Big Fat Five: Lucy Ritter (Chappell Roan) Share Her Top 5 Influential Records

Drummers on Drumming

We’ve got another installment of Big Fat Five: a segment where I talk to drummers about the stories and records that shaped their sound.

Today’s guest is Lucy Ritter, a New York/New Jersey native who picked up the drums at just 9 years old and was already landing professional gigs by 14. After three years at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, she made the bold decision to leave and join her first major tour: the Broadway musical An Officer and a Gentleman. That gig opened doors, eventually leading to her being offered the drum chair for the Grammy Award-winning musical Jagged Little Pill.

These days, Lucy has stepped away from the Broadway scene and taken on an exciting new role as the drummer for one of today’s fastest-rising pop acts, Chappell Roan. We dig into how she landed that gig and explore the five records that have profoundly influenced her drumming style. This episode has been a long time coming, so let’s dive in. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the incredibly talented Lucy Ritter... cheers!

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Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

LUCY'S BIG FAT FIVE:

Album - A Love Supreme

Artist - John Coltrane

Release Year - 1965

Key Track(s) - Pt. II - Resolution & Pt. III - Pursuance

Drummer - Elvin Jones

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Album - Earfood

Artist - Roy Hargrove

Release Year - 2008

Key Track(s) - Strasbourg / St. Denis, The Stinger, Mr.Clean

Drummer - Motez Coleman

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Album - Grow

Artist - Chon

Release Year - 2015

Key Track(s) - But / all of them

Drummer - Nathan Camarena, Brian Evans, Matt Garstka

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Album - Live at Velfarre

Artist - Earth, Wind & Fire

Release Year - 1996

Key Track(s) - In The Stone, September, Let Your Feelings Show, Let’s Groove

Drummer - Sonny Emory

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Album - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Artist - Blink-182

Release Year - 2001

Key Track(s) - 3

Drummer - Travis Barker

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