Anika Nilles speaks about her Rush bandmates and the tour preparations

Anika Nilles, the German drummer chosen to play behind the drum set for Rush’s 2026 and 2027 tours, discussed the challenge of filling in for the band’s late drummer Neil Peart in a recent interview with Thomann’s Drum Bash, as per Blabbermouth. As part of Rush’s “Fifty Something” comeback tour, Nilles, who performed with famous guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022, is currently touring with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Keyboardist Loren Gold, well known as a touring member of The Who and Chicago, will also be joining them. Nilles responded as follows when asked if she was familiar with the Rush music prior to being asked to perform with Lee and Lifeson.

Actually, I was familiar with Neil as a drummer, especially in combination with the song ‘Tom Sawyer’. That’s a classic in the drum community, of course. But I haven’t really listened to RUSH music, even if I was growing up with rock music and progressive music. But for some reason I never stumbled into the RUSH catalog.

How did she prepare for such a tour?

I treat the music with great respect to the guys and also to Neil’s parts, because Neilis a big part of the music. And so I try to make careful decisions with a great deal of sensitivity of what I’m playing original and where there is room for me to play more free or more me or more improvising. But I go from song to song and make these decisions. And this [was] actually my preparation at home. So my homework [was], first off, to learn the songs because every song is kind of a blank page to me. So I really [had] to start from zero, learning the arrangements and learning the drum composition within the actual song arrangement. So Neil’s way to play the drums is basically an own composition, and this is what I mean. I treat it with great respect because that’s a huge skill he brought into it, and I wanna honor that. And so I have to make these decisions really careful song by song, what I’m playing on original and where I go more free. And this [was] my preparation at home, but when we rehearse[d], then it [was] kind of a thing that we [had] more attention to the energy and to the feel of the song. And then we look[ed] back if my decisions were working out or if there [was] anything to adjust.

Which song was difficoult to learn?

Every RUSH song is complex and difficult to learn. It’s so rich of details in every way. I mean, the arrangement itself is full of details, but the drum parts are full of details, so it’s complex and a lot of things to learn and to memorize.

Anika responded as follows when asked if playing the Rush songs with Lee and Lifeson had changed the way she thought about drumming.

To be able to play Neil’s parts needs to have a research on his playing and really study his playing and his feeling and the way he organized himself on the drums. Like, if it’s the colors he’s using, like the different drum sounds he’s using or the musical approach to this instrument. And while studying all of that, I learn a lot, of course. Especially about his way of composing the drum parts is really interesting to me, because I love doing that on my own music, too, and he is really, really good in that, and I learned a couple of things already which I might adapt to my music at some point. So, yeah, [I was] definitely learning things while studying his parts and the music

Anika also discussed her musical and interpersonal chemistry with Lifeson and Lee.

If you know those two guys, they are so funny and they’re so human. And that made it really easy to connect to each other. So they treated me immediately, from first minute on, on the same level. I mean, they are legends. They could be whatever — whatever, arrogant or whatever. They are not. They are funny. They are so human. And this is a way where you have easy access to each other. But also they love to play music. They are very enthusiastic when it comes to play music. They love working on details. They are detailed when they work together, and you see them having fun and the energy they both have together, and I really can connect with that attitude. So I love energetic music. I love when someone is really focused on music and working on details. These are all points where I see myself also with my music. So it’s a way, I think, which made it all easy for us to connect with each other. And that happened, actually, I would say immediately.