Phil Foote – Capital Region Timekeepers

Phil Foote – Capital Region Timekeepers – by OP Callaghan.

Phil Foote not only has a great drummer name, but is also the man behind the drums for newcomers Jupiter Queen.  Featuring local veterans of the music scene, it’s a band that Phil Foote is proud to be a part of. Coming from an extensive family with musical backgrounds, Phil is an innovative, passionate performer. I’m looking forward to seeing him again. So without further delay, let’s welcome Phil Foote of Jupiter Queen!

RRX: Hey man, thanks for doing this.  Tell me how you got your start.

PF: I started playing drums on the bottom of metal garbage cans with my grandfather in his music den as a very young kid. I would use claves as drumsticks, watch my grandfather play, and try to play along with a big smile on my face. Things got serious in 4th grade, when New York State would give you the option to participate in a music program through your school. A friend talked me into joining the percussion section. I went along with it, and here I am 27 years later still calling myself a drummer. For the record, I played a Ludwig Acrolite snare; an amazing snare drum looking back on it.

RRX:  Great snare drum. Who were your early influences?

PF:  Some of my early influences that really dictated my drumming personality would be Louie Bellson (Skin Deep), Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith, Elvin Jones. As I got deeper into playing and really immersed myself into the world of drumming, my contemporaries really spoke to me. Rodney Holmes, Mark Guiliana, and Chris “Daddy” Dave flipped my world upside down. I also went back to study people like Shadow Wilson, Papa Jo Jones, and Kenny Clarke. I also admit that John Otto from Limp Bizkit heavily influenced my groove drumming as a young man. These days I’m really into Matt Cameron and Jason Gerken. Adam Deitch is also a heavy influence. I always try to go back and listen and find new music from whatever era and … learn everything I can. Lately, I’ve been into a lot of stoner rock like Torche and Hum. I’m all over the place. I love music; Spotify stated I was in their top 2% of worldwide listeners.

RRX:  That’s quite a list!   Tell me about your first drum kit.

PF:  My first kit was probably the coolest kit ever; it was a sky blue Walt Disney kit. I have vague memories of the Christmas I got it. I have a picture with my dad playing guitar with my one-piece red pajamas on, topped off with a mushroom cut. I was a happy kid that day. None of my other drum sets brought the happiness that kit did! Always remember, behind good drummers are great parents!!

RRX:  Well put! Your family sounds great. Obviously, a musical family. Do you play any other instruments?

PF:  I play guitar. I was really into John Butler when I lived in Nashville. His song “Ocean” inspired me to pick up the guitar and play in an outlandish way. I have a 1963 Kay Hollow body and a Laguna Acoustic/Electric. I play the acoustic in open C and tune the Kay in standard. Over Covid-19, I wrote some music on both guitars about my life experiences. Being a drummer, I play a mean slap guitar, sing a little, and finger-pick. It’s really nice to have a broader understanding of music (chords, harmony, and everything other than counting to four and starting over). My biggest musical regret is not taking advantage of piano lessons through my grandfather. The piano opens so many doors in the music universe.

RRX:  So true. So, definitely from a musical family?

PF:  Oh yes. My name is Philip Michael Foote. If we all had the same middle names, I would be number eight (my dad told me this, I didn’t google it). Reason I say that is because Number Six, my grandfather Phil Foote, was a master piano player that toured, taught in Albany, and played out well into his 70s and 80s. With that said, Number Seven, my father, was his one-and-only roadie. He grew up around it and so did I. My mother loves music and supports my love for it as does my father, hence they supported me going to SUNY Oneonta for Music Business. On my mother’s side, her siblings were music fanatics. I especially remember both of my uncles having a few and putting the Stones, Traffic, or something else on VERY loud. I loved that as a little kid!!! I would stand there and embrace the loud noise; nothing else gave me that feeling other than music. My family has been very supportive throughout the years; I’m very grateful to be able to say that!  I would go through all the records in my grandparents and parents’ house and would listen to music for hours. Anytime I saw collections of CDs/records/tapes, I would always go through and judge people on the records they owned. It’s how I learned.

RRX:  Are you a collector?  Tell me about what you’re playing now.

