Not only does Jeff Friedl share his exceptional drumming talent with the world by playing in bands like A Perfect Circle, The Beta Machine, and many others, he also teaches children and adults to learn to share their own drumming talents. Who is this creative and inspirational man behind the drums? Find out as Drummer Jeff Friedl chats with Nici Lucas of Adventure Music Life.

Jeff Friedl of A Perfect Circle and The Beta Machine in Cleveland

The Sheet Music
Jeff Friedl is a busy guy, being the drummer for A Perfect Circle, The Beta Machine, Ashes Divide, Puscifer, Devo, and ShadowParty; touring with A Perfect Circle and The Beta Machine for the better part of the last two years; writing and releasing a new album for and planning a new tour with The Beta Machine; and, being a consistently dedicated drum teacher.

Jeff and his “partner in crime” Bassist Matt McJunkins are founding members of The Beta Machine, a Los Angeles rock band that also features Vocalist Claire Acey and Guitarist and Keyboardist Nicholas Perez. The band’s 2017 EP All This Time features addictive and hauntingly engaging tunes like The End and Pictures. Currently, The Beta Machine’s debut album, Intruder, will be released on March, 29, 2019, while the single Embers is available for streaming now.

Importantly, Jeff’s drumming should be both seen and heard. His on-stage drumming performance is an entertaining and visually mesmerizing representation of the powerful and exceptional talent that can be heard on stage and in recordings. Almost nothing beats a great drummer, and seeing Jeff play the drums live is a must-add to any person’s concert bucket list. (So, pay attention for The Beta Machine’s tour announcement!) Also, Jeff can be seen playing as a guest drummer during the week of February 18, 2019 on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

The Beta Machine in Cleveland

The Man Behind the Drums
After being fortunate to catch Jeff Friedl and Matt McJunkins play with A Perfect Circle in concert at Carolina Rebellion 2017, Cleveland’s Wolstein Center in 2017 (with both A Perfect Circle and The Beta Machine), and Columbus’ Rock on the Range 2018, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to catch up with Jeff while he was at home in Los Angeles, prior to the announcement of the new Intruder album.

Jeff Friedl at Red Rocks Amphitheater with A Perfect Circle Photo: @jefffriedl

Obviously driven to achieve and succeed, Jeff Friedl is also a down-to-earth, personable, and easy-to-talk-to guy who was open to sharing intriguing and inspiring information during our conversation. Make sure to check out the interview below for the details, but also note a few important, personal takeaways that we can all learn from Jeff:

• The value of side gigs. A side gig could lead to a career.
• The significance of teaching. Teaching what you know can help people transform.
• The power of perseverance. Create a plan for yourself and stick to it. Don’t stop.
• Learn something new to expand your creativity. We sometimes forget the power of imagination.
• If you want to learn something, learn it from multiple different angles. Immerse yourself.
• Sometimes creation can take time, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
• Opportunities present themselves. Be present. Say yes.

The Drum Solo
Learning how people take various steps in life that lead to their current successes can be fascinating and inspiring. In this non-technical, more personal chat with Jeff Friedl, we discuss his beginning, teaching, songwriting, milestones, and creations.

How did you get started in music and are you from a musical family?
I grew up watching my uncle, my father, and my cousins play drums, and a few other instruments, too. They all played in different Blues and R&B bands during their college days, and they would have fun jamming out later on in their lives. When I would visit them, they would listen to R&B, Soul, Blues, and Funk music, and just jam out.

I was fascinated by music in general, and drums especially, and I thought it was pretty badass, the fact that you can hang out with your friends, jam music, drink some beer, shoot pool, and have a good time. So, that got me started and inspired to play.

I mostly grew up in Tucson, Arizona. There, it’s kind of a melting pot of different cultures, so I became inspired at a pretty young age to play Latin music, and play in a variety of bands, like funk and soul, rock, and even hardcore. In school, I played marching band and wind ensemble, and taught drums. I pushed through my schooling playing a bunch of different styles and with different bands all the way into college.

Where did you go from there?
Even at a young age, I wanted to either go to Manhattan School of Music or a music college out in LA. But, I had built a pretty good career for myself [teaching drum lessons] in Arizona when I was a kid, so I decided to sit tight. I ended up staying at the University of Arizona and accepting a music performance scholarship there, while continuing to teach and chip away at honing in on my craft.

When I was done with [college] in 2001, I stuck around town, played gigs, and enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to go to sleep at 4am and wake up at 7am to go to college year after year. I basked in the glory of sleeping in for a second, playing, and trying to stockpile a little bit of money because I knew inevitably I wanted to be in Los Angeles to play music. Fast forward to 2004, two and a half years after I finished up at the University of Arizona, I moved out here to LA.

From there, you were in various bands, and then Ashes Divide came along?
Yeah, pretty much. I gave myself this interesting, ten-year plan: whether I was struggling or living out of a car… whatever happens, not to leave Los Angeles until I’ve hit the decade mark. So, I was pretty pleased to stumble upon the Ashes Divide audition about three and a half years into being here in early 2007.

