JT Bates is a Minneapolis-based drummer and producer who is incredibly active in the local music scene, playing with various bands like Alpha Consumer and Fat Kid Wednesdays, and in multiple configurations across genres. He’s often playing at Icehouse in Minneapolis alongside friends including deVon Gray, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Erik Koskinen, and others. If he’s not playing live, he’s actively working in studio as a session player with a long roster of musicians from throughout the Upper Midwest.

In addition to his deep involvement in local music, Bates’ beats have been heard around the world through his work with Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, Ed Sheeran, Andrew Bird, Beth Orton, Big Red Machine, and others. Perhaps most notably, Bates has been a longtime collaborator and touring musician with Bonny Light Horseman, who released their latest album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, this past June on Jagjaguwar.

The Current caught up with JT Bates at his studio in Minneapolis to talk about his work, both as a studio and touring musician, and about his fondness for the Minneapolis music scene. Watch the interview in the video player above.

Interview Highlights

On his beginnings as a drummer
I grew up in a musical family, and when I first got interested in drums, I was probably maybe four or five years old. My dad is a retired public school band director, and I have two older brothers, both of whom are great musicians. And when you're that little, and everyone — all the people around you, your dad, your brothers, everyone — has an instrument, it just sort of seems very natural [to play something]. So I told my dad I wanted to play drums. And he was like, "That's great." And then my dad, being a band director, signed me up for piano lessons — not drum lessons — so I had to take piano for a year before I was allowed to take drum lessons.

My first teacher was this guy, Mark Cushy, who wasn't as active as a gigging player, but you absolutely could not ask for a better first instructor. I had to add a new song to a mixtape every week, and we learned the songs by ear. So he was teaching me to read music, and from the beginning, teaching me to learn songs by ear.

On working with Bonny Light Horseman
It's just some of the greatest shows I've ever been a part of and played — and it happens every night. And that is rare, that sort of lift-off on a nightly basis. The flexibility and organic nature of the whole group of people, not just a couple people, it's everyone's kind of in, and we're willing to go with the flow.

On recording Bonny Light Horseman’s latest album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free
We drove down to the little village in West Cork [in Ireland], and we set up in a tiny little pub, and we recorded 11 songs over three, four days. It's just another win for Bonny Light Horseman.

On work as a studio player
After the pandemic and getting to actually focus on the studio stuff a bunch, I have absolutely come out of that with a focus on trying to sort of tilt the scale towards the studio and session stuff. I love it. It's more immersive. I come here and I work all day, so I love that. And then I love working during the day, being home at night with my family. My family loves that. So I'd say at this point, it's kind of 60/40 towards studio, which has been a goal of mine, and I'd like to keep it there, and maybe even inch it up a little bit. I certainly will never stop performing or playing. And touring with Bonny Light Horseman is absolutely wonderful, and so I don't foresee myself ever stopping doing that.

On the Minneapolis music scene
The beauty of this place is that you can be yourself. I grew up being a drummer here, and because of that, I just can kind of do what I want. I can play with [many different people], I can play improvised music, I can just play any kind of music I want. And it creates and allows for freedom to be yourself. So I think that's what's continued to be my main love of this community.

External Link

JT Bates – official site