Riz Blanton

I began a fascination with drums at a very early age, somewhere around eleven years old. Music was a strong influence in my family and I got involved in the independent music scene during my years in middle school. When I turned fourteen, I pratically begged my dad to buy me a drum set. I had previously asked many times but my dad would always say that I wouldn’t stick with it. So for years I would practice in my room night after night trying to develop “rhythm”. I had a pair of drum sticks and a bar stool, that was my drum set. I would beat the heck out of that bar stool every night. I can remember the first song that I was able to keep rhythm with. I was thirteen and I had just bought the newest Scorpions record “Face the Heat”. The first song on that album was “Alien Nation”. That was the first song that I could play correctly (on the barstool that is). I showed my dad and he finally caved in and bought my a drumset for $250.00.
I learned the basics of drums on completely on my own. I never received any formal lessons of any sort and I can’t read music at all. I would watch other drummers and try to emulating the beats that they were doing. Drummers such as Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Chad Gracey of Live, and my favorite drummer Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band. These guys really taught me how to play and inspired me to strive towards constantly improving as a drummer.
My first band was called Drain, formed with some of my high school friends in my hometown Lakeland, Florida. Drain was the absolute beginning of my love for drums. It helped me develop an unique alternative style of playing which is the foundation of my drumming creativity. We practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I also played my first show ever with this band at the Madhatter in downtown Lakeland, good memories. In the mid 90’s through 2002, I played with numerous bands in every genre of music. I played in a metal band called Soul Erosion, which is where I met up with Jason Sims, Jimmy Hubbard, and Chad Kostella, three of my best friends. I have also played in a handful of other projects from hard-core/metal, rock, power pop, punk, jazz and blues. My involvement in these different bands gave me this great understanding of different paths to music. I never want to become stale or stagnant in a set style of drumming and these bands gave me different creative prospective to approach music.
As You Wish fell into the early to mid 2000’s. I moved really fast with this band. My friends from Soul Erosion I mentioned earlier helped form this band. I literally joined them on a Tuesday and immediately hit the road touring the next Tuesday. We played countless shows in Florida and aggressively toured through the East Coast, Midwest and Texas. I really felt at home with life on the road and knew this is what I had always wanted to do in life. As You Wish released an EP, So East of Everything, and toured relentlessly in support of it. While on tour in Austin, Texas, I found out that I was going to be a father. So in early 2004, after three years with As You Wish, I quit the band and returned home to focus on my family. My daughter was born later that year and I took and extended break from music.
After about three years, I just had an incredible itch to play again. I joined up with some friends and started playing music again just for fun. This led to the band Dailynn, formed with high school friends Joe Townsend and Stew Fagans. Dailynn concentrates on Christian values and plays all over the Christian market giving back religiously. I have this new philosophy that I should just play as much as possible since I am most likely in my last years of drumming. While solid with Dailynn, Magnificent Applesauce was formed with old bandmates Chad Kostella, Jason Sims and Leo Savignon (Soul Erosion, As You Wish). Someday Souvenir followed and lasted through until early 09. This band was good but was just too mentally draining for me to be a part of. I wish them well.
I recently join up with Halcyon and we really gelled on a musical level. I'm always looking for creative outlets to remain innovative and fresh and Halcyon really pushes me to change and do things differently. It’s cool to see that all the years of hard work playing shows and playing with different musicians have led me here. I'm finally in a spot that I'm completely comfortable. Even better is the fact that I'm finally having fun again. That’s my story in a nutshell.