Leading up to that, I had played in a lot of different Latin bands, Salsa bands, dance bands, jazz bands, singer/songwriter/folk gigs… basically anything. I kind of didn’t want to play rock music because I got pretty burned out on it in Arizona and had never really made a dollar playing rock, ever. All my rock bands were passion projects up to that point. But, since rock had always been a big part of my life and musical upbringing, I knew at some point an opportunity would present itself and maybe I’d delve back in.

It just so happened, some friends recommended me to audition for Ashes. They thought I would be a good fit for Billy [Howerdel] and the band. I made an audition DVD and sent it to Billy, and it took a long time. I did a couple DVD rounds and an in-person audition. And, in early 2008, I got the call. Literally on January 1, 2008, Billy called and said, “I want you to be my drummer.” That was a good time in my life for sure.

I had played in some rock bands leading up to this and warmed up to the idea of getting back into the rock scene. But definitely when I got the Ashes gig, I thought, “OK, this is what I’m looking to do stylistically.”

A Perfect Circle in Cleveland

How did this lead to A Perfect Circle?
The same year I was playing in Ashes, Billy recommended me and Matt McJunkins (who plays bass in Ashes Divide and A Perfect Circle), to Maynard James Keenan to be his rhythm section in Puscifer.

That same year, ironically, I got a call to do some work on Devo’s last record, Something for Everybody. That was like a silent audition: everybody was there checking me out in case they needed me to do some touring.

I got into A Perfect Circle through Billy and Maynard, playing in Ashes Divide and Puscifer. When the opportunity presented itself that they needed a drummer in A Perfect Circle, they both asked me to do it, and of course I obliged. Same thing with Devo. When they needed someone to do a lot of touring behind their last record, they asked me to do some playing, and I accepted whenever they asked.

Fantastic! Interestingly, and I only mention this because you mentioned Maynard and Devo, both are from the Akron area, where I happen to be sitting right now.
Wow. Small world, huh? Some of my most interesting friends are from Akron, including Mark Mothersbaugh’s nephew, Silas Hite, who is a highly talented dude. He worked for Mark for years, writing music for scores for TV and film, and went to the University of Arizona with me. He was the one who put the bug in Devo’s ear and got my foot in the door.

What does it feel like to be sitting behind the drums playing in A Perfect Circle, The Beta Machine, or any other band?
That’s a good question. They all keep me sharp musically for different reasons, and they all present their own challenges, physically and cerebrally. They all have this common thread, though, that I really appreciate and don’t take for granted. I get along with everyone in all the bands, and that, at this point of my life, is the most important thing to me: playing music with people that I like.

There’s something different, from a creative aspect, with A Perfect Circle; the dark, powerful, moody, melancholy type of vibe of the band really suits me well, musically. With Devo, the relentless electro punk madness with their political and social commentary… I really love that, and the vibe of that band really suits me well. And, The Beta Machine is a big combination of the styles of all the bands Matt and I have played in together and separately. This band is definitely our baby, and a pretty big reflection of who we are.

With every band I play in, it’s just a different feeling on stage that we’re evoking, and I feel a different energy from the crowds, too. All of which are great. The Beta Machine is still in development, but we’ve definitely gotten a nice reaction from the people who have made an effort to come out to see us play, and from the people who have streamed our music or reached out and supported us online. Hopefully the sky is the limit for us as we start out here.

Jeff Friedl and Matt McJunkins of The Beta Machine – Photo: @jefffriedl

How would you describe the music of The Beta Machine?
Another good question. Believe it or not, not many people ask Matt and I that. Definitely a bit of a hard question to answer, but I’d say that the music has multiple influences where it’s powerful, melancholy, melodic rock mixed in with a dance, new wave, electro kind of vibe. As we write more and more material and explore different boundaries, hopefully we expand our palette and our imagination.

Sometimes with article-writing, the article somehow writes itself. Do you ever experience this with writing music or what is your songwriting process?
Definitely. When I write, I let my creativity take over. I try not to overthink it. I felt that way in college, too, as I was constantly working on the bookworm aspects of drumming: reading, writing, and learning theory. When I write music, I never even think about theory. I just use my imagination. Sometimes I need to take a walk around the block to clear my mind, and then something will come to me, whether it’s a beat or a bassline or a little melodic thing.

With The Beta Machine, I’m really lucky that my partner in crime is Matt because he happens to be a great writer. He writes great lyrics, and if I present parts of a song to him, he can take those parts, flush them out, add extra parts, write extra lyrics and vocals, and bam! There’s the song. Sometimes our songs come about where that happens, or we jam ideas and we keep pecking away at them. Or, Matt brings in an idea that’s pretty damned complete… it’s all open season.

So, you guys are working on a new album, then? [Note: release of the new album was announced after this interview occurred.]
Yes. We’ve worked really hard on a new body of work. It’s an LP with all new songs that Matt Mitchell has produced with us. We explored new realms stylistically, and jumped into some vibes that we had gone over in conversation. Then, little by little, song by song, looking back we realized that we had a cool new body of work that’s reminiscent of the EP [All This Time], but also standing on its own. We’re pretty damned excited and happy with it.

