Jason McGerr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jason McGerr
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McGerr performing in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 19, 1974 Bellingham, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Jason McGerr, born on July 19, 1974, is an American musician. He is most famous as the drummer for the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie.
Contents
Jason McGerr's Music Journey
Growing Up and Learning Drums
Jason McGerr grew up in Bellingham, Washington. When he was ten years old, he started learning to play the drums. He wanted to join his middle school band. By the time he was 16, he was already playing paid shows at local places.
In an interview from 2018, Jason shared a special moment. He knew he wanted to be a professional drummer when he was 14. This happened after he heard the song "Black Dog" by the band Led Zeppelin. Growing up, he also loved fishing. He worked at a local fishing shop during his high school years.
Before joining Death Cab for Cutie, Jason played in other bands. These included Krusters Kronomid, Eureka Farm, and a jazz trio called Rockin' Teenage Combo. He has also said that the famous drummer Neil Peart is his hero.
Joining Death Cab for Cutie
Jason McGerr became part of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie in early 2003. He took over as the drummer after Michael Schorr left. Interestingly, two other band members, Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer, had played in Eureka Farm before. Jason had actually replaced Ben Gibbard in that band.
Jason's first album with Death Cab for Cutie was Transatlanticism. This album came out in October 2003. Jason even helped write two songs on it. Transatlanticism was a big success. It was loved by critics and sold very well. It even earned a gold award, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies. This album helped Death Cab for Cutie become very popular.
In 2003, Benjamin Gibbard said something important about Jason. He believed Jason would be the band's last drummer ever. He felt that having Jason in the band just made perfect sense.
Other Music Projects
Jason McGerr has also worked with many other artists. He played drums on Tegan and Sara's album The Con, which came out in July 2007. You can even see him recording with them on their DVD. He also played drums on their next album, Sainthood, released in October 2009.
Jason also played drums on several songs for Matt Nathanson. He worked on Matt's 2007 album, Some Mad Hope, and his 2009 album, Modern Love. Jason also helped his Death Cab for Cutie bandmate Chris Walla. He played drums on three songs for Chris's first solo album, Field Manual, released in 2008.
In June 2007, Jason opened his own recording studio in Seattle. It's called Two Sticks Audio. Many different music groups have recorded there. These include Smoosh, Barcelona, and even Death Cab for Cutie.
After opening his studio, Jason started working with a Swedish software company. They make music computer programs. He helped create an expansion pack for their program called Reason 4. This pack, "The Jason McGerr Sessions," helps other musicians use his drum sounds.
Jason also teaches at the Seattle Drum School. He has helped and guided young music groups, like the indie-pop group Smoosh (now called Chaos Chaos).
Jason's Drum Gear
Jason McGerr uses specific brands for his drum setup. He plays Gretsch Drums and uses Remo drumheads. His cymbals are from Zildjian, though he used to use Paiste. He plays with Vic Firth drumsticks. For pedals and other hardware, he uses Drum Workshop.
Zildjian Cymbals
When playing live shows, Jason uses these Zildjian cymbals:
- 14-inch A Zildjian New Beat Hi-Hats
- 19-inch K Zildjian Sweet Crash
- 23-inch A Zildjian Sweet Ride
- 20-inch K Zildjian Sweet Crash
For recording in the studio, he uses different Zildjian cymbals:
- 15-inch Kerope Hi-Hats
- 18-inch Kerope
- 22-inch Kerope
- 20-inch Kerope
Jason also has a special set of older Avedis Hi-Hats from the 1960s or 70s. These have been used on several Death Cab for Cutie recordings. He also has other cymbals from Zildjian's K Constantinople and A Avedis lines. However, the setups listed above are the ones he uses most often.
Jason used to play Craviotto drums and Ludwig Drums before his current setup.
Jason McGerr's Discography
With Death Cab for Cutie
- Transatlanticism (October 7, 2003, Barsuk)
- Plans (August 30, 2005, Atlantic)
- Narrow Stairs (May 13, 2008, Atlantic)
- Open Door EP (March 31, 2009, Atlantic)
- Codes and Keys (May 31, 2011, Atlantic)
- Kintsugi (March 31, 2015, Atlantic)
- Thank You for Today (August 17, 2018, Atlantic)
- Asphalt Meadows (September 16, 2022, Atlantic)
Other Album Credits
- Travis Morrison – Travistan (2004, Barsuk)
- Tegan and Sara – The Con (2007, Sire)
- Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope (2007, Vanguard)
- Chris Walla – Field Manual (2008, Barsuk)
- Tegan and Sara – Sainthood (2009, Sire)
- Matt Nathanson – Modern Love (2011, Vanguard)
- Frank Turner - FTHC (2022)
