Nick Buda

Gretsch Artist Since: 2025

Country: US

Band or Affiliations: Kenny Chesney / Studio

Current Kit Setup:
USA Custom in Satin Natural
16x22 BD, 8x10 TT, 10x12 TT, 12x14 FT, 14x16 FT

Influences:
Smooth and tastful wins. See Steve Gadd, Carlos Vega, Vinny Colaiuta to name a few. Musicality and smart, song forward decisions are always the goal

We asked...Why Gretsch?:
I've always loved Gretsch drums. It's the sound i've gravitated towards without needing the namesake.

Advice to aspiring musicians?:
Follow your heart always. You didn't sacrifice all that time missing big events due to gigs etc to now be playing music you don't love. Get out there and find the thing that keeps you thankful that you get to do what you love. Don't get lost in noise.

Bio:
Nick Buda is an American drummer/producer who’s unmistakable style infiltrates both live and studio settings, putting him in high demand among the Music Row elite. Nick moved to Nashville from Cape Town, South Africa as a teenager and quickly found his way behind the kit and into high school bands. At the very beginning of his studio career, Nick struck up a great relationship with an upand coming producer that needed Nick’s expertise on some low budget recordings. They meshed, both personally and musically. That producer was Nathan Chapman who, with Buda laying the foundation on drums, made the first five multi-platinum records by Taylor Swift that transformed the entire country genre and launched her into the music industry stratosphere.

Nick's unique drumming style combines his delicate touch with a soulful R&B backbeat and an explosive energy, which adds depth and excitement to his tracks. From growing up in Cape Town to attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, he is no stranger to adapting and thriving in new environments. Similarly, he is known as somewhat of a risk taker with his playing. “I don't intentionally take risks but I’m an expressive player and if I hear something that might add some color, I want to try and make that happen. I often let the music, and particularly the vocalist, guide my direction”. “There are some things I've done on the Taylor records that I still get asked about, whether it's a fill, or the way I build into a chorus to emphasize it. The flow within the song, the shape it takes, is everything.”

With Swift as the first really big release in Nick’s discography, Nashville was quick to pigeon hole him as a basher because of those big choruses in “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” and it might be easy to assume that’s how Buda played drums on everything. “Truth is, I grew up listening to James Taylor and Rickie Lee Jones as well as Van Halen and Little Feat and a whole variety of other things,” he shares. “I've recorded on records where I only used brushes. I play for the song and that requires a varied approach depending on the record. Those earlier Taylor songs needed loud, ‘young' playing, so that's how I played them. That's certainly not what I played when I recorded with Dolly or Lionel.”

Nick’s discography reads like a who’s who of the music industry but it was the time he recorded with Lionel Richie that really sticks out on his list of distinctive clientele. “Lionel was awesome, both because of how big of a fan I was of his music, but also because of how down to earth and grateful he was to be there working with us. That was a big lesson in humility. Dolly was very much that way as well. Humble and appreciative of the musicians in the room”

Gratitude, appreciation and humility have taken their place front and center in Nick’s mind since the worldwide pandemic drastically impacted musicians, both touring and in the studio. “I appreciate the sessions and gigs I get called for and I make sure I bring my best self no matter if it's a big record or a little gig,” he confides. “The pandemic served as a big reset for both perspective and expectation. In general, things have become a lot more fun.” One silver lining that resulted from the pandemic was the Kenny Chesney gig which Nick started at the beginning of 2022. Since then he has been playing sold out stadiums during the summers while still maintaining his session path at home in Nashville. In the summer of ’25, Chesney performed a residency at The Sphere making Nick only the 5th drummer to ever play that monumental venue. Chesney also started using Nick in the studio exclusively and you can hear his influence on Chesney on his latest record ”Born”.

Looking ahead, Buda plans to continue to build upon his diverse list of clientele both as a drummer as well as a producer. Along side touring with Chesney, he also started a band with his fellow Chesney bandmates named Rosie & the Revival where he is also a writer and producer. You can find the Rosie record on all platforms.

While there are many words that come to mind when describing Buda’s playing, his personality, and his career, Fearless seems to stand out every time.