Cosby Sweater's Newest Thread: Interview with Jeff Peterson

Cosby Sweater added Jeff Peterson (formerly of Roster McCabe / Night Phoenix) to replace Sleepy Floyd on the drums. I got a chance to catch up with Jeff and discuss his transition between bands before Cosby Sweater takes the stage at Summer Camp. Camp Counselor Alex: So we are all excited about you joining Cosby Sweater! CS has only been around a couple of years but has already had a HUGE impact on the scene. How did you meet the band / get asked to join? Jeff: I had met all three of the CS guys at various festivals over the last two summers. Nicholas Gerlach has actually sat in with Roster McCabe a few times too, so that’s how we all became aware of each other. As far as getting asked to join, it was very spontaneous and completely out of left field…. When the announcement was made public that Sleepy was going to leave the band, I just asked Gerlach about the situation. All of the sudden the talks got serious and the next day, they made me a formal offer to join the band. So then I had a decision to make, and after analyzing the situation, I decided to make a move and take the gig. So you’ve already started the tour with CS- how was the first show? Did you get to rehearse with the guys much / how have you managed to learn new material so quickly? We did have one quick rehearsal the day before the first show. We played about 10 songs but that was just to get a feel for playing on stage and making sure we had our setup straight. But I was just told to learn the bands entire catalog on SoundCloud – about 30 songs! And I only had about 4 or 5 days to learn those songs, so in that situation you have a choice to make. You can learn 10 songs really well and hope that only those songs get called on stage, or you can learn all of them, and trust your ability to play the instrument in the moment. I always choose the latter; I don’t want to limit the band at all, especially since they’re used to having all their songs available. So luckily I had already developed a “drum chart” writing routine for situations of learning new songs like this. This “drum chart” technique of yours sounds interesting! How does it work? It only really takes 2 listens of each song to get the chart finished. The first listen, I analyze the song as a whole. I count the measures of each section and I try to find the patterns in the songs arrangement. The second listen is the more detailed stuff… I write down the actual drum parts and make any other notes about the song that I feel are important for me to play the song well. I then use a computer program to make the charts and then I print them out. That takes some dedication! Impressive stuff, Jeff. So you joined Roster McCabe in ’08, back when their sound was described as a “funky reggae dance rock,” which was a great description. As the years went by, you transitioned into “electro-rock” and then made the switch into Night Phoenix with more EDM sound, and now you’re joining Cosby Sweater. What is it about the electronic aspect of music that draws you in? We see less and less drummers with the increase of producers / DJs and so it’s great to see the drum set still present. Well, I don’t personally get caught up in the “hot or not” aspect of the music industry much. With that said, it does seem that EDM shows are the biggest things going right now. The overall experience that the crowd has is almost unparalleled in any other genre. So I do feel it is important as a musician to be a part of what’s poppin’ and current. You are correct that there are less and less live musicians being utilized these days because in some instances, it really is not necessary. Luckily for me, it seems that the drumset is the first live instrument to be brought into the EDM world from the traditional “live band” world. Plus there is something about the power of the drums that people are drawn to. The other night at a show, I heard someone say, “live drums really make the show.” That was an opinion, but it’s probably one shared amongst most people. What emotions are you going through heading into your final 2 shows with NP? Well, it will be a little surreal during that last set. I imagine I’ll be thinking “this is the last time we’ll play this song together.” I just hope to stay present in the moment. I had a great six years with those guys and I am a little sad we didn’t necessarily reach our ultimate goals with that project. But things happen for a reason, and the way things turned out, I think everyone will still have a lot of doors open to them individually in the future. What does it mean for you to be playing at Summer Camp? Do you have a favorite memory, either performing or as a fan? Last year was my first time at Summer Camp, and it was a lot of fun! The best memory performing was probably our first set there on Thursday night for the pre-party. We played the last set at the Camping Stage that night and there were so many people there just dancing away, having a great time. I recall having one of those moments to myself during the show and realized to myself, “Wow, this is really cool!” And then as a fan, my favorite moment from last year was Dumpstaphunk’s set. That was my first time seeing them live. Victor Wooten sat in for the “3 bass guitar” jam and that was a great moment. I was at that set Thursday night! It was a blast for sure. Thanks so much Jeff and I’m looking forward to seeing ya on the road!]]>