Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryce Butler.
Bryce, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started playing drums when I was about 3 years old because I saw The Eagles play “Get Over It” on PBS. I heard the beat, dragged over a stool and some wooden spoons, and started playing along. I was always tapping and banging on stuff even as a little baby. I think that’s mainly because my dad played guitar, and my mom was a multi-instrumentalist, so music ran in the family. I’m honestly just grateful that they recognized my passion at an early age, bought me a drum set, and have been nothing but supportive the whole way. I don’t know where I would be without them. As I grew up in school, I was constantly bullied. I never really had very many real friends. Any of the friends I thought I had, usually were fake and ended up just making fun of me later on. This went on from Elementary-High school. I didn’t really know how to talk to my parents about it, so I took everything out on my drums. I’m an extremely emotional person, and this was crucial for me to have a way to channel those feelings into something creative. From age 11-14 I didn’t really play drums much at all. I started getting more interested in sports and lost my creative drive. This is when I really started to deal with depression and anxiety for the first time. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. All the kids at my school already knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. I had no idea what my future would look like. I favored sports but I wasn’t very good at them, my dilemma became easier when I broke my wrist in football practice. Between not getting to play sports and not getting to play drums, I started spending more time on the computer. At age 15 I discovered YouTube, and that’s when my life changed forever. I found Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater and I fell in love. It restored my passion for music and wanting to learn. I didn’t realize that these people actually got paid to play music. I couldn’t believe that this was their job. I saw an interview with Mike Portnoy showing his house, and he said, “Welcome to the house that drumming built.” This was the moment I knew what I wanted to do. I have never looked back since that day. I had more fire than ever before. I actually started practicing drums to improve, not just playing to mess around or have fun. I used all the bullying and people that never believed in me as fuel to push me. I started looking for local musicians that needed a drummer. I went through several local bands and a good amount of shows before I decided that I needed to get a feel for touring. At 16, I went on Craigslist and found a Christian band that needed a drummer. From those few small tours, I made connections that led me to a small discount with the drum company Truth Custom Drums. I designed my dream kit and sold every piece of furniture in my bedroom to pay for it. I sold my bed, dresser, TV, Xbox, and some old sports memorabilia. I had to sleep on couches and floors on and off for the next 7 years. Right after I got my new kit at 17, I borrowed a camera and started making YouTube videos to try and get my name out there. After making some different drum covers over the next 2 years, and going through a few more bands, I was contacted by the DFW band Lizard Professor. They had been established for a few years and I was already a fan, so I was honored that they wanted me to play for them. I played for them for 4 years from 19-22 exclusively as the music became incredibly important to me and close to my heart. After going through a rough marriage from 20-22, I took a step back from the band to try to find myself and figure out what I truly wanted. In my time away from them, I decided that I wanted to try and get into session work. If this was going to be my job in the future, I needed to take steps to brand myself and start making money. That’s when I started wading into the world of session work. I rejoined Lizard Professor and started filling in for other bands charging small amounts of money just to get more experience. At 23 I was working a stagnant job as a dishwasher at a sushi bar. After about 6 months of the routine of working 50+ hours a week and playing shows, I started to feel empty. Yes, I was still drumming, but I felt like I was trapped in a cage at this dead end job. I had no energy after working. I didn’t get inspired to write new things or practice. The shows I did play, I was tired and just going through the motions. My internal voice was screaming at me to get out and create. I knew I wanted to tour again and chase the dream I was meant for. I wanted to do this full time, and not have my energy sucked out by something that felt so wrong to me. Ironically, the day I had enough, I was messaged by the guitarist of the DFW/Oklahoma band 2X4 to ask if I wanted to join the band and start touring. Right then I quit my job. I didn’t have a plan. I wasn’t going to really make money on these tours, but I had to trust my gut. I just went for it. I knew it would just be more playing and touring experience under my belt, and that I would make more friends/connections along the way. After playing with 2X4 for about a year, in December 2016 the band decided that they would change the name and direction. It was then that I was contacted by Bryce Lucien of the band Seeker to join on drums. I did 1 tour and music video for Seeker about 3 years prior when I was 21, so we already knew that we meshed well together. With them, I did some of the coolest tours I’ve still done to date. We got to tour with some of my favorite metal bands. A full Canada tour with Psycroptic, and Archspire… Followed by Devastation On The Nation tour last year with Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth, Zenith Passage and many more amazing bands. It was on that tour that I met and befriended Justin Mckinney of The Zenith Passage, also formerly of The Faceless. He watched me play almost every night and had nothing but kind things to say. After that tour ended in June of 2017, I was contacted by Justin 2 months later to ask if I wanted to try out for The Faceless for The Summer Slaughter Tour. I was blown away that he would even ask. The Faceless had been my 3rd favorite band since I discovered their album “Planetary Duality” at 18 years old. I had only 3 days to learn the tryout song “Xenochrist” and send in a video. Despite my best efforts, I lost the audition to another drummer. I had a weird feeling that wouldn’t be the end of it though… 2 months later I was asked to fill in for the DFW based band I AM for a tour with Spite and Bodysnatcher. With 3 shows left of that tour, I was contacted again by The Faceless manager, asking me if I still wanted to play with the band. Awestruck, I said yes and asked for the set list for the upcoming tour that was set to start only 2 weeks from then. I finished the I AM tour, and immediately got home and started hammering through The Faceless songs. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Was I really going to get to play drums for one of my favorite bands ever? It seemed completely unreal. Unfortunately, some things truly are too good to be true. Fast forward to the tour and there were tons of problems. The band wasn’t what it appeared to be, as the main member has been struggling with drug problems for some time. I only got to do 2 tours (1 US and 1 Europe) with the band before I knew that I couldn’t continue. The guitarist Justin Mckinney, vocalist Ken Sorceron, and I, made the decision that it was best for us to leave the band in March 2018 to pursue our own endeavors. However, on those tours, Ken asked me to play drums for his band, Abigail Williams. I am still in shock but proud to say that I am now the official drummer for Abigail Williams and 12 other bands. Chase what makes you happy.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Always getting bullied in school and having very few friends helped me develop a low self-esteem so I never believed in myself. That, paired with teachers and kids telling me that drumming was a “real” career choice really discouraged me. Going through a rough marriage from 20-22 also really hindered my progress in music and made me re-evaluate my entire life and what I was doing. I also struggle with severe anxiety and depression, and that can really make things difficult, especially out on tour.
Bryce Butler – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a professional drummer. My job to provide quality drumming for bands/musicians for shows, tours, records, give drum lessons etc. I am known for accent heavy drum work with a positive attitude. I’m always known as being the happy guy that can’t stop smiling. Being positive in a seemingly negative world is difficult. I try so hard to always bring a good and positive influence to any project or musician I’m hired to work with. You’re not just paying for drumming. It should be a totally fun, and smooth experience.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
That’s a tough one. It has always been a dream of mine to play for over 1,000 people and I’ve finally done that. I’ve also somehow gotten to do tours with some of my favorite bands and meet some of my favorite musicians… But I think I’m truly proudest that I’m finally able to sustain myself completely on drumming alone. This has always been my biggest dream and it’s only getting better from here. I couldn’t be more grateful. This is my dream job.
Contact Info:
- Email: brycebutlermusic@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brycebutlerdrums/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryce.butler2
Image Credit:
Jade Alex
Brandon Daza
Zalen Cigainero
Tyler Barnes
Chantelle Prejean
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