Congratulations! When will The Beta Machine go on tour?
We’re doing our due diligence and research right now to see what makes sense for us, but we’re definitely looking to put our best foot forward. It’s just very expensive when you’re a baby band and you’re trying to figure out scheduling and logistics, and make it all work. One thing we’re hell bent on doing is putting our music out there for the world to hear and the tour behind it, too.

If there is any way that Cleveland could be on that tour…
Oh, hell yeah! We absolutely want to go everywhere. It’s super important to us.

Jeff Friedl and Claire Acey of The Beta Machine in Cleveland

What would you say about your style of drumming?
If I have to describe my drumming, I’d like to be acknowledged for my creativity… being able to work fast, be creative, and adapt to any situation, whether recording another person’s record, working with a producer, or stuck in a rehearsal room with a band flushing out arrangements and parts of songs. Probably my favorite thing to do is be openly creative and come up with multiple ideas for the same thing, especially since I’ve always loved playing different styles of music.

The older I get the more I realize there’s so much beauty in the space that you leave in music, or at least erring on the side of simplicity. As long as you’re leaving space for other instruments, that’s the best foundation you can lay down… and then add some spices. It’s like in cooking, when you throw every spice you have in your spice drawer on top of this little piece of chicken, and all it needed was just a little salt.

Great analogy! You have a great way of talking and explaining, and you definitely have a radio voice. Have you ever thought of creating a podcast?
Hmmm. Maybe the thought has crossed my mind. I do a lot of teaching and I think it’s probably an extension of that, where I come up with a lot of different analogies and angles to explain the same concept. Whether I’m dealing with a 6-year-old child or a 50-year-old woman or man. I have a lot of 10, 11, or 12-year-old girls that are awesome little drummers that are trying to make their way through the music industry. And, then professional drummers who are working on auditions to get the next big gig. I really enjoy the teaching, so maybe that bleeds into that idea of the way I explain things. That’s a nice compliment and I appreciate that.

Speaking of your drum teaching what are your thoughts on… is it ever too late to learn? 
Definitely not. It doesn’t matter how horrible you think you’re going to be, whether you’re 5 years old or 55 years old. It doesn’t matter if you’re wanting to play drums, or guitar, or anything. I think expanding your mind and your creativity, even if it’s just writing, if that’s an interest to a person, why not delve into it and give it a whirl? You might be pleasantly surprised at how you take to whatever you’re doing creatively. I like teaching people, even when they’re reluctant to play. They have an interest, but they’re scared to tap a drum. I like unraveling that anxiety, and seeing if I can’t make someone comfortable and change their lives for the better. Put them on a path to being far more creative than they were before. That’s exciting to me.

I’ve been teaching for a really long time. My mom was an art teacher for years, and I started when I was about 13 or 14. Even when I’m on the road, I still continue to teach my students on days off, so I can connect and keep them going. Keep them motivated to be creative and stay on their path.

What do you like to do for fun or adventure outside of music? I happened to notice cats on your Instagram page.
Yes, I love my animals. I have kitters that I love spending time with when I’m actually home. And, I love animals in general. I try to get out into the wilderness, go on hikes, and travel when I’m not traveling for work. Exploring and traveling are fun for me. I love sports a lot too. I love going to baseball games when I’m on the road and try to catch as many games as I can. Whatever it takes to get out of the hotel room. I teach a little, then go walk through the town, find a good restaurant, or if there’s a game on, I’ll hop in a cab and go to a ballpark.

What was the first concert that you ever attended?
Ah! That’s a good question. The first big concert I ever attended was Little Feat with Stephen Stills opening up. My aunt took me to that when I was about 12. The first small show that I ever went to was a punk show in Tucson with Pennywise, Offspring, Wax, Buzzoven, and Eyehategod. That was a fun, punk, hard core night at an old venue called the Downtown Performance Center in Tucson that, unfortunately, no longer exists. That was a huge, huge influence on me. I would go there every single weekend just to catch shows. I wouldn’t even care who was playing. I just wanted to be in that environment. It inspired me to want to play shows there and elsewhere.

Is there anything else that you want to share with readers?
Other than A Perfect Circle and The Beta Machine, I’m a part of one other band called ShadowParty. We’re on Must Records, and the band is a combination of two members of Devo, Josh Hager and myself, and two members of New Order, Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham. We’re a bit of a baby band, but we have [recently released] a new record [Mute, released July 28, 2018].

Jeff, I cannot thank you enough for talking with me. Thank you so much.
I had a good time. Thank you for your interest!

Related Articles:

• A Perfect Evening with A Perfect Circle
• Top Ten Crazy Cool Things about Carolina Rebellion 2017

Matt McJunkins of A Perfect Circle in Clevleand with his incredible talent and sexy stage presence

Claire Acey and Matt McJunkins of The Beta Machine in Cleveland