Name: Sophie Neudecker
Occupation: Drummer, songwriter, tatoo artist
Nationality: German
Recent release: Sophie Neudecker joins up with Veronica Burnuthian for their duo project Spinnen (“Spiders”). First single “Geister” is out via Alien Transistor, full-length album Warmes Licht (“Warm Light”) will follow March 7th 2025.

[Read our Veronica Burnuthian of Spinnen interview]

If you enjoyed this Sophie Neudecker interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit the official Spinnen homepage. She also plays in the band Uschi. 



What fascinates me about playing the drums is how immediate it is: I hit a drum or a cymbal with a stick, and it makes a sound, unlike string instruments, where certain chords must be pressed to produce a harmonious tone. Playing the drums works solely through a sequence of hits on a cymbal or a drum, creating the rhythm that turns the playing into music. Even a pure drum performance, without other instruments, creates shapes for me. Although it doesn’t express direct emotions, which melodic instruments definitely do, it is still visual and narrative for me.

I was fortunate enough to share my father's band’s rehearsal space at an early age of 14. There, I was lucky to play on other people's equipment for years until I acquired an old Pearl drum set from a friend. I am very satisfied with my cymbals, all of which are from Anatolia.

In fact, I have never really engaged with different brands and models; I have always gone with my intuition regarding which sounds I like best, and I do the same when tuning my drums. I find it important that at least the snare and hi-hat have the sound I like; otherwise, I find it harder to feel my playing properly.

The past has shown me that I became more flexible with equipment as my own playing became more secure. However, what I find extremely important is the hardware, such as cymbal and drum stands as well as stools; these should be absolutely adjustable in height and angle.

My biggest difficulty in playing for a long time was the fear of making mistakes, especially in front of others but also in front of myself. It is so damn important to just let go and play intuitively. Practicing was never my thing; I found my passion for playing the drums only in collaboration with other musicians. Playing the drums makes me feel strong; it gives me power and puts me in a state where I think of nothing but just make music.

I find the interplay of a melodic instrument with drums so interesting because anything is possible. Depending on which beat a riff is combined with, the expression of the overall performance changes enormously. I think it is very important that the songs in a band are always written equally by all musicians. I believe this makes the music more interesting and multifaceted.

As a drummer, I certainly have different ideas about how a song is structured than someone who plays the melody. Experimenting on that basis leads to a different engagement with the music or the song idea.

Just carrying the wear parts of the drums to concerts is not easy. Since I am also a singer, I often reach my physical limits at concerts. I think it’s not about playing perfectly but about giving everything passionately and intuitively.

From my experience, this way you make fewer mistakes because you completely immerse yourself and just feel the music. You shouldn’t overthink it too much. When the expression and feeling are right, small mistakes are often not significant.