Anup Sastry, the wonder kid behind the drums! Currently playing for Skyharbor and Jeff Loomis and fresh from his album release (Read the album review here), we caught up with the man himself for a candid interview:
Eight Octaves: Tell us about the solo project a bit. Any particular reason behind starting the project?
Anup: To be honest, it’s just a good way for me to stay musically creative. I have always wanted to produce music, and it’s an excellent way to express myself as a person as well.
Eight Octaves: The album – Ghost, is composed totally by you, from the drumming to the guitars and even the mixing. How difficult was it composing the album compared to composing your parts for Skyharbor?
Anup: Well it’s not really comparable. I didn’t compose or play any of the parts on the Skyharbor album. A lot of people think that I performed and recorded the drums on the Skyharbor album, but it was actually all Keshav. Keshav had already finished the album when I joined the group. So it was kind of inconvenient to re-write/re-track all of the drums at that point. I have taken a lot of liberties in what I play live with Skyharbor though. I learned what Keshav programmed, then threw in my own flavour/style into the mix. Composing this album was VERY difficult though. I never knew what it was like to produce something to that extent, so it was a nice eye opener into the time and effort it really takes to make something like that. As far as how Keshav composes and how I compose music, you could say it’s fairly similar in regards to self-expression. It’s also very different because he recorded the guitars and programmed the drums, where I did the exact opposite! haha!
Eight Octaves: Just curious, does the name Ghost have anything to do with the Ghost notes on drums? You have been playing them in Skyharbor songs.
Anup: It has nothing to do with the ghost notes I play. hahaha! The title ‘Ghost’ really comes from the nature of how the music is produced. All of it is non-human except for the drums.
Eight Octaves: Keshav Dhar and Jeff Loomis, two totally different persons, two music geniuses in their own rights and two totally different genres they specialize in. How has been the learning experience so far while working with these giants?
Anup: The learning experience has been amazing. It’s a nice challenge. My main goal is to stay busy with music, and playing for both projects (as well as Intervals) keeps me very busy. I am constantly learning/writing drums for something, whether if it’s for a band or my own material. It’s also pushed me as a drummer, and I do think I have gotten better as a musician because of it.
Eight Octaves: Tell us a little about yourself now, when Anup Sastry is not drumming, what does he do?
Anup: When I’m not drumming, I’m usually still working on something music related. I produce and record bands out of my home studio, and this usually consumes a lot of time outside of my own musical endeavours. I also go to the gym a lot, and I enjoy coffee!!! My two best friends are both amazing drummers, so I spend a lot of time hanging out with them. We usually don’t enjoy talking about drums seeing that it’s something that we do on such a regular basis. So we choose to talk about topics such as girls and cars… haha!
Eight Octaves: I had read in an interview that you were a clarinet player in high school, so why the change of instrument and deciding to become a drummer?
Anup: I actually played clarinet in the fourth grade (elementary school). I played for two years, and then I switch to drums. My best friend at the time played drums, and he was the one that got me hooked. As soon as I got my first taste of drumming, I was completely obsessed. I had never felt so strong about something before. I had so much inspiration and energy towards the craft, and I still do.
Eight Octaves: Would you consider yourself to be a Metalhead or do you have other musical preferences too?
Anup: To be honest, I don’t really listen to a lot of metal these days. I’m a HUGE hip-hop and EDM fan. It would be amazing to eventually transition into that style of music. Part of my practice routine is to just jam to hip-hop and rap tunes for a good hour or two. Then I will eventually get to practicing a Jeff Loomis tune, or working on an Intervals song, or writing parts for Skyharbor… hahaha!
Eight Octaves: Your biggest influences would be?
Anup: My parents! They are the hardest working people I know. Related to drumming, Tony Royster Jr., Eric Moore, Matt Halpern, Benny Greb, Chris Coleman, just to name a few…
Eight Octaves: Coming to the album again, the production quality is top notch for a DIY project. Most bands these days are opting for a DIY project than recording in the studios. Any tips for them on how to go about and get a decent quality recording?
Anup: I appreciate the kind words! That means a lot to me! The production quality on ‘Ghost’ was something I wanted to be better than anything I had ever done. So that means a lot. I could have done much better now that I listen back, but self-critiquing is important because that’s how you improve! Hahaha! As far as tips, I would say the most important thing is working with people you can really trust and relate to. It’s important to find someone who can imagine the personality of the music, almost personifying it in a way, the same way as the artist. This means there is more of an emotional connection between the music and whoever is mixing it. They won’t just mix just to mix. They will mix to really deliver the music the way the artist intended it to be delivered. This is part of the reason why I wanted to mix and master my own music. I knew what I wanted, and I knew how I wanted the music to be delivered. Also, it was good practice!
Eight Octaves: So, what is in store for the future then? More shows with Skyharbor is fixed, any chances of another solo album but experimenting with some other genre this time?
Anup: I do plan on writing another album for sure! I also do plan on experimenting with genres on the next one. I really want to push myself even more this time around. ‘Ghost’ was good practice, but I really want to keep raising the bar for myself.
Eight Octaves: Any words of advice for the young drummers out there?
Anup: Be diverse in what you take influence from. I feel that diversity is really important to grow as a musician. This also applies to many other things in life other than just music.
Youtube Channel – www.youtube.com/asdrummer2008
Ghost Album download link – http://anupsastry.bandcamp.com/
