Stephen Chopek is a musician living and working in Atlanta, GA. Prior to releasing his first solo album in 2012, he spent over 10 years drumming on tour and in the studio with Charlie Hunter, John Mayer, and Jesse Malin among many others. He had just returned home from a tour playing drums with former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty when an explosive songwriting streak hit him. While in the throes of his creative deluge, the Pandemic put most of the world on indefinite lockdown. With no other commitments for the foreseeable future, he finally had the latitude to take his time with the new songs. It was a luxury that he, as a touring musician for the last two decades, is normally not afforded. His new EP, Dweller, is out now.
In this episode, Stephen talks about:
- How Memphis changed his playing
- Studying with Leon Parker and playing with Charlie Hunter in his early New York-based career
- Playing on the John Mayer Room for Squares tour
- Taking a year away from drumming to volunteer with Americorps and delve into other instruments
- Taking the opportunity during the pandemic to fully realize his original songs
