Greg Saunier

Gregory Lovell Saunier[2] (born 18 May 1969)[3] is a musician, producer, and composer best known as the drummer and founding member of Deerhoof.

Greg Saunier
Greg Saunier in 2006
Background information
Born (1969-05-18) 18 May 1969
Valdivia, Chile[1]
OriginUnited States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • producer
  • composer
Instrument(s)
Years active1990–present
Labels

Rolling Stone included Saunier alongside Brian Chippendale (of Lightning Bolt) and Zach Hill (of Hella, later Death Grips and the I.L.Y's) as together composing "a generation of trailblazing 21st-century avant-rock percussionists".[4]

Career
Saunier in 2011
Saunier in 2017

Saunier graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1991.[5] The next year, he joined a four-piece band, Nitre Pit, in San Francisco as its drummer. When the band's two guitarists left, Saunier and Nitre Pit's bassist, Rob Fisk, reformed as an "elastic, hyper-expressive" band to fulfill Nitre Pit's extant scheduled shows, which later became Deerhoof when Slim Moon of Kill Rock Stars signed the group in 1995.[6] Saunier moved to New York with two suitcases and has said that he does not own many possessions. As a drummer, he says, things he touches tend to break.[7]

Outside of Deerhoof, Saunier's bands include Mystical Weapons (a duo with Sean Lennon)[8][9] and a collaboration with Brian Chippendale, about which a documentary, Checking in at 20, was produced.[10][11][12] He also formed Nervous Cop with drummer Zach Hill and harpist Joanna Newsom,[13] and bands with members of Erase Errata and Rainer Maria, soundtracked a film by Martha Colburn, and collaborated with Yonatan Gat on a reinterpretation of Antonín Dvořák's American Quartet.[14][15][16] Saunier is a member of the indie rock supergroup Big Walnuts Yonder alongside bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE), guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco) and guitarist/vocalist Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos).[17]

He has produced albums including Xiu Xiu's The Air Force[18][19] and Always,[20] Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog's Your Turn,[21] Sholi's self-titled album[22] and People Get Ready's Physiques,[23] jess joy's PATREEARCHY, remixed tracks for Shy Hunters[24] and WOOM,[25] and appeared on albums including Zach Hill's Face Tat.[26] In 2016, Saunier collaborated with American Brazilian composer Marcos Balter, in which they wrote songs for Deerhoof and Ensemble Dal Niente.[27]

Kit and technique

Saunier uses a minimal drum kit, consisting of a kick drum, snare and a cymbal, a set-up inspired in part by the kit and playing style of Questlove (The Roots).[28] In 2008, Saunier said that he rarely practices, mainly for lack of time. When he writes songs, he usually considers the drum part last and is more concerned about the other components of the song including its technical elements. His interest and judgement in the latter came from his experience starting Deerhoof without producers, a record label, or much outside help.[29]

Personal life

Saunier has Tourette syndrome, and is noted for his trenchant creative approach to anti-capitalist/pro-human, anarchically inflected commitment to activism.[30]

References
  1. "Greg Saunier Of Deerhoof: Drums As An Afterthought". drummagazine.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  2. "ACE Repertory". ASCAP Repertory Search. ASCAP. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  3. "Happy Birthday, Greg! Keep banging! Satomi". Twitter. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. "Brian Chippendale – 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 March 2016.
  5. "Alumni Composers – Composition – Conservatory – Oberlin College". 24 October 2016.
  6. "UNCLE BOOKING".
  7. "Wanted/Needed/Loved #1: Greg Saunier's Tour Survival Kit". 2 July 2015.
  8. "Mystical Weapons – "Mechanical Mammoth" Video". 27 November 2012.
  9. "Mystical Weapons by Mystical Weapons". Metacritic.
  10. "Deerhoof's Greg Saunier and Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale Team Up for Drum Duo Album".
  11. "Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier Subject of Film, Team for Drum Duo LP – Pitchfork". Pitchfork. 20 November 2014.
  12. "Brian Chippendale / Greg Saunier: Brian Chippendale & Greg Saunier Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
  13. "Nervous Cop: Nervous Cop". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  14. "Greg Saunier – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic.
  15. "Video: Deerhoof: "The Merry Barracks" – Pitchfork". Pitchfork. 8 March 2011.
  16. "Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
  17. Pearce, Sheldon (1 March 2017). "Minutemen, Wilco, Deerhoof Members Announce Album From New Band Big Walnuts Yonder". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  18. "Xiu Xiu – Biography & History – AllMusic". AllMusic.
  19. "The Air Force by Xiu Xiu". Metacritic.
  20. "Always by Xiu Xiu". Metacritic.
  21. "Your Turn by Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog". Metacritic.
  22. "Sholi Sign to Quarterstick, Enlist Deerhoof Dude for LP – Pitchfork". Pitchfork. 11 November 2008.
  23. "People Get Ready – "Physiques"". 23 April 2014.
  24. "Shy Hunters – "Idle Days (Greg Saunier Remix)" (Stereogum Premiere)". 27 May 2014.
  25. "WOOM – "The Hunt" Video (Stereogum Premiere)". 19 November 2010.
  26. "Zach Hill – "Memo To The Man"". 23 July 2010.
  27. "WQXR – New York's Classical Music Radio Station".
  28. "Greg Saunier – Modern Drummer Magazine". 15 June 2007.
  29. "Deerhoof, Greg Saunier: Interview". 3 May 2022.
  30. "Avant garde pop". Boulder Weekly. 17 February 2011.
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