Interview: Tucker Rule Of Thursday

There’s no doubt Tucker Rule is one of the busiest drummers in the game. Being one of the founding members of legendary emo/post-hardcore group Thursday, he performs with Ageist, Franko Iero & The Future Violents and sometimes drums for legendary NYHC band Murphy’s Law. He has also been a hired gun for Yellowcard, My Chemical Romance, and The Wanted. I spoke with Tucker about Thursday, plans for the future, drumming, gear, and some other stuff along the way. Please keep in mind these questions are five months old. Enjoy.

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. How have you been?

I’ve been ok, currently between leg on and leg two of a tour with Cursive, Appleseed Cast and Nate Bergman. Trying to enjoy this 3 day downtime with my Daughter. 

You’re known for your involvement in Thursday since the beginning, but some of the readers may not know that you’re also a touring and session musician. Can you list some of the artists and groups you’ve been working with so far?

I’ve done work as a hired gun for an British Boy Band called The Wanted, Yellowcard (2015-16) and My Chemical Romance (2007). I sometimes play in Legendary New York Hardcore band Murphy’s Law, I play with Frank iero and the Future Violents and a Brooklyn band called Ageist. 

Who’s your favorite artist or band to work with? Any funny anecdotes from rehearsing, recording sessions, tours, or maybe how you started working with some of those names? 

I’d have to say Frank iero and the FV was my favorite band to work with/for. We made a record called Barriers with Steve Albini which was quite a rad experience. Frank and I have been buds for over 20 years and same with our Bassist, Matt Armstrong. That was also my first time playing with my dear friend Kayleigh Goldsworthy (keys, violin, vocals and guitar) and my new little Bro Evan Nestor. I actually have Evan out on tour with me currently as drum/vibe tech because he’s the fuggin best! Our guitar player for Thursday actual got Covid so Evan stepped up and play some thurs songs with us. 

With pandemics on our backs, how have restrictions, quarantine, and isolation affected you and your music career?

My wife and I gave birth to our daughter, Birdie, in March which was the very beginning of the pandemic. I feel very lucky that I was able to spend the first 2 years of her life home. I also put a drum studio in my garage called Rip Room Studios to which I’ve played drums remotely on a few records. I also filmed and recorded an entire week of Late Night with Set Meyers from there when the show went remote due to Covid. My friend Erin Tate also started a drum group called Indie Drummer Collective. It’s a group of drummers who do covers of songs for Instagram, Facebook and YouTube which has been a really rewarding process for all involved. 

Have you been engaged with some recordings during this isolation period? Can you reveal some upcoming projects you’ve been working on?

I did a record called Daggers by the great Jim Ward. It was truly an honor to play on his songs. Jim’s a killer song writer and has the biggest heart there is. That’s pretty much the only record I can talk about as there are others that haven’t come out yet and are top secret. 

Thursday got back together around 2016 or 2017 if I am not mistaken. How has this break affected you as a people, musicians, and colleagues? Have the comeback created a special bond between you guys?

We may have taken a hiatus but we’ve never broken up. We’ve all kept contact through the ups and downs of this band. They are all brothers to me. The road is not a place for everyone, thus, sometimes you need to take breaks and take care of yourselves… in that, we are taking care of each other. 

You have the tour kicking off in mid-September. After that, you’re having a couple of shows in December. Are you excited? What can fans expect from you guys? 

All of our December shows were canceled due to me having Covid. It was a rough blow but it is what it is. But now that we are on the road for a lot of 2022, we are extremely grateful to feel the electricity in the rooms. 

Any plans for touring during 2022? What are the chances we will be able to see you this year in Europe? Are there any plans lurking in the air about it?

There are a lot of plans being thrown around at the moment but nothing solidified. 

Thursday released No Devolución in 2011. Ten years have passed since then. Are there any chances for a new release in not so distant future? 

We are currently really enjoying being back to work hitting the road. We are just enjoying to be connecting with people again. 

Have you worked on new material during the quarantine? Can you reveal what the longtime fans can expect from the new tunes (if there are any)?

I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of friends over the pandemic and have been a part of a lot of cool collaborations. One of my favorite things I’ve done was A cover of Phil Collins Easy Lover with my friend Mike Squires who runs a cool podcast called Couch Riffs. 

With so many full-lengths, extended plays, and singles recorded with Thursday, what is your personal favorite? Any particular material or tune you especially enjoy while performing/practicing?

I really enjoy playing No Answers and Fast to the End, both off No Devolucion.

The band started around 1996. What are your thoughts on how post-hardcore and emo scenes developed over the years? What are the pros and cons of the early days and nowadays?

We started when there was no internet, no social media and no cell phones. We had to make flyers for our shows to play in basements. Once we made a record, we always looked at that record as a flyer for a show. Everything was word of mouth, we’d basically call the promoter in the morning and say “ok, so it says we will be there in 10 hours, is the show still happening?” I think the pros of today is that it’s easy to connect with fans… I think the cons are that now everyone can see behind the curtain and bands have lost their mystique because of that. 

I am sure that we have some drummers and gear heads among the readers who would like to know something more about the gear you’re currently using. Can you reveal your current setup/drum kit? Any particular brands you would like to recommend to fellow drummers?

I currently use a mahogany Q Drum Co drum kit. A brass Q Drums Gentlemen snare. Zildjian Cymbals (mostly Avedis and K Light series), Remo Black dot drumheads with a Coated CSx on snare, Vater 5b drumsticks, DW pedals and hardware, Lowboy standard wood drum beater, JH Audio jh16 In ear monitors and Roland SPD SX drum pad. 

What genres do you enjoy playing when you’re not performing post-hardcore? Is there any style you especially enjoy while jamming/practicing?

I really just enjoy playing the drums, no matter what style. Drums have been the constant In my life where you get back what you put into the instrument. I’m forever grateful that the drums and I found one another. 

Besides playing, what are you listening to in your spare time? What’s currently on your playlist? Any good old or new artists/albums/tunes you would like to recommend to our readers?

I have a fair amount of fill in tour work after my Thursday tours this winter so my playlist is consisting of learning those artists songs. When I have a lot of learning to do, I generally enjoy silence. 

What are your plans for the future besides Thursday? Any collaborations, projects, appearances that you’re currently working on, or you’re planning in the not-so-distant future?

I have quite a bit I’m looking forward to but nothing I can currently talk about. 

That’s it. Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?

Thank you so much for having me. Everyone stay healthy and safe. 

Best,

Tucker Rule

Web: Tuckerrule.com

IG: @tuckerrule