The last time Hole came through New York City, a friend and I decided to brave the crowds and go to see them play. I had heard that there was a new drummer and I was anxious to see her perform. Despite being virtually unknown before joining Hole, Samantha Maloney sat at her throne like a queen in command of her kit. Her time keeping: sharp and precise. Her fills: fierce and fluid. The thing that grabbed my attention the most, however, was her ability to throw and twirl drumsticks! Playing with confidence and agility, this girl took any slice of ego I may have had up to then, and put it promptly in its place. I left the concert both inspired and depressed. I knew it was time for me to sit my ass down at the kit and get to work.

At twenty-four, Samantha has already toured with mega-rock superheroes, Hole and Mötley Crüe. Although she's a band member dedicated to the bone, Sam knows well enough not to put all her drumsticks in one basket. She has scored a documentary film and is currently working on another. She is in the process of writing, producing, and engineering her own album. And she is making the ultimate, electronic dance record with the hopes of carving a niche into yet another male-dominated field. Despite the fact that she has already lived her dream of drumming for Mötley Crüe, Samantha has set entirely new goals for herself.

DG: I know you recently moved to L.A. Did you go there to be closer to your bands?
SM: No. Actually, I moved out here because I felt so stagnated in New York-as far as being a musician. I think it's really hard to make it there because the cost of living is so high. I couldn't afford to live there or live the lifestyle I wanted to. I wanted to try L.A. I've lived in New York all of my life and I just wanted a change.

DG: You took a hiatus from Hole to tour with Mötley Crüe. Are you back to a regular rehearsal schedule?
SM: No. Courtney's doing two movies and there's a big lawsuit going on between Universal and us.

DG: I know. That's crazy.
SM: Yeah, it was in the L.A. Times yesterday and I read some of it, and it's a really interesting lawsuit. In the meantime, Universal won't give us money to record, so there's a lot of legal bullshit going on. I came out here, not for Hole, not for Mötley Crüe, but for myself. I'm making an album. A house, techno, dance album.

DG: I know you like a lot of different types of music, but when did you discover that you liked electronic music?
SM: Growing up in New York, I listened to freestyle music like Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. I grew up on Madonna and Michael Jackson and a lot of cool dance music. I went to see Björk and her opening act was Goldie and that was my introduction to the drum and bass world back in '93, or maybe '94. In Sweden, I remember, I had this revelation listening to DeeLite's "Dew Drop in the Garden." I thought: "This is what I want to do with my life!" Not so much be the singer, but I want to make music that people can dance to. I think it's natural for me being a drummer; beating the drums, keeping the rhythm-that's what makes people move. I want to make people move and this is how I'm going to do it this time.

DG: I've played percussion with DJs before and I really love it when live drums are incorporated with electronically produced sounds. With the stuff that you're recording now, do you ever lay down live drum parts over your compositions or is it strictly electronic?
SM: It's strictly computer based, but I have one of those electronic Roland V Custom kits, so I play that. It's so hard as a drummer to program beats. I'd rather just play them. It's that much easier. I run everything through a midi.

One of the main reasons I came out here was to focus on that, but in the meantime I also want to make other types of music. I've written love songs, like Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey-ish, Portishead kind of songs. Right now I'm starting to work on scoring another documentary. I'm trying to keep busy and it's a lot of fun.

I scored a documentary last year. I realized that I can do all this stuff: country and blues and rock and dance. I can do it all and I want to do it all. It's really cool with scoring films because you make the music, then you put it in the film and then it's done. The job's over. It's not like being in a band where it's like a marriage with a bunch of tension and fighting and love and happiness and on and on and on. It's over and you move on to the next thing. That's why it's probably cool to be an actor. Not someone that does a soap opera every day. That's what my band is already: a soap opera. More like someone who does movies. They do the film for a couple of months and then they're done. I get to do a little bit of both, which is kind of cool.

DG: Now, I know you toured with Mötley Crüe, which was a dream come true, let alone getting the gig with Hole. What could you possibly aspire to now?
SM: I know. That's the thing. I'm trying to figure that out now. I think the next step for me is to break through as a female who brings house music to the masses.

DG: What kind of equipment do you compose on?
SM: I just got a G4, which set me back a lot and I use a program called Digital Performer. It's awesome and really easy to use. I also use midi and audio. That's how I do everything. I can spend hours and hours doing this. I'm not, however, the type of person to take two hours to find the ultimate bass drum or high hat sound. The sounds are not as important as the songs themselves. I'll have songs with vocals and songs that will be without vocals. I'd love to have my friends as guest singers or guitarists. It's still a work in progress.

Also, I wasn't going to tell anyone this, but why not tell Drummergirl? I'm thinking about getting a band together with all drummers that could play guitar and sing and play bass so that we can all individually move around and switch instruments. I could be singing my song and then turn around and my friend behind me could get up on the mike and then I'd go back to the drums. I think that would be awesome.

DG: I would love to be involved with something like that, why did you have to move to Los Angeles?
SM: I know, isn't it a fun idea? Drummers always get shafted. Especially drummers who are songwriters. I want to find three or four other amazing drummers who are also songwriters that would be willing to do it.

DG: As far as writing your drum parts for Hole, I know that for the tour you essentially played the parts that Patty Schemel wrote. Are you writing your own parts now?
SM: I've written a couple of songs with them so far. It's great. I mean, they give me the opportunity to play whatever I feel. Hole has never had the same rhythm sections on an album. All three albums had totally different rhythm sections and this album will be another totally different rhythm section. It will add a different element to the next recording, so I'm excited about that. And I'm excited to find a cool female bass player to work with.

DG: When you actually come up with the drum parts for your band, or any band you've been in, do you write the parts out or do you simply memorize them?
SM: I memorize the music and memorize the parts, although I do know how to read and write music. I suggest that everyone learn how to do that because it's nothing but helpful for practicing and learning other parts. For both Hole and Mötley Crüe, I would be coming home in a plane from Los Angeles listening to the songs over and over again and then writing them out on staff music. Then, when I got to rehearsal it would all be down. It's hard to memorize twelve songs with parts and everything.

DG: I should take your advice. I've played drums for fifteen years and I can't read.
SM: It's really simple.

DG: Well, I mean, I can basically read, but I can't sight-read. I couldn't put a piece of music in front of me for the first time and play it. I really respect people who can do that. Is it true that you played the snare drum in the marching band in junior high?
SM: No, actually I played the clarinet in junior high. I went to the performing arts high school [the New York City high school depicted in the 1980s hit movie "Fame"] and studied percussion intensively, so I had five music classes and four academic classes a day. I studied music theory. I had to learn how to sing and how to sight-read. I learned how to play in an orchestra. I played xylophone and marimba and timpani . It's something I really miss and have a total appreciation for. I can see myself when I'm in my sixties and have grandkids, just once again being in an orchestra. Even if it's, like, the old lady orchestra.

DG: I know that David Narcizo of Throwing Muses played snare drum in the high school marching band. He seems to incorporate his knowledge of the snare into his playing in the band. Do you think you utilize those same tools?
SM: Oh yeah, definitely. Everything I've learned, I use. Whether I know it or not. I remember, for music classes in high school, we actually had to get up in front of the entire class and perform a piece and give them sheet music to read along while we played. I was most comfortable playing drum set, so I played Rush's "Tom Sawyer" and I actually got an A+, which I'm very proud of.

DG: As you should be.
SM: There are a lot of four/five fills that I'll bust out all the time. I'll use simple variations and paradiddles are around me all the time, so yes, I definitely use everything I've learned.

I haven't played now, in a couple of months, but I have a pad that I want to use and [I want to] get back into rudiments. I think doing basic snare rudiments from the Haskel-Harr book and doing different variations of stickings is really useful. My teachers would hound me, "Do those, do those, do those." They come out all of the time now in my playing. Simple eighth notes. Those are really important. If you have your snare stuff down, then it comes around. You have it in your hands and then you can take it to the rest of the kit.

DG: I saw you play with Hole and I must say that you really blew me away. You look like someone who practices a lot. When you're in a regular rehearsal regiment, how often do you play?
SM: You know what, I feel terrible 'cause I hate it when I read interviews and people say that they don't practice, but I really don't practice. Living in New York, you can't really have a drum kit around. I just got here, in L.A. Maybe I'll set up a drum kit 'cause I'm in a house now, but it's really hard to find the time and space to play. That's why rudiments are cool 'cause those are quick and you can spend ten or fifteen minutes a day. I warm up before a show with rudiments and more importantly, I'll stretch. I used to practice a lot from about fourteen-years-old to eighteen-years-old. I would get behind the kit, like, five times a day for two hours.

DG: Did you know that you had a talent for drumming?
SM: No, I didn't. I just knew that I loved to play. I never thought I'd be on stage or anything. I just had so much fun. Then next thing I know, people were like, "Hey, do you want to be in my band?" And I said, "O.K." And so I'd be in these little bands and all of a sudden I had this band called Shift and we started putting out CDs and I was just going with the flow. I would always get complimented, "You're not just good for a girl, you're just good." And I thought to myself, "I guess I'll take that as a compliment," although you struggle with those things all of the time. The ratio of guys to girls that play-there are a lot better girls that play drums out there than guys. I've seen way more guys that suck than girls.

DG: Yeah, I'd have to agree with that.
SM: It's innate, I think, with rhythm. Either you got it, or you don't.

DG: You just answered my next question!
SM: There's drummers out there today that practice incessantly. If you can't groove, people know it. The best drummers are the best dancers.

DG: I read years ago that Kate (the singer/guitarist) of Babes and Toyland saw Lori Barbedo (the drummer) dance at a barbecue, and then asked if she would drum in her band. I agree that the two go hand in hand.
SM: Yeah. That's why I love to dance and I love house music. I can't even explain the feeling. I love to play on stage. I've gotten to play on stage. I'll say it over and over again, "I'm the luckiest girl in the world!" Not only am I in a cool band, Hole, but I got the opportunity to play with Mötley Crüe for three or four months.

DG: You know I'm ten years older than you and I still haven't fully realized my dreams, but you're an inspiration to me to keep at it. When I saw you live, it humbled me a bit and made me want to practice more and improve.
SM: That's what I need. When I see cool drummers I'm totally inspired. My head goes down and I think to myself, "I really need to practice. I'm terrible." I'm never content. As an artist, you'll never be satisfied. The day you're satisfied is the day it's over. You gotta keep on striving and practicing. My friend Taylor, who plays in the Foo Fighters, he's getting lessons from that guy Zorro. You would think that he wouldn't need to do that. But no, he wants to get better.

DG: Have you always played Sonor drums?
SM: My first set was a Tama prototype when I was fourteen-years-old. When I could afford it, I always wanted Sonor 'cause I thought they were the coolest drums. When I was sixteen-years-old, I spent $1400 on a Sonor set, which was a lot of money-well, it still is a lot of money come to think of it. When I signed with Shift, I got money to buy a kit, so I bought a DW kit but I wasn't satisfied with it. It wasn't heavy and rockin' enough. It was a little too professional sounding and also, everyone was playing DW kits at the time. When I joined Hole, I had my tech call Sonor and they were like, "Anything you want; we'll take care of you." Sonor makes the best quality drums. They're heavy as shit, but they also make the best hardware, I think. Now, they just made me a pink sparkle drum kit, so I want to powder coat it white so it will be a total Barbie drum kit. I'll take it on the road with whomever I tour next.

DG: How has it been having roadies lug your gear for you?
SM: Oh my God, let me tell you, like I said, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I can really appreciate it because I've had to set everything up and then break everything down. These roadies that I have set everything up exactly the same way each time, so I am so fortunate and spoiled. I don't even have to tune them or anything. I have in-ear monitors and these things called thumpers, which are two twelve-inch speakers under my throne. I get a lot of bass kick in my ass. It's amazing. I'm totally spoiled and have no complaints.

DG: What are you listening to these days?
SM: I love Basement Jaxx and I can't stop listening to Massive Attack. There's also a new band I'm into called Cave In. They're a cool band out of Boston.

DG: Do you feel any threat with what's going on with the lawsuit between Hole and Universal Music?
SM: The only threat to Hole is ourselves. The only thing that would break up Hole is Hole. Universal could never stop us from making music. We'll pay for it ourselves and we'll do whatever we have to do to get the music out to our fans. We're fighting Universal more for other artists, not so much for ourselves. They make you sign these contracts. Hole signed to this boutique label Geffen and then Geffen was bought out by MCA and then MCA was bought out by Universal/Seagrams and then Seagrams was bought by some Waste Company. That's not who we signed to, so we feel no obligation to them. There's no one to support us at our label anymore. We're not even on Geffen anymore. We're now on Interscope.

DG: What do you think about the music that's out there now?
SM: Well, there will always be the Britney Spears and kids will always buy that music, but it's discouraging. The labels put all their money behind acts like that and then it's harder for other more average bands to get a shot.

DG: Do you miss playing with Shift?
SM: Yes, I do. They were like my brothers. My first six years of playing music was with them. I left that band to join Hole. It was a hard decision, but once again, I have no regrets.

DG: How did you find out about the audition for Hole?
SM: I got a call from my friend at Zildjian. Zildjian was sponsoring me and he called me and said, "You'll never believe the call that I just got." And he told me that Hole was looking for a drummer to do three or four gigs. He told me that I'd have to fly out to L.A. in two days. I didn't even have a Hole album at that time. I went out that night and bought the CD and learned the first three songs. I auditioned two days later and then they called me that night and took me out to lunch the next day and I got the gig.

DG: Out of twenty people?
SM: Twenty-four people and one of them being Tommy Lee's sister.

DG: Do you still wake up and ask yourself if you're dreaming?
SM: You know, it bothers me 'cause I've always been the person that worries about tomorrow. I'm really trying to enjoy today and not worry about tomorrow. My parents were always like: "You have to get a job and support yourself," and, "Never rely on a man," and, "It's gonna be hard out there." It was really hard for them to be supportive of me saying, "But I wanna go to Fame and I want to be a drummer!" They'd ask me, "Where's that gonna get you?" When I was in high school, I was a complete basketball star, so at the end of my senior year I had to decide, do I pursue my music career or do I go and pursue a basketball career? So that was a tough choice for me 'cause there was a four-year scholarship and stuff, or there was my music and where's that going to take me? All I know is that I love playing music and music is my life and I'll do it whether or not I make money. I have to make music. I know that the money will come eventually. People think I'm loaded, but I'm not. That's how it is with any field. If you love something and you have a dream, just keep doing it, 'cause it will happen. I was fourteen-years-old and in my basement practising to Mötley Crüe and then ten years later I'm actually on stage with them, so it's the most insane thing. Now I dream of making a great house/dance record and still be able to rock out on the drums.

Sam is presently working on two new websites: SamanthaMaloney.com and drumsexy.com and she hopes to complete them soon. In addition to reading the latest information about what Sam is up to and viewing pics of her performing, you will also be able to purchase some Girl drum gear including drumsexy t-shirts and pink sticks. Keep checking the sites for updates!

Christy Davis has been playing drums in New York City since 1989. She is currently drumming with the Knitting Factory label's "Rebecca Moore and Prevention of Blindness" as well as two other local artists, "Blue Kangaroo" and "Rat Wakes Red." Christy is looking forward to her own recording project for sometime this year. In the meantime, she is enjoying motherhood as she cares for her one-year-old, Stella. She and her husband Charles own and operate the East Village gift shop, Exit 9.

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