Go with Elmo Lovano 76. J-Rod Sullivan: From Viral Drum Videos to Janet Jackson’s Drummer
Episode 76: Jerrod "J-Rod" Sullivan.
If you're a drummer, chances are you've seen J-Rod pop up in your feed. He's one of the most exciting drummers to watch, and now he’s holding down the drum chair for Janet Jackson. From uploading his first drum video to YouTube back in 2006 to building an audience of over 700,000 followers, J-Rod is living proof that consistency and passion pay off.
We get into everything from his early days playing in church to building an online community of over 700K+ followers with his drum videos and how he creates them. We talk about staying consistent while on the road, and why authenticity is everything. Plus, we go deep into the Janet Jackson gig, talking about how it came together from a DM and the sacrifice he took dedicating 2 months to turn this Janet Jackson opportunity into a closed deal.
I had to find out how in the world he plays the infamous “Control” drum fill, his gear setups, how he makes his social media videos (both the cameras, the audio, and the process), creating drumless tracks with the Moises app, his band The 4 Korners, staying sharp, and why it pays to act as if you already got the gig.
J-Rod came through to my hotel room in Las Vegas to link up the next day after his show with Janet Jackson. I went to the show and it was incredible. After the show, we went out with Zedd until 5 a.m., and the next morning he went straight to AMA rehearsals with Janet, then soundcheck at Resorts World with Janet, then to my hotel room to do the interview, and then straight to his show with Janet that night. We were running on fumes for this convo, which made it fun in it's own way. We dive into his story, his viral rise, how he landed the Janet gig, and so much more.
Here's my conversation with the incredible, Jerrod "J-Rod" Sullivan!
(0:00) INTRO
(01:17) THE JANET JACKSON LAS VEGAS SHOW
(02:37) ZEDD
(03:20) STARTING OUT, JROD'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE
(06:30) J-ROD'S DRUM TONE
(07:20) HOW GETTING NOTICED CHANGED J-ROD
(08:27) VIDEO CREATION PROCESS
(11:07) DECISIVENESS
(13:26) DRUMLESS TRACKS
(13:56) HOME RECORDING RIG
(15:11) HOW TO MAKE TRACKS DRUMLESS
(16:11) PARAMORE'S "AIN'T IT FUN" COVER
(17:06) GAINING TRACTION OVER 10 YEARS
(18:43) GETTING THE GIG WITH JANET JACKSON
(34:19) OFFICIALLY GETTING THE GIG WITH JANET
(36:24) REHEARSALS WITH JANET JACKSON
(40:42) "CONTROL" DRUM FILL
(43:41) MEETING JANET JACKSON AT REHEARSALS
(46:40) LIFE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S NEXT
(50:17) WHO SHOULD BE ON THE PODCAST?
Here's the Jimmy Jam Videos that were referenced in the video:
Jimmy Jam Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQgpr2WNM0&t=3894s
Jimmy Jam Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R4utgYvHdY&t=2305s
Flyte Tyme Studios Tour with Jimmy Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updSUi65UvI&t=1266s
‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.
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