Drummers rarely receive the recognition they deserve. Despite being the driving force of any band, history seen the spotlight consistently drawn to the front, leaving stick men and women to bash away in the shadows. This is something photographer Deidre O’Callaghan sought to change with The Drum Thing.
The Drum Thing is a photographic book that goes behind the scenes with some of the best drummers in the world, including Ringo Starr, Lars Ulrich and Jack White.
The book is the product of a photographic and interview project featuring some of the most unique drummers in the world today. Ringo Starr, Questlove, Janet Weiss, Dave Grohl, Bobbye Hall, Lars Ulrich, Jack White, and Patrick Carney are just some of the 100+ drummers that O’Callaghan has shot.
“I’m really interested in the personality who chooses to be the drummer,” O’Callaghan told Wired in 2016, “they sit at the back, and yet they’re driving the music.”
Her photographs capture the drummers in their natural environment – in studios and rehearsal spaces and garages and gardens. “This access allowed me to…experience their styles of playing up close and capture as best as I could, the true essence of these artists’ personalities and lifestyles.”
The time O’Callaghan spent getting to know her subjects is evident: the series is raw and personal. It’s also surprisingly diverse, revealing another side to the artists that you haven’t have seen before.
Check out some shots from The Drum Thing below. And see more here.
