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Russ Lawton with Trey Anastasio Band, onstage in New Orleans
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Performing in Asbury Park, New Jersey
Russ Lawton is the kind of drummer fellow musicians flock to when they need a little funk and flair thrown into the mix. A lifelong man of the sticks, the Massachusetts native helms projects including instrumental trio LaMP and world music-inspired Soule Monde, but he may be best known for joining Phish frontman and guitarist Trey Anastasio in the latter’s namesake project, Trey Anastasio Band. While the group tours with a varying lineup of musicians, the classic version of TAB (Trey Anastasio, Dezron Douglas, Lawton, Ray Paczkowski) returns to Richmond for a sold-out show on Sept. 18 at The National, its first appearance here since 2008.
Richmond magazine: What’s your background? How did you get into music?
Russ Lawton: I grew up in Massachusetts, like an hour south of Boston. There’s this thing called drum and bugle corps, and I would go to these parades and these Portuguese feasts — I’m half Portuguese — and they always had a parade, and you hear these marching drums going down the road. I always wanted to play the drums. I was always saving up for a drum set. I’m the oldest of six kids, so my parents going out and buying it wasn’t in the stars. I got my first drum set at 12. By the time I was 18, I was getting more serious about it and practicing and taking lessons, and I’ve been a nut ever since.
RM: How did you originally connect with Trey Anastasio?
Lawton: Trey came to Burlington [Vermont] and went down to this club, Hunt’s, and he heard [late TAB bassist] Tony [Markellis] and freaked out about his playing. He got to be friends with all those guys, and he said, “Someday, Tony, we’re gonna get a band together, and you’re gonna play bass.” That day came, and he said, “Who do you want to play the drums?” And basically, Tony suggested me. I went up to Trey’s rehearsal space, and he asks what I got. I was always working on tunes and writing, and so I gave him a bunch of stuff, and it turned into all those cool songs like “First Tube” and ”Sand” … and they turned into songs we still play 25 years later.
RM: What’s it like reconnecting as a band after having time apart?
Lawton: For me, I always try to keep up on the songs from A to Z. ... I have the LivePhish app, so I’ll go on that and make a playlist and just go over everything. I’m always doing that, I’m always preparing. I try to practice every day I’m home — feed the dogs, make some coffee, practice for an hour or so … but I’m always hitting it. But I love [Trey’s] writing, I’ve been playing with that guy for so long. I really love all those songs, and they’re really a part of me, and I’m just trying to come in and do the best job and make ’em groove and feel good.
RM: How would you describe your drumming style?
Lawton: Everybody loves my grooves and will say, like, “Give me the Russ feel”; it has some swing to it. I grew up with the drum corp, so obviously influenced by that. I have those overtones of African and reggae, it has an ethnic-style, kind of second line, New Orleans funky with world beats — I keep it swinging. If you listen to Soule Monde or LaMP or Trey, songs like “Sweet Dreams Melinda,” or “Drifting,” that’s my kind of groove and specialty.
