The musician who inspired Matt Helders’ drum kit
Renowned among many fellow musicians, Matt Helders’ rhythmic intuition has made him a sought-after drummer. As the beating heart within Arctic Monkeys, he stands as an indispensable element, shaping the band’s musical essence.
Drummers often inhabit the shadows within a band, and, as a result, Helders’ significant role in Arctic Monkeys often remains underappreciated. While he draws inspiration from legendary drummers, he also advocates for those he feels are overlooked in the drumming community, dedicating time to spotlight their talents.
In 2013, he revealed some of his most cherished drumming albums and shared what he looks for in a fellow percussionist. In Helders’ eyes, less is more: “For me,” he told Music Radar, “It’s not all about the flashy stuff and hearing some guy show off his chops. I’d rather listen to a drummer who knows how to play to the song.”
He also touched upon the influence his inspirations had on his drumming style, explaining: “At first, I was really impressed with drummers doing thousands of fills and all the crazy technical stuff. But as I learned how to play, I began to realise that there’s more to drumming than just being the centre of attention and going off; you have to be musical, as well.”
Exploring the realms of rock, Helders admires Dave Grohl’s drumming on Nirvana’s Nevermind and Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf, considering both albums as favourites that significantly influenced his drumming. “It’s hard to beat Dave Grohl, isn’t it?” Helders said. “He played on this record, and as usual, he’s just incredible. The relationship that he has with Josh [Homme] is pretty important – they’ve done a lot of things together and know how to play off each other well.”
A notably less recognised figure on his list of favourites is Chris Grahn, known more famously as Grahn Dangerous, from The Hives, who Helders attributes to shaping the setup of his drum kit. “[It’s] why my drum kit is set up the way it is,” he said, adding, “It’s weird to look up to a modern drummer like that, but I was really young and he impressed me – I wanted my drums to look like his.”
Outside of indie-rock, Helders also admires the drumming techniques showcased in hip-hop — an admiration that’s not unexpected, considering his past contributions to such records. “Questlove has always been a favourite of mine,” he said. “I’ve revisited this record a lot of times. At first, I was a bit curious and surprised that he would want to sound so mechanical, like a human drum machine or something, but then I was really impressed that he could actually do such a thing.”