PF: I used to have awesome gear, like a 1963 Gretsch Round Badge, one of Steve Gadd’s Zildijan K’s, and a Birch Bubinga Starclassic. I worked for Meinl Cymbals as a sales rep. I had access to crazy gear nobody else did, and I bought a lot of it. Without going too far into the weeds, I sold it all (with a few exceptions) during the chaos of my 20s. Big regrets. I took a hiatus when I moved out to California to work for a family member. When I came back to Albany, I started over. I wanted a “salesman sample,” so I started with a 1983 22”x16” chrome/fiberglass Pearl bass drum; man that thing can thump! I didn’t want to go crazy yet, so I bought a red Yamaha 12” rack tom, with a black 16”x16” Tama Rockstar floor tom. I topped it off with my one drum I did keep, my Taye Birch 14”x6” snare with maple hoops. It’s a very colorful kit and brings me as much joy as that Disney kit did. I put Evans G2s and an EMAD on the bass with blue moongels; people always ask me how I tune them. I take great care of the kit as I appreciate it very much. Someday I hope to upgrade to a custom kit, but there’s something about my wacky kit I love too much. For the record, I play a Pearl Speed Demon single pedal; I use the floor tom to get any double kick element.

RRX:  Nice!!  Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?

PF: I took lessons for years with Rob Sensi, and then I moved on to Mark Foster. I learned a LOT from both of them. When I can, I still go out and see Rob play from time to time. In college, I was taught by Blake Fleming who started the Mars Volta; that dude is a badass! He totally warped my thinking, I’ve always been grateful for that. Another teacher who gave me an education from the hard knocks, Bobby Angelita, got me my first job out of college in a drum shop. He’s funny as hell. He was an advocate and really taught me how to become a drummer in everyday life. I’m incredibly grateful for all of those personalities; they taught me a lot. I try to think of them when I play. I want to take it farther and pass everything I know down at some point.

RRX: Tell me about some of the bands/artists you’ve played with.

PF: I’ve been lucky to have worked with many bands throughout my life. I was with Axis 23 (my first band) and Spoke Truth. (I want to give a shout-out to Steve Gornic. I grew up playing hours and hours of music with him; he was a main focal point in those two bands. At a friend’s wedding, he said that I was nuts to give up drumming, that maybe I should find a way to incorporate it into my life again … I did, thanks bro!!!) After college, I worked and didn’t have a lot going on until I moved to Nashville. I started playing on the side with different musicians, but nothing stuck until I got to Brooklyn. I ran into an old friend one night who happened to be my neighbor. I was in the band called Art Class a week later. Long story short, I deeply regret leaving that band. It haunts me to this day. I moved out to California after that and sold all of my gear. It wasn’t until a year or so later I started playing with a friend in a duo; we called ourselves the Middle Men. It was another incredible chance to play, but after some drama, everything was done by early 2020. I am now playing in another duo with a close friend we call Paulie Choice, and my main focal point is Jupiter Queen. We are a hard rock band with a unique twist. We have a bunch of shows coming up! Check out our Instagram at @jupiterqueenrock. At 37, things are starting to move forward. It’s funny how life works.

RRX:  That’s quite a resume! Any gig horror stories?

PF: Honestly, I’ve played a lot of great gigs, too many to talk about. I’m very lucky. I’ve thrown drums, misplaced my seat, and fell off the drum throne at Saratoga Winners back in the day. I make the best drumming faces ever, I’ve been told. I try to embrace the crowd when I play, give them a reason to be happy when they leave. If they take time to come see me, I take time to play well for them. It makes life GOOD!!!

RRX:  You’re exactly right.  It’s a privilege to perform.  What do you do for fun?

PF:  Other hobbies are important. I’m a huge skier and outdoors guy. I love to backcountry ski, ride my fixie bike, and fish. I also do a little photography on the side. I like to keep busy and learn, and use my creativity through several outlets when I can. My dream is to ski up to the drums in a venue one day with a ridiculous outfit on and just start playing in front of a large crowd. My imagination is endless.

RRX:  I would pay handsomely to see that. What have you got coming up?

PF: I’m very excited to announce I have a handful of shows coming up with Jupiter Queen:

August 10 – Hudson Falls, NY (More details to come)

August 24 – Hudson Falls, NY (More details to come)

August 25 – with Eyehategod at Empire Underground

Follow these Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelfoot_e/

https://www.instagram.com/jupiterqueenrock/?locale=id

We will, Phil!  Thanks for the interview!

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