Graham Hopkins - Drummer and Coffee Lover - Part 3 of Interview

Irish Drummers; Graham, who are you listening to these days, who is coming up on your drumming radar?

These days, I think at the moment one of my favourite drummers is Jay Bellerose. He is somebody over the last couple of years who has really kind of influenced me you know. He has played with Ray LaMontagne for the last couple of years. The first time he came to the public's eye was when Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s album came out. He is so great. He just plays like lots of vintage drums all the time, like the old slingerland, like bomber kits, like the ones that were built during the war. They are made of wood but instead of the lug boxes being all metal, they are all kind of rosewood. They look just so beautiful. So, he plays like vintage all the time, he believes less is more. I just love that. I have got so much more into players like Jim Keltner. I was reared on like Baby Dodds, who played with Louis Armstrong. I have gone so much more kind of old school and vintage rather than newer players. Like my God, over the last few years it has definitely been Levon Helm because he is someone who changed my drumming in such a huge way, like over the last ten years you know. He has been such a groove player and somebody who plays for the song.

Irish Drummers; Yes, he is such a sad loss to drumming.

Yeah, a sad loss beyond, beyond belief. Really, I will never forget that day. He meant the world to me. He still means the world to me you know, like he did so much for me. I had an amazing hang out with the guy, like really befriended him  and then to lose him was a sad day. Seeing him play, being in his company, watching him play, sitting behind him, watching every detail and then him meaning the world to me. I never thought that would happen. Then to lose him, but he will be with us always. I mean to leave all that behind is beautiful. His drumming really changed me.