Modern Drummer, April 2003

Nick Tosco, playing justincase
by Billy Amendola

It seems that the music industry is getting younger and younger, Nick Tosco, who just turned seventeen, along with his siblings Justin (nineteen) and Hannah (sixteen), just had their debut CD released by Madonna's label, Maverick. (It's also the home of another young musician sensation, Michelle Branch, who co-wrote one song on Justincase's disc and performs on another.) The debut CD is radio-friendly pop music and is a favorite with the Nickelodeon and MTV crowd.

"I've been playing drums since I was ten years old," Nick says. "I grew up playing along to my dad's Beatles and Led Zeppelin records. Ringo Starr and John Bonham are two of my biggest inspirations."

One of Nick's other main influences is Kenny Aronoff- who you might assume was playing on Justincase's recording, given the energy and vibe of the drumming, which are so reminiscent of Aronoff. But it was all Nick. "Thank you for the compliment," he replies. "I've studied Kenny's playing. I've seen him do clinics. I'll admit, I tried to emulate him the best I could."

As it turns out, Kenny was there when the family was cutting their tracks. According to Nick, "The producer had studio players there just in case we couldn't cut it. But I'm happy to say that when they and the label people heard the tracks, they loved them."

Kenny Aronoff confirms the story. "Nick's a wonderful person," the star drummer says. "He's also a really good player. He has great time and a great feel, and he plays great parts for the songs." You'll want to keep your ears open for this up & coming drummer.