LEVEL 42% GROOVEMEISTER ON POCKET,CLICKS AND TIME PHIL GOULD
“Phil Gould’s drumming is in my DNA – every time I sit down at the kit he’s in there somewhere. His playing with Level 42 made such a big impression on me when I was younger – it’s so great but so understated, and he has this crazy pocket...
“Back then, of course, I didn’t even know what pocket meant, but I do now - I even try to find mine sometimes! Seriously though, Phil is the pocket drummer. Groove is his thing, but he also has incredible chops that he lets out every once in a while and just blows you away…
“Like so many of my favourite drummers, he’s also a songwriter and lyricist, and it’s great to see him releasing a new solo album this year, Beautiful Wounds, which features a plethora of his musician friends from around the world, and a very special final performance from his brother, Boon, who sadly passed away in 2019.”
Taylor Hawkins: “So, Phil, what’s it like to be on a constant search for the perfect pocket?”
Phil Gould: “Absolute torture to be honest, because I beat myself up if I am slightly ahead or behind! I think it’s because I am slightly OCD… I love repetition, so if I am a little bit out, it makes me feel very uneasy or, in extreme cases, physically sick!”
T: “I can’t watch myself live sometimes because I’ve rushed so badly, but at least I don’t drag! How did you develop your time and that incredible internal clock of yours?”
P: “I grew up on the Isle of Wight, and in my late teens I played in covers bands or at the holiday camps throughout the
