EP.42. Michael Miley

Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley is back on The Sonic Road Podcast for episode 42. This one covers drumming, jazz, John Bonham, and what's coming next for Rival Sons in 2027. Michael Miley Patreon drum course: https://www.patreon.com/cw/mileyondrumz Rival Sons tour dates: https://www.rivalsons.com/home/#jump Rival Sons Official: rivalsons.com 🌐 Website & Newsletter: thesonicroad.com ▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@thesonicroad 🎧 Spotify: The Sonic Road Podcast 🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonic-road-podcast/id1796040439 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/share/1B865BcX44 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thesonicroad 🐦 X: @thesonicroad 🔗 All Links: linktr.ee/thesonicroad Miley talks about the student approach that still drives him at this stage of his career. He studied with ex-Mars Volta drummer Dave Elitch around 2015 — working specifically on posture, body mechanics, and how he fixed chronic shoulder and shin problems through technique changes. He still checks in with Elitch once a year. He gets into how that work shows up in everything from his hi-hat position to playing a full show without breaking down. He also covers the John Bonham comparison that surfaced in a 2013 article during the Great Western Valkyrie period, what it pushed him to do, and how jazz drumming from players like Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, and Elvin Jones actually shows up in a hard rock band context. Comping, ghost notes, and listening — not just chops. Also covered: The Patreon drum foundations course — posture, rudiments, and the Pareto principle applied to teaching The Mike Miley Trio — a jazz Christmas album paying tribute to Vince Guaraldi and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, featuring jazz vocalist Veronica Swift on "Christmas Time Is Here," out Black Friday on Sacred Tongue Records Playing The Late Show with David Letterman while on tour during Great Western Valkyrie Five years as the house drummer on Last Call with Carson Daly at NBC Tomas Haake of Meshuggah tracking Miley down backstage to talk ghost notes and ride cymbal technique Rival Sons opening for Black Sabbath on their final tour and playing Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning show The story behind Jordan from Head Down and how Beau found Rival Sons Domestic Bliss Tour starting October 30 — tertiary US markets, Cleveland on November 18 at House of Blues Rival Sons 10th album and the Dom Gilday documentary, both targeting 2027 Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 5:30 Rock report from Milwaukee — Howling Giant, Greenleaf & ticket prices 18:00 Pat Smear, Nirvana & the MTV Video Vanguard controversy 28:00 Neil Peart documentary No Disciple 33:00 Michael Miley interview begins 35:00 The student approach — being the best version of yourself as a player 42:00 The 2013 John Bonham comparison 48:00 Four-piece kit setup and additions on Darkfighter / Lightbringer 55:00 Dave Elitch, posture & fixing injury through technique 1:04:00 Teaching philosophy and the Patreon foundations course 1:14:00 Jazz drumming in a rock context 1:24:00 The Rival Sons rhythm section with Dave Beste 1:32:00 Mike Miley Trio — Vince Guaraldi Christmas album and Veronica Swift 1:40:00 Rival Sons 10th album and the Dom Gilday documentary 1:46:00 Jordan and how Beau found Rival Sons 1:52:00 Playing Letterman and five years on Last Call with Carson Daly 2:04:00 Rock, social media and the music industry 2:18:00 Domestic Bliss Tour 2026 and Cleveland 2:26:00 Wrap up #RivalSons #MichaelMiley #musicpodcast #Drummer #TheSonicRoadPodcast