— Matthew Abrey
One of Canada’s most prominent drumming icons honed his skills directly under our noses here in Kelowna, and now he has a book telling his story to stardom.
Ryan Loerke grew up in Kelowna, and as a typical teenager of the early 2000s, was a huge follower and fan of the punk-rock scene. In 2003, a young, yet talented Loerke was playing drums in a high school punk band, when an extraordinary opportunity was presented to him to drum professionally for Kelowna’s major label-signed rock band, Stutterfly, according to the author’s news release.
Over the next decade, Loerke would be launched into a career that allowed him play huge stages around the world with multiple bands, including the Warped Tour in the United States and Loud Park in Japan, as well as record with renowned producer, Ulrich Wild, in Los Angeles, the release said.
However, Loerke would also ride the highs and lows of being in a band, and needed to fight to stay alive in a massive, uber-competitive, American-dominated market. His stories from attending Okanagan Mission Secondary School all the way up to his most recent endeavours will be covered in his new biography, WHALE: The Oral History of Canadian Drumming Prodigy Ryan Loerke, the release said.
The book is written in a continuous interview format between Loerke and author Matthew Ratzlaff, giving the reader an intimate and personal look into the life and personality of one of this country’s top drummers, the release said.
You can purchase your copy of the book at Mosaic Books on Bernard Ave, or join Loerke and author Ratzlaff for a live interview and book signing event at Milkcrate Records Saturday, Sept. 8, from 4-6 p.m.
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