Exclusive Interview with Sum41 Drummer Frank Zummo

New York native, Frank Zummo, is an incredibly talented, lifelong drummer. He first learned the craft at the young age of three after stumbling upon his fathers drum kit. Since then Zummo has played in bands such as Sum41 and he had the chance to fill in for Mötley Crüe’s “Crüe Fest 2” in 2009. Zummo, Bobby Alt, and Adam Alt founded Street Drum Corps (SDC), a world-renowned drum and percussion show, in Los Angeles in 2006. Street Drum Corps has evolved from a free-form group into an international network of talented musicians, going on tour and playing various television programs and events.
It was announced that Frank Zummo and Adrian Young of No Doubt (along with a surprise guest) are set to do a group performance at this year’s Alternative Press Music Awards on July 17th. Zummo and Young have been collaborating for a decade now and have put their all into their upcoming set. Zummo played his first APMA’s two years ago with Sum41 and is ecstatic to be returning; not only is Zummo performing but, he is also nominated for Best Drummer at this years awards (polls closes this week so be sure to get out there and vote!) TalkNerdyWithUs was lucky enough to talk with Frank about the future of the Corps, surreal moments in his career, and hints about the highly anticipated APMA performance coming up next month.
You’re one of the founding members of Street Drum Corps. How did the vision for SDC come about? How has your vision changed as the show has grown?
It started as an experimental free form project. It wound up taking off naturally and it’s been 13 years now, which is crazy! The vision is definitely more focused now but it also still has all the chaos and rawness that will always stay with us.
Is drumming in the Corp a more loose set up than playing in a band like Sum41?
The main difference is that in SDC I’m mainly slamming on oil drums, barrels and found objects versus a traditional kit in Sum 41. However, they are both still very similar in the way I approach them and the energy onstage. SDC does have a scripted set like Sum and both do have moments for some spontaneity & chaos.
Going into the end of 2017, does SDC have big plans for 2018?
Right now we’re having a really big year with many productions touring throughout the U.S. We’ll be finishing out the year with something new & “secret” that we have been working on for many years and can’t wait to announce soon. All of this year is the current focus and we haven’t looked past that yet.
When I saw you’d filled in at Crüe Fest 2, I had a small heart attack on your behalf! You have an incredibly impressive resume of work. What was a truly surreal moment in your career?
That was by far the absolute most surreal moment of all time! To be in the band that inspired you to become a musician was mid blowing and such a full circle moment. It was truly special for my father & I, as he took me to see Motley when I was 5 and that night changed my life!
Congratulations on the big APMA performance coming up! You said that Adrian Young and yourself are going all out for it. Can you give us any hints to the creative angle you two (and your special guest) are taking?
First off, it’s a huge honor to be performing this special drum moment for the AP Awards. My first show with Sum 41 was on the AP stage 2 years ago, so to be coming back and also receiving 3 nominations is pretty insane! We are currently in the early creative planning & production stages and it’s all very exciting and that’s all I can really say for now 😉
What do you tend to nerd out about?
Drum gear would probably be my top item but recently I became a homeowner and I’ve been nerding out on all kinds of home stuff.
You can find out more about Street Drum Corps here and be sure to tune in to Zummo and Adrian Young’s performance at the Alternative Press Music Awards on July 17th