossible to Fail, my flagship 1:1 coaching program? Just click here to sign up for the waitlist.

Berj Fazlian - Berklee as Hogwarts, 32nd Notes, and Life As a Young Drummer

Nate Smith April 28, 2026

Cinque “Ignabu” Kemp is someone I’ve been trying to schedule for the podcast for ages.

Beyond his creative approach to the drums, Cinque has a million stories and a unique outlook. And he’s lived multiple lives. As a drummer for people like Macklemore, Flatbush ZOMBiES, Ana Tijoux, Melanie Charles, a producer, and - not making this up - a model. Google him.

But Cinque is also “the guy upstairs” from the days when I used to have a secondary studio on the other side of the labyrinthine complex of studios in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. From time-to-time, I’ve shared walls or floorboards with somebody who made me think “damn, they’re heavy”. I’d hear somebody shredding upstairs, and it turned out it was Cinque.

From time to time we’d bump into one-another on the elevator and say “we should do an interview.” When Cinque finally had time in his busy schedule to swing by 8020 HQ, I had to jump on it.

You’ll enjoy this interview as well if you want to see a less-”produced” side of me. What can I say - Cinque brings it out of me.

In this engaging conversation, Cinque weighs in on flow states, the role of practice in his life these days, his almost mystical appreciation of creativity, how the “non-drum” creative hats he’s worn have informed his approach to drums, tour stories, and more.

Hope you enjoy!

P.S. did you know you can sign up to be the first to hear when we open up new slots for Impossible to Fail, my flagship 1:1 coaching program? Just click here to sign up for the waitlist.

Cinque "Ignabu" Kemp - Macklemore/Ana Tijoux' Drummer Joins Me Live

Nate Smith March 30, 2026

Cinque “Ignabu” Kemp is someone I’ve been trying to schedule for the podcast for ages.

From time to time we’d bump into one-another on the elevator and say “we should do an interview.” When Cinque finally had time in his busy schedule to swing by 8020 HQ, I had to jump on it.

You’ll enjoy this interview as well if you want to see a less-”produced” side of me. What can I say - Cinque brings it out of me.

Hope you enjoy!

P.S. did you know you can sign up to be the first to hear when we open up new slots for Impossible to Fail, my flagship 1:1 coaching program? Just click here to sign up for the waitlist.

Jonathan Barber - Don't Play for Other Drummers. Play for The Band.

Nate Smith January 26, 2026

Jesse Shreibman - Bell Witch and Bending Time

Nate Smith December 2, 2025

Diego Joaquin Ramirez - I Only Practice When I Want To

Nate Smith November 17, 2025

There are a few drummers who, when they drop new clips, I’m like stop everything.

One is Noah Fuerbringer. Another is this week’s guest for the third-ever in person podcast, Diego Ramirez.

Hailing from Ireland, and veteran of Berklee and Jazz Ahead, Diego is one of the most creative drummers I’m listening to. He’s played with Cartoons, Jonathan Scales, Marc Cary, and Jeremy Pelt. His own group, which recently released an album, is called Estratos.

It’s hard to describe his drumming exactly. It sounds “of the moment”, but also deeply individual - as if he’s pulling from a wider palette of musical choices than many of us.

Because Diego lives here in New York, I had the opportunity to host him in person, in the studio. Which went off almost without a hitch, except that our mics did not like the fan, so the audio, while clear, sounds a little like we’re speaking in the wind. Seated behind the drums, Diego was invited to play if he felt like it, or just chat, and decided he preferred to chat.

Almost from the word “go”, Diego fascinated me with his ethos. “I only practice when I want to practice” he says. I told him later of my “cave” construct, and that he reminded me of guests like Chris Turner - people who seem to fall in love anew with the drums every day.

But Diego’s background is important. Born in Ireland to a family of musicians, Diego was surrounded by music from early childhood. (His dad, he says, was in a semi-famous band in Guatemala in the ‘70s.) Which might explain why his relationship with music in later life - which is to say his teens and 20s - was astonishingly uncomplicated.

Practice, rather than the process of unearthing and machining weaknesses it is for many of us, was like an enchanting journey of discovery for Diego. He describes hearing Tony Williams on Nefertiti, and becoming obsessed with duplicating his sound.

Sound is a filter through which Diego views a lot of drumming, including improvisation. He doesn’t think in shapes or idioms, he says. Only in terms of creating the sound he hears in his head.

The results of that approach are evident. He has a style unencumbered by comparison to other drummers, that shows influence, but is almost impervious to trends.

I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did.