Andy Hill

Andy Hill - Drums Andy's earliest memory is sitting at his dad's record player (yes...a record player, nee victrola) with a giant pair of headphones that dwarfed his head, and raptly listening to The Alan Parsons Project and Beatles records. And this was just last week! Andy became the proud owner of a Muppets' drumkit purchased from JCPenney when he was 7 years old. This is similar to the drumset he plays today. He began taking drum lessons at age 9 and played his first live show at Stone Mountain Park, GA when he was 11. At 13 he had memorized and could play almost every Rush song note for note on the drums. Being somewhat of a Renaissance (cave) man, he also played the pots and pans, spoons, kitchen tables, chairs, garbage cans and basically anything that could be hit with a stick or two. Around this time, he met and formed a lasting friendship with JT Alessi. He drummed his way through high school, playing in every band possible, including symphonic, marching, jazz and many bands with friends. He then left Atlanta for Clemson University in South Carolina and played in the Clemson Jazz Band from 1994-1996. Andy majored in graphic design at school, which expanded his creativity and gave him an additional vehicle for expression. He attended the Atlanta Institute of Music in 2005, and currently teaches drum lessons at a popular music store in Georgia. Andy's good friend JT invited him into a Beatles cover band he had recently joined in 2005 and they began playing together again. Andy met Tommy and Sebastian through JT, and worlds collided in a big way. Ere had been a band before, but with a different drummer, and had broken up several years ago. They began practicing and playing again with Andy, and history would never be the same. Besides being a lifelong Rush fan, Andy takes great listening pleasure in many different bands, and seems to pull his main influences from drummers Dave Weckl, Gavin Harrison, Antonio Sanchez, Jeff Sipe, Carter Beauford, Danny Carey, and his former AIM teacher Tom Knight. Andy is heavily involved in the local Atlanta music scene. Always wanting to keep busy and test his limits, he is currently a member of 6 different bands, teaches drum lessons full time and records at various studios in the metro area. His bands include Wade In The Rhythm, The Border Lions, The Mystery Trip (with JT), Blues Highway, Ravens & Wolves, and, of course, 'ere. Check out his website for a current listing, http://www.livedrummer.com. For samples from each band, check out http://www.myspace.com/livedrummermusic. Sometimes Andy is so busy that he can't make a gig, so his doppelganger appears and plays for him. There is really no way to tell them apart, so you never know if it's the real Andy playing. And that's fun for people. Andy believes you can't truly experience what 'ere is all about unless you see them live.