Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley is back for a long conversation about drumming, jazz, and what's ahead for the band.
Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley is back for a long conversation about drumming, jazz, and what's ahead for the band.
Michael Miley Patreon drum course: https://www.patreon.com/cw/mileyondrumz
Rival Sons tour dates: https://www.rivalsons.com/home/#jump
Rival Sons Official: rivalsons.com
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Miley gets into the student approach that still drives him — working with Dave Elitch back in 2015 on posture and body mechanics, checking in with him annually, and why the gospel chops generation on social media keeps pushing the bar higher for everyone.
He covers the 2013 John Bonham comparison that came out during the Great Western Valkyrie period and what it pushed him to do, and how jazz comping from players like Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, and Art Blakey shows up in how he plays with Rival Sons.
He also talks about the Mike Miley Trio — a jazz Christmas album paying tribute to Vince Guaraldi and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, with jazz vocalist Veronica Swift singing "Christmas Time Is Here" in one take, out Black Friday on Sacred Tongue Records.
Plus five years as the house drummer on Last Call with Carson Daly, playing Letterman on tour, Tomas Haake of Meshuggah tracking him down to talk ghost notes, the story behind Jordan from Head Down, and the Domestic Bliss Tour kicking off October 30.
Rival Sons' 10th album and the Dom Gilday documentary are both targeting a 2027 release.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
5:30 Rock report from Milwaukee — Howling Giant, Greenleaf & ticket prices
18:00 Pat Smear, Nirvana & the MTV Video Vanguard controversy
28:00 Neil Peart documentary No Disciple
33:00 Michael Miley interview begins
35:00 The student approach — being the best version of yourself as a player
42:00 The 2013 John Bonham comparison
48:00 Four-piece kit setup and additions on Darkfighter / Lightbringer
55:00 Dave Elitch, posture & fixing injury through technique
1:04:00 Teaching philosophy and the Patreon foundations course
1:14:00 Jazz drumming in a rock context
1:24:00 The Rival Sons rhythm section with Dave Beste
1:32:00 Mike Miley Trio — Vince Guaraldi Christmas album and Veronica Swift
1:40:00 Rival Sons 10th album and the Dom Gilday documentary
1:46:00 Jordan and how Beau found Rival Sons
1:52:00 Playing Letterman and five years on Last Call with Carson Daly
2:04:00 Rock, social media and the music industry
2:18:00 Domestic Bliss Tour 2026 and Cleveland
2:26:00 Wrap up
