San Francisco Bay Area native Peter Thomas began his drumming journey upon finding his father’s old snare drum in his grandmother’s attic. Since then, a lifelong curiosity for the instrument has driven his pursuit of drumming. His primary influences and style stem from the rock music of his youth, but he has since explored many other musical styles, including pop, electronica, blues, and jazz, in both live and studio settings. Additionally, drumming led him to a career in audio and sound production, allowing him to work with clients such as Activision and Disney. To learn more, visit his sound designer site.
Background
Peter pursued his musical education in Los Angeles, earning a B.A. in ethnomusicology from UCLA, where he studied with some of LA’s finest jazz luminaries, including Oscar Brashear, George Bohanon, Roberto Miranda, and legendary guitarist Kenny Burrell. In addition to playing with various Los Angeles jazz groups, Peter also played with the rock trio Earshot, pop vocalist Alana Gentry, and the West LA jazz/funk group the Septones. Later, he lent his percussion talents to movie soundtracks (such as Shafted) and played in Europe with funk rockers Calico Soul, as well as with Broadway stars John Davidson and Pamela Blake.
Upon returning to the San Francisco Bay Area, Peter joined Studio Hibiki, working as their chief in-house audio engineer. He recorded numerous live band sessions and honed his ability to capture great drum sounds, a skill that has carried over into his drumming career. Not only is he a skilled drummer, but he also has the unique ability to record and produce stellar drum tracks.
When Hibiki closed its doors, Peter freelanced as both an audio engineer and drummer. Highlights during this period included playing drums for the popular SF indie rock band Squaretape, who went on to open shows for groups such as Cracker and The Tubes. In addition, Squaretape released two albums. Another example of Peter’s successful marriage of drumming and sound production was on display when he joined Activision to work on their popular franchise Guitar Hero. His contribution is most evident in designing the drum performance elements for the fan-favorite Guitar Hero: Van Halen.
Peter’s drumming contributions continued to be heard across the Bay Area, where he played live with a number of projects. Some of them included the popular Bay Area cover band The Cut Loose, as well as artists and groups such as Jeremy Goodfeather and Bray. Additionally, he played with Corduroy, a successful Pearl Jam tribute band. While he certainly enjoyed emulating the drum giants in non-original projects, his creativity was most evident in the original rock trio Diablo Dukes, which released three EPs, including Disney’s Tron Run/r Remixes.
In 2019, Peter relocated to the LA area, where he has continued to freelance as a drummer with various acts. He also realized his lifelong dream of creating a home drum studio, where he is able to record and produce drum tracks for a variety of clients.