When it was announced last year that German drummer Anika Nilles was chosen to take the place of (not replace) the late, great Neil Peart in one of the biggest and most musically technical bands in the world, many rock fans may have wondered: “Anika who?” But don’t let her relatively low profile in the rock world lead you to underestimate her. Soon, that profile will skyrocket, and deservedly so.
Drummer, composer, bandleader, musical educator, she is more than qualified and more than capable. That she has toured with Jeff Beck – whose other drummers include such giants as Simon Phillips and Vinnie Colaiuta – should be enough in itself. Pressure? What pressure? Many will think she’s fortunate to have hooked up with Rush; others will reckon Rush are fortunate to have hooked up with her.
Have you previously experienced the level of attention you’re getting now?
Yes, but before it was all within the drum community. Not so much mainstream or general music press, more drum community publications and trade magazines.
And how does it feel? A new, exciting experience?
It’s definitely a whole different level than before.
How did it all happen?
I was on tour with Jeff [Beck], and Jeff’s guitar tech Scully was there as well. Scully is also Geddy’s bass tech, and that was basically the connection. Scully apparently told Geddy about me and then got us in touch.
What was your first thought?
A call like that is definitely something you need to process first. Then I got an invitation to Canada. Initially it was about meeting to see whether it would work for the guys to go back on stage, and whether this line-up would work. Of course, it was overwhelming at first to be playing with the two of them in the studio in such a small setting.
How did you prepare?
I had a few songs prepared before I flew over, and we played those. But during the session we also talked a lot about Neil – about his view on music and drumming. We spoke a great deal about the feel of the songs. The most important point is simply to capture the feeling – that it feels right for the two of them to play their music again. And ultimately it will feel right for the fans as well. We talked about that a lot. The first session was really about getting to know each other and seeing how we function together.
May I ask which songs you played together first?
Unfortunately I can’t leak any songs [laughs].
What will go through your mind in the days leading up to the first concert in Los Angeles –or maybe in the minutes just before – in June?
I hope I can stay focused. I try not to put too much pressure on myself. That’s very important – just to have fun as well. Of course, it’s a big deal, and there’s a certain level of expectation. But for me it’s very important to stay focused and to enjoy it, not to approach it too rigidly.
Do you get stage fright before concerts?
In the past I actually had a big issue with stage fright, and I worked on it a lot. I’ve developed enough techniques and tools that I can rely on. And if the nerves really start to take over, I definitely know how to counteract that.
What was your relationship with Rush and their music before this came about? Were you very familiar with their catalogue?
As a drummer I was familiar with Neil’s work, of course, especially the song Tom Sawyer. That’s a classic. It’s played a lot in the drum community, as a play-along or even in exams. But I never really listened to Rush, even though I grew up with rock and progressive music. I listened to a lot of rock, but somehow never Rush. All the songs I’m learning now are new to me. I’m basically starting from scratch.
What is the biggest challenge for you?
The biggest challenge is actually really capturing the right feel. In these songs, it’s less about what I play, whether it’s true to the original or whether there’s room for improvisation. That comes second. First and foremost it’s about capturing the right feel. That also means immersing myself to some extent in Neil’s way of thinking and his playing feel, which is a huge part of this music. Neil is simply part of this music, and you can’t ignore that or bring your own ego into it. You have to approach it with respect and a lot of sensitivity.
Capturing the feel also means playing things differently than I might normally play them – playing them more the way Neil played them, to give the guys their familiar feeling for the song. That’s really the biggest challenge: figuring out what that is in each individual song – what creates that feeling so that the two of them feel comfortable? What do they need? What makes the song the song, so that it sounds the way it does? That’s where my focus lies as I work my way through the setlist, figuring out what the song needs and what defines it.
How much of your time per week is currently going into Rush – how intense is the preparation?
Since January I’ve been preparing full-time only. That means five to six hours of pure playing every day, completely focused on it. Before that it was more of a mix because I still had other commitments. My band had just released an album, we were in the middle of a tour, and I had to balance everything a bit. But now, about half a year before the tour, I’ve stepped away from everything else and am focusing completely on the preparation.
For someone who isn’t a drummer, can you describe roughly what defined Neil’s playing?
His playing was very energetic, and I really like that. That’s something I feel very comfortable with. I also love playing in a very energetic way. That’s the first thing that comes to mind, and something I really appreciate about his playing. He also had an incredible range of tonal colors. He had a very melodic approach to drumming and used a wide variety of sounds to achieve that. That set him apart and made him stand out to many drummers, for whom he was – and still is – a role model.
He had a very distinctive way of playing the ride cymbal. When you listen to the music, that cymbal always stands out prominently. It has its own feel, which is also important for the guys and for that sense of feel I mentioned earlier. He had a very distinctive snare sound as well. There are certain signature sounds that come directly from his playing – not from the equipment, but from him. You recognise him immediately. Adapting to his way of playing is a challenge.
