Brian Griffin

Drummer and percussionist Brian Griffin has earned a reputation for his lean, infectious groove and warm vintage sound, touring and recording with a new generation of indie-folk, roots rock and Americana songwriters like Jamie McLean, Brandi Carlile and The Lone Bellow. A sideman with a deeply collaborative ethic, Brian’s experience as an arranger, co-songwriter, backing vocalist and flexible accompanist has been developed over years of studio work with iconic producers Graham Hawthorne, Trina Shoemaker, Ryan Hadlock, Rick Nowels, Bob Brockman, Charlie Peacock, Stewart Lerman and Bryce Goggin.

In recent years he has performed and recorded with Lana Del Rey, Brandi Carlile, Greg Holden, Ivan Neville, Anders Osborne, John Popper of Blues Traveler and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, and has played at Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, Austin City Limits, Outside Lands, Newport Folk, Ottawa Blues, Quebec Summer and Voodoo festivals. To his versatile session work with production houses Pulse Music, JSM, Sacred Noise, Copilot Music, and Samuel Justice Sound Design, Brian brings a serious background in jazz (studies with Robert Jospe, John Riley, Bob Moses, John D’earth) and Brazilian percussion (studies with Junior Teixeira, Bernardo Aguiar, Zeca Macapart, Nelson Pestana, Quiño Santos, Durval Pereira), and an encyclopedic knowledge of rock, soul and funk (studies with Shawn Pelton, Jim Payne, Matt Johnson).

An experienced educator, Brian teaches drums privately and has taught at the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival and the Crestwood School of Music.