Rush Drummer Anika Nilles Details Unique Preparation for Reunion Tour

Anika Nilles, the new drummer for Rush, described how she changed her usual practice routine to prepare for the band's Fifty Something reunion tour. Nilles said learning Rush's complex catalog required her to rethink how she approaches preparation.

When asked how she managed to learn so many Rush songs, Nilles said, "I have no idea."

"Sometimes I was sitting there and thought, 'I have no idea how I'm learning that,' but somehow it's working because I learned those songs in a completely different way," Nilles said. "My preparation was so different to how I prepare myself usually."

Nilles explained that her usual process involves listening to songs, writing a quick chart, and playing along. For Rush, that approach did not work.

"Usually I just listen, then I make a quick chart for myself to have it visually in front of my eyes and then I just listen, read and play. And I figured with this, it doesn't work right. So sometimes you cannot really write it out because a lot of it is also kind of a feeling," she said.

She added, "Technically you can write it out, but I would have spent so much time with just that. And I thought, I don't have that time. I just have to listen, make chunks for myself and just learn it step by step and then this is how I did it. But just memorizing all the parts is one thing and then learning the feeling is a different thing."

Nilles stepped into the spot held by the late Neil Peart, joining longtime members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. She connected with the band through Lee's bass technician, John "Scully" McIntosh.

"I was diving directly into the Rush rabbit hole and just listened to everything I could catch - the music, videos, interviews, live shows, everything you can find online, basically, just to get to know the songs a bit better," Nilles said. "I just knew a bunch and also not in detail. So I started my whole research, but we also prepared, I think, six or seven songs for the first rehearsal. And as I got those titles, I was just focusing on those songs because they have a huge catalog."

She said Rush's long break from touring helped everyone adjust as they began rehearsals.

"We all kind of started a little bit together from scratch," Nilles said. "I mean, they didn't really start from scratch, but as a trio, we had to find a way to come together. And it's one thing when you come into a band and everyone knows everything and it's just like playing, it's smooth because they're doing it every day onstage and you're the newbie who has to adjust and learn all this. It didn't feel like that. So it was also taking the pressure a little bit away because they're kind of like, 'Okay, how does this go?' Cause they hadn't played it in 10 years. Definitely took the pressure a little bit off my shoulders."

Rush's first two comeback shows have received strong reviews, with critics praising Nilles' drumming.

The Fifty Something reunion tour continues Thursday in Los Angeles, with dates scheduled through April 2027.