Congratulations on the recent media attention Tipling Rock has received. Has this changed the way you and your bandmates are approaching your music? 

Thank you! It’s been really exciting for us. As far as our actual music goes, this won’t change our sound, but it does definitely change the way we think about music. The recent attention has made us realize that we do have something special and, if we work hard enough, we can keep moving up from here.

How do you balance your time between making music and being a college student?

Balancing school and music has been challenging, but rewarding. Throughout the past year, we’ve had several performances in places like Boston, Connecticut and New York, which requires a lot of practice together. So if I know a school week is busy, I’ll have to prepare for it well in advance to make sure I’m ready for whatever comes. Countless hours have been spent at the library, even on Friday and Saturday nights. I’m happy to say, despite being really busy with music, I’ve also made Dean’s List the past two semesters!

What else besides music and school do you spend time on? What do you wish you had time for?

I try to stay active with Theta Tau, a co-ed professional engineering fraternity. We have so many great brothers who never fail to inspire me. During welcome days and open houses, we’re there representing our majors for the College of Engineering. I also play intramural soccer on campus, and I love watching sports too.

I really wish I had more time to travel and spend time with my family. Currently, my mom lives outside Boston and dad lives in New Jersey, and I have three siblings scattered around the East Coast. If I had more free time I would love to be able to spend more time with them!

Tipling Rock has a great sound! Your influences have been cited as including the Strokes, Young the Giant and other popular indie rock bands. What do you think of the comparisons? What do you think makes Tipling Rock unique?

Thanks! Bands like the Strokes and Young The Giant are probably the bands that have the most similar style/genre to us. But we really listen to everything and find some influence in so many different types of music. So what I think makes us unique is the diversity in our musical tastes. We’re an indie rock band, but we throw lots of different pop-y and surf-y touches in our music. We want our music to be easy to listen to, while also showing that we love to rock out and have fun when we play.

How long have you been a musician?

About 11 years—I started playing drums in 2005 when I moved to Lincoln, Mass. My mom bought me my first drum set there, and I instantly fell in love with playing!

What’s the best thing about being a drummer?

For me, it’s just a great way to express myself. I’m not the most talkative person ever, so drums are a great way for me to show people who I am. And if I’m not having a great day, drums are always there to help me relieve some stress.

Who are your favorite musicians or bands?

That’s a tough question because we listen to so many different styles of music, like indie rock, pop, jazz, and even a little rap and metal. But to name some of our favorite bands and musicians: Young The Giant, Tame Impala, Alabama Shakes, Phoenix, Steely Dan, 10cc, Billy Joel, Dave Brubeck… the list could go on forever!

You’re an engineering major. There are some well-known musicians who are also scientists, engineers, etc. (Tom Scholz, guitarist for Boston, is a mechanical engineer; Herbie Hancock double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell; Brian May, guitarist for Queen, is an astrophysicist—just to name a few). Do you see any connections between music and engineering? Or do you see them as opposite kinds of outlets?

There’s definitely some similarities—as a drummer, there’s constant counting involved, especially if we play a song in a time signature other than 4/4. Studying physics has also helped me understand pitch, harmonics, overtones, and other aspects of sound, which has slightly changed the way I’ve been thinking about music.

But for the most part, I use them as different types of outlets. I’ve always enjoyed studying math and science in school, but playing music has been my source of creativity. I see them as different things but love working on both.

Who writes your music and lyrics? Is the whole band involved?

Ben Andre (guitar and vocals) writes pretty much all of our music and lyrics. When I first met Ben in 2010, he showed me some songs he had written but that he had never had a chance to play with a band. From the start, I was blown away by his songwriting—and still am today. As far as the drum parts go, it’s been a collaborative effort. He’ll come up with an initial beat or groove, and I’ll throw in my ideas too. Then we throw in some fills and make it as exciting and fun to listen to as possible.

When you imagine your life in 10 years, do you think you’ll be making a living being an engineer or being a musician? Or something altogether different?

This is something I think about all the time, but it’s something I’m still unsure of. I’ve really enjoyed my engineering studies at URI and I know I can have a great engineering career ahead of me. But at the same time, being a professional musician is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, so who knows what will happen in the future. I think the most ideal situation would be for me to be both an engineer and a musician, but they’re both pretty demanding careers! For now, I’m going to keep giving engineering and music my best efforts, so hopefully both can work out one day.

When and where will Tipling Rock perform live this fall? How can fans keep up with the latest from Tipling Rock?

Tipling Rock just completed a short, end-of-August Northeast tour. In September we will play various shows around Boston, and plenty more to come later this fall! To keep up with Tipling Rock and get updates, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to see what we’re working on.

Unfortunately, concert attendees will notice someone else behind the drum set during the 2016–17 academic year. I am part of the International Engineering Program at URI, and as of September 1, I will be in Braunschweig, Germany to study and to do an internship in the spring. A friend of the band, Berklee student Nick Villamizar, will fill in on drums for me. It sort of kills me that I won’t be around to work on music and perform, but I’m going to help out with Tipling Rock however and whenever I can from overseas.

-Barbara Caron