Anika Nilles is going on tour with Rush — the very first interview

“I really have to immerse myself in Neil Peart's world.”

Muzieknieuws 23-02-2026 16:11

Today the Rush world tour has been announced, for us the moment to publish the Slagwerkkrant interview with the German super drummer! Check all dates of the tour here, starting June 7, 2026 in the USA, finishing April 10, 2027 in Helsinki.   

interview by Jean-Paul Heck

Anika Nilles traveled from Mannheim to Berlin by train for the interview. After all, she is still head of the drum department at the conservatory in the city where she has lived for years. “And later, I'll just take the train back again. Six hours.” It's almost surreal. But that's how she's been feeling for months, ever since bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson called her to ask her to fly over from Germany to Toronto. Neil Peart had passed away in 2020, and no one thought Rush would ever tour again without him.

But Lee and Lifeson were itching to do something, and after the tribute concert for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in Los Angeles, they took action. Geddy Lee was tipped off about Anika Nilles by his bass technician. He had seen Anika play in 2022 during the world tour with guitar legend Jeff Beck.

Anika Nilles welcomes us in an expensive suite. She is wearing a white sweater, wide-leg pants with a leopard print, and sneakers. The nose ring is gone, but otherwise she is still the same lady who graced the cover of Slagwerkkrant three years ago.

Hey Anika, let's start with the biggest cliché question I have to ask you. How did you react when Rush called you to become their new drummer?
“I was surprised, of course. There's no drummer in the world who thinks he or she could ever become the drummer for Rush, and when you get a call from one of the Rush band members, your world is turned upside down.”

Were you familiar with Neil's drumming and Rush's music?
"Of course I knew Neil as a drummer, especially because of the song Tom Sawyer, which is a real classic in the drumming world. But I'll be honest, I never really listened to Rush's music. I grew up with rock music and progressive symphonic music, but I hadn't really delved into Rush's repertoire. When I was asked, I first focused on the songs they wanted to try. Then I dove into their catalog, but right now it's all about the set lists for the concerts we're going to do."

Were you surprised to hear how Neil Peart developed as a drummer over time and kept adding new techniques?
"You know, any drummer who is passionate about his or her instrument can't stop learning. I saw that with Jeff Beck as a guitarist and also with Neil. They had it in their system, but I have it too. I realize that the expectations at Rush are very different from playing with Jeff Beck. With Jeff, I was in a role where my job as a drummer was to let him shine. It was also much less focused on compositions and more on improvisation. Listening and playing, that's what it was all about. But with Rush, almost all the drum parts were deliberately composed by Neil."

Neil was versatile, but he also developed with each album. How do you listen to all those Rush records?
'It's very interesting to go through all the albums and hear how Neil developed over the years. I find his journey truly remarkable and so intriguing. For example, how he introduced electronic drums in the 1980s. It was never forced, but always in service of the development of Rush's music.

                                                                © Rob van Dalen 

Will you, like Neil, be using a full electronic drum kit on stage alongside a normal drum set?
I don't know yet. I haven't finished building my drum kit and I haven't been able to listen to all the songs we're going to play yet. If you look back at the drum kits he used over the years, they were always characterized by rich sounds and colors. But it also changed from tour to tour. In the 1980s, he integrated a lot of electronic drums and sometimes had three snare drums. My drum set will contain everything needed to cover the colors that Rush's music requires. I've rebuilt my entire kit at home so that I can play the songs I need to learn in the right way. We've also built the same set in Rush's rehearsal studio in Canada.

Are there any other adjustments?
“Yes, definitely! I have my own sticks, the Pro Mark Anika Nilles Signature. The stick was really made for the feel I use for my work as a fusion drummer. But now that I play rock, I hit much harder, so we've tweaked my sticks to 5AB. They're slightly thicker and a bit heavier.”

Neil was very specific about his sound and how to achieve it. How is that for you?
“I have a very clear idea about my own sound and know how to create it. I'm certainly not going to change that, even with Rush. His snare drum sound, his ride sound, and his hi-hat sound are so recognizable, so very Neil.”

"I focus mainly on the energy that was so characteristic of Neil's playing"

How did it go when you first walked into the rehearsal studio in Canada to play with Geddy and Alex?
"They invited me to see if it would work with me on drums. I had to learn a number of songs that I'm not allowed to mention yet, haha. I can't leak anything... We just started playing and talked a lot. The theme of how Neil approached his drumming and, of course, the feel often came up. You know, it was less about what I had to play and much more about how Neil played it at the time. We did that mainly to get to know each other better."

Do you get the freedom to add your own interpretation to the songs that all Rush fans know by heart from the first note to the last?
"It's very important that I approach Rush's music with the utmost respect, and Neil's parts are of course very important in that regard. His drum parts are actually a composition within the composition that Geddy and Alex wrote. There will be many songs where I play Neil's part exactly, but if there is room to improvise a little more, I will do so. I rehearse the songs at home and take those skills with me to rehearsals with the band. I focus mainly on the energy that was so characteristic of Neil's playing. During those rehearsals, we will see if the choices I have made are the right ones."

Did you immediately fit in with Alex and Geddy?
“The first thing I noticed was how human they are. They're legends, but neither of them has any ego whatsoever, and they're also incredibly funny. They made me feel comfortable right away, which helped me enormously. Look, again, they're legends, but arrogance is completely foreign to them. They're really nice guys.”

                                              © Rob van Dalen 

Do you realize what's in store for you? Huge concert halls with thousands of devoted Rush fans in front of them who have worshipped Neil Peart for years.
“Of course. In a few months, I'll be on stage behind my drum kit with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in front of me. But ultimately, we'll get to a point where we're making beautiful music together and really enjoying ourselves.”

I read in an interview that Dennis Boxem did with you for Slagwerkkrant in 2023 that you had to improvise quite a bit just before the first rehearsals with Jeff Beck.
“Haha, that's right. I had broken the big toe on my right foot, so I had to play the bass drum with my left foot. That happened three days before rehearsals, and it was tough. However, I didn't say anything, and since Jeff had never played with me before, he didn't notice at all.”

Rush could easily have chosen a famous rock drummer, but they ended up with you. Was there a moment when you thought, “Why me?”
"That's a good question. I also find it an emotional question. When the call came, it took me a while to take it all in. It's not really an everyday question. Even now that you bring it up, that feeling comes back. I do know that I was completely perplexed for a few days. Right now, my focus is very much on playing the Rush songs as well as possible and not thinking about the how and why. I really want to stay positive and not put too much pressure on myself."

"Where do I play the original part and where can I add something of my own?"

Did you have to make any adjustments to your own drumming style?
"To be honest, yes. Look, I have my personal style and that will of course remain the same. That personality is there. But I'll also have to get inside Neil's head to play everything with the right feel. This is very important to Alex and Geddy, but certainly also to Rush fans. To achieve that, I really have to immerse myself in the world of Neil Peart. At times like that, it sounds more like Neil than like me.“

You've also developed more and more as a composer in recent years. I think that can definitely help you too.
”Absolutely! Not only in terms of melodies, but also as a composer of my own drum parts. That way, I know exactly what needