---
title: "Counting It In with Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors"

description: "Aaron Comess is living the dream. His band, the Spin Doctors, has sold millions of records, and he's explored his musicality with hundreds more artists and collaborators around the world. And he's been on the cover of Rolling Stone and Modern Drummer! We had a great conversation about building a career, joining a music scene, and continual growth as a musician. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did."

status: complete

date: 2024-06-25

kind: guest

guestSlugs:
  - aaron-comess

listenUrl: "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Counting-It-In-with-Aaron-Comess-of-the-Spin-Doctors-e2l6tei"

lmwUrl: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVT16ZSVX84"
appleUrl: "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counting-it-in-with-aaron-comess-of-the-spin-doctors/id1567355195?i=1000660146736&uo=4"
spotifyUrl: "https://open.spotify.com/episode/7laZPSpZP9vynQzAkYO5zJ"
youtubeUrl: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDrPGx6QYiw"

topicsDiscussed:
  - "Drums"
  - "New York"
  - "Songwriting"
  - "The music business"
  - "Importance of live gigs"
  - "Navigating the music industry"
  - "Studying under legendary drummers"
  - "Evolving musical styles"

hostNote: |
  Aaron Comess moved to New York knowing he needed to be in a city that would eat him alive if he wasn’t serious, and it worked. He studied under **Bernard Purdy** (who corrected more than just his hi-hat technique), played every gig he could find, and ended up in the **Spin Doctors** by being in the right room at the New School.
  
  The conversation moves through how relentless live performance shaped the band’s sound, not polished in the wrong direction, to recording "Two Princes" as an inflection point, and why "if you sound incredible in practice, that’s probably not a good sign." Comess has a drummer’s view of songwriting: the pocket is a function of the *relationship* between instruments, not any one player’s perfection.

selectedMoments:
  - label: "Childhood musical education"
    startSec: 166
    note: "Aaron reflects on his early experiences with drumming and his journey into formal music education."
  - label: "Decision to move to NYC"
    startSec: 243
    note: "Aaron describes the driving factors behind his choice to pursue music in New York City instead of staying in Texas."
  - label: "Studying with Bernard Purdy"
    startSec: 556
    note: "Lessons with Bernard Purdy, attitude and musicality above all else."
  - label: "Joining the Spin Doctors"
    startSec: 1836
    note: "Aaron shares the spontaneous moment when he was invited to join the Spin Doctors, including early days of the band."
  - label: "Recording 'Two Princes'"
    startSec: 2635
    note: "Recording 'Two Princes' as a career inflection point."
  - label: "The importance of gigging"
    startSec: 1912
    note: "Discusses how playing live shaped the sound of the Spin Doctors transforming their music."

excerptQuotes:
  - text: "Most of the really high-level musicians didn’t make it through four years of college... they just got too busy and were gigging."
    startSec: 481
    reviewed: true
  - text: "There’s nothing beats that feeling of when you're in it and the feeling you have afterwards, you know, it's just so gratifying."
    startSec: 3696
    reviewed: true
  - text: "You have to do it for yourself, but ultimately you're creating something for people to listen to and enjoy."
    startSec: 3722
    reviewed: true
  - text: "If you sound incredible in practice, that's probably not a good sign."
    startSec: 1665
    reviewed: true

faq:
  - question: "What inspired Aaron Comess to pursue a music career?"
    answer: "Aaron was motivated by his early music education and the desire to be around the best musicians, leading him to New York City."
  - question: "How did Aaron Comess get involved with the Spin Doctors?"
    answer: "He was invited by Eric Shankman after impressing him during a practice session at the New School in New York."
  - question: "What drumming techniques did Aaron learn from his teachers?"
    answer: "Aaron studied with renowned drummers like Bernard Purdy, who taught him about the importance of attitude and musicality."

transcriptPublished: false

draft: false
---