Here’s a fun little summertime bop that I’ll share while the season is still around: “Jamie All Over” by Mayday Parade, from their debut A Lesson In Romantics. Mayday Parade was part of a flurry of bands I got into my library back in the day when I would steal transfer music from my brother’s library into mine (this was a prehistoric time before streaming was a big thing).
It’s a fun song, with some typical pop-punk drumming. But I really dig the groove drummer Jack Bundrick uses for the pre-chorus (first heard at the 25-second mark). It’s a neat little pattern, with some offbeat ride bell hits and linear fills at the end of the bar. I used live versions to figure out the exact tom orchestration; I’m pretty sure that’s how he does it in the studio.
If I’m not mistaken, my brother did in fact see Mayday Parade live, at some point. He may even still have a t‑shirt… from the concert videos I’ve found, the drummer seems like a solid player. You can make out the legacy of guys like Travis Barker, but Bundrick also seems to come from the Neil Peart tradition of treating drum parts like guitar riffs that should be played note-for-note when compared to the original studio cut. I find myself in that boat quite often — if I come up with a fill or groove that sounds good for a particular song, I just don’t feel like changing it up whenever I play it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
