Gene Trautmann

drums

 

bio

Born and raised in Portland, OR, Trautmann started playing along to records when he was 11.

“The KISS Hallowe'en special was that moment of clarity for me; when I knew I was hooked on music and had to do this for life”.

He began playing in punk bands in high school and joined a group called the Miracle Workers, who were dedicated to reviving the first-generation punk of mid-’60s garage bands like the Standells and the Count Five.

He followed the band to Los Angeles and played with them on several albums while touring the U.S. and Europe.

Playing around town, Trautmann got involved with everyone from Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine to Jeffrey Lee Pierce of the Gun Club. This all lead to recording "Desert Sessions" with friend and founder of Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme.

They established a relationship that landed Trautmann a 2 year stint with the worldwide sensations, recording both "Rated R" and tracks on their gold release "Songs for the Deaf" as well as their 2004 release "Stone Age Compilation". Touring extensively with QOTSA, they played everytthing from the diviest clubs in America to the hugest festivals in Europe.

Though he's always had wide-ranging tastes as a listener, Trautmann is particularly inspired as a musician by the English rock drummers of the ’70s, like John Bonham and Mitch Mitchell.

“They were players who had a hand in jazz, but collaborated in a rock medium. They had finesse in their chops and the ability to do more subtle things... yet display dynamic power.

The other great element of the time was the fact that each player had his own signature style setting him apart from everyone else.

And of course you can hear Buddy Rich in everything they try to do!

Indeed, my own path itself is straying from the straight-ahead rock thing. 

I’m now incorporating Orchestral and Jazz at school as well as in my private instruction."

Proudest recorded moments:

“I like QOTSA’s ‘Feel Good Hit of the Summer’. I feel I had a lot to do with the way the song ended up sounding. It’s all based on the beat, a very drum-driven thing...

I also like 'Go With the Flow', the second single from "Songs for the Deaf”

...and ‘Ode to Clarissa’ from "Stone Age Compilation"; it’s got a great Bow-Wow-Wow/Bo-Diddley tom-shuffle in the verse".

Gene currently enjoys his collaboration with Yellow #5.

Gene gushes, "Molly and Dave are two of the best musicians on the planet, it's an honor to play with such gifted artists".

He is also working on other recording projects with Dave, Mario Lalli of Fatso Jetson,and others, as well as teaching privately,

Trautmann is in his second year as a Music Major at LA City College.

Gene lives in Silverlake, CA, is a single Sagittarius and loves the ladies.

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"I remain, as always,

Gene Trautmann."