The Player | Interview with Richard Spaven

Richard Spaven is one of the most in-demand drummers working today, and when asked how this reflects on his daily life, he offers this insight: “Playing drums has taken me around the world with many touring artists. As well as shows I do masterclasses and drum shows which are a great way to connect with people.
 "You may not see the sights a lot of the time, but playing for a local audience is a great way to experience a place. I was in Mumbai recently, and took a rickshaw journey I’ll never forget! We’d arrived overnight and were doing my Drum & Bass Curation show on no sleep at a rather well-to-do seated venue. Anyway, the seated venue erupted into, well, the word ‘rave’ describes it quite accurately. It was utter carnage. In my mind that was a job well done.”

Hard work and dedication has certainly paid off, as Spaven cites some of his earliest memories.

“I started with wooden spoons before graduating to drumsticks aged about six. I don’t know where the inspiration came from, but my upside-down pots and pans were the business. I remember my dad took me to see Buddy Rich when I was knee high and it definitely struck a chord. I was a quiet kid (sans drum kit) and I’d never seen anything like that live,” he says.

“My first proper set up came in instalments. A snare drum came first, then later I got a hi-hat for Christmas. I didn’t have a drum stool, so I sat at the bottom of the stairs. A friend of my dad’s gave me a bass drum and a floor tom which were gratefully integrated albeit in a state of disrepair.There was plenty of rust and DIY holding it together and none of it matched, but I loved it because it was a drum kit and it was mine.

"Then I got a paper round: years of early mornings and thousands of papers conscientiously delivered, and the result was a Yamaha Power V 5 piece. It was a substantial upgrade, my first matching drum kit and it was the start of getting more serious.”

Spaven was in his early teens when he began taking drum lessons.

“My teacher was Freddie Wells, who was a Jazz Orchestra / Big Band drummer.” Wells was clearly an inspiring influence: “I followed Freddie around, sat next to him during rehearsals and probably drove him up the wall! In return I packed his kit and loaded it in his car.”

He soon realised that he’d gained enough experience to be able to teach himself, and has since commented that the best lessons are the ones you learn yourself: “And there’s been plenty of those along the way!”

“Playing in jazz orchestras became something I was able to do at an early age, and looking back, it was a really good discipline to nail things early on like good time keeping, reading, soloing and improvising," he continues. "It set the foundations and when later on I wanted to play other styles of music, these techniques and skills transferred effectively – primarily to hip hop and drum ’n’ bass.”

I wondered whether Richard had been involved in music groups at school?

“The music department at school didn’t have a drum kit and was quite formal. I didn’t fit into it. I was in the orchestra for a very short time, and was coaxed into it because I was the only one in school who could play the snare drum part to [marching song] ‘Crown Imperial’. It wasn’t wholly inspiring playing that, especially compared to my growing tape collection at the time, which was mainly hip-hop.”

I was keen to know about Spaven’s current kit...

“I had a gig with Omar Puente at Leeds College of Music and the drum kit they supplied was a Yamaha Maple with an 18” bass drum. I liked it so much that I went out and bought one, and I basically still use the latest version of that kit, which is a Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple.

"I love small bass drums and minimal kits. Mine is still a 10”/14”/18” with a 14” snare drum. I have my own Meinl artist cymbals and my drumheads are Remo Ambassadors or Emperors, coated top and clear bottom. It’s not just the sound, it’s the ergonomics. It’s a very personal space behind that kit.”

I’m curious as to what sticks Spaven chooses to use?

“My sticks are Vic Firth X55As. The ‘X’ stands for EXTREME, which actually means they are a mere 3mm longer than a regular sized stick. You experiment with sticks and at some point hopefully you find your one – well two in this case preferably! There’s no more experimenting, the X55As are my go to hickory.”

With such a wealth of experience and no doubt some very special moments, I wondered what might be the most satisfying aspect of Richard’s life behind that kit?

“Developing my own sound, which is probably quite niche," he answers. "The endless pursuit of all things drumming which continues to inspire me and is what gives you your
 own sound.

"And I do find it very gratifying when I get recognised on sound alone. When someone says, ‘I knew that was you’.”

Richard Spaven’s new album, Anthem, with his 44th Wave project with UK pianist and producer Alfa Mist, is out now

This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Jazzwise – Subscribe Today