Even non-musicians can tell that Rush’s music is on another level. Many of these songs feel almost scientific in their precision, don’t they?
Yes, you could say that. It’s a very creative way of writing songs – very creative and very authentic. If you know the guys, you can tell how authentic it is. It’s not something artificially pieced together, it comes from within them. Of course, it’s also highly complex. And within that complexity, the drumming – the way the parts are composed – almost feels like a work in its own right. It’s all interwoven with the song.
Neil rarely repeated himself. He kept bringing something new into the song. Even if a section repeated in terms of songwriting, his drumming the second time was different from the first. That makes it exciting and is part of what gives the songs their identity. At the same time, it’s a challenge to remember all those details, because they’re important. It’s a composition; you can’t just ignore certain parts, they’re all essential and have to be played. That’s challenging.
How are Geddy and Alex as people, as colleagues?
They are incredibly funny people. Very human, very warm, very welcoming. I felt comfortable right away. And that’s extremely important when you’re working together – that it works on that level. Thankfully it clicked with the two of them immediately. I really enjoy watching them play, because they do it with such unbelievable joy. They’re simply having fun, yet at the same time they’re completely focused when it comes to the details. They’re deeply immersed in the details of their music, they know every note and every hit by heart. They’re fully aware of everything. And their energy – both in the way they interact with each other and in the sheer force of their playing – is fantastic to witness. It’s incredibly fun.
![Anika Nilles / Nevell - FIJI [official video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XUkt8ChaEg8/maxresdefault.jpg)
Did you ever want to become a rock star, or was that never your intention?
No. It never turned out the way I imagined it anyway. You can plan a career, and then completely different things happen. My entry was actually quite unusual – through the drum community. That happened because I posted YouTube videos with my own compositions. That wasn’t planned either.
A friend of mine wanted to test his camera, and we said: “Come on, let’s make a drum video.” That was fifteen years ago, before Instagram and all that. It was a completely different time. And that’s how this project started: “Let’s do drum videos.” It kept gaining momentum. I made my own album, founded a band, and the videos reached millions of views. And, funnily enough, Jeff [Beck] saw those videos.
Before that I had already played for bigger acts in Germany and toured, but playing for others was never really my thing. I was always more focused on my own compositions and being an independent artist. Of course, playing for Jeff was a huge deal –performing for a top artist on that level. But all of that really came about through the videos.
You said playing for others was never really your thing. What makes the difference with Rush?
I never rule out playing for others. If I find it interesting and it fits me, I’m happy to do it. Some offers were a good fit, others weren’t. But Rush fits me like a glove in terms of how I feel musically. I grew up with rock and progressive music, that’s where I come from. Then at some point I drifted more into jazz and fusion. Now it feels a bit like coming home – back to where I originally came from, but with everything I’ve experienced, played, practised and learned in between. It almost feels like everything led to this. And first of all, it was Rush – hello! But beyond that, it’s truly something I can see myself in, a world I find exciting and that I’m genuinely interested in.
What does it mean to you as a German drummer to play for a world-famous band? Do you also see yourself as a role model for young women?
I do think I’ve become a role model for many people. Over the past ten years, with everything that has happened, I’ve learned that I’ve sort of grown into that role. I don’t do it consciously, I make my decisions based on what’s in front of me at the time. But I believe it’s important, as a woman on drums – which is still underrepresented – to have role models. To be able to say: “Look, she’s playing in this band, she’s playing for this act.”
We’re here. We can fulfill these roles just as much as men can. That’s important. When I was growing up, that didn’t really exist. Fortunately I had a lot of support from my parents and family. But I know many girls don’t have that support, and have to fight their way through on their own – for very different reasons. For them it’s even more important to have a role model they can look up to. And I am aware of that responsibility.
What will it mean to you to go to Germany, your home country, with Rush and perform there, where there will surely be many people in the audience who have known you for a long time?
It’s always something special to play in your home country with a big act. It was special with Jeff, and it will be special again with Rush. I think the guys haven’t been here in quite a long time either, so it will be special for them as well. And for me it’s wonderful to connect with the German Rush fans. I’m really looking forward to that.
Which Rush songs do you like the most?
I listened through the entire catalogue before I started practising specific songs. I like the songs where things really kick in. Natural Science, for example, is one I like a lot – very energetic, many parts, also odd time signatures. It’s a colourful mix of everything. I also really like very melodic songs like Time Stand Still. That’s one of my favourites. There are quite a few songs. But I’m into that combination: melodic, and then full energy, full power again.
You mentioned that you’re rehearsing up to forty songs to be able to vary the setlist. Those are going to be intense weeks.
Yes, exactly.
Anika Nilles' first full show with Rush is on June 7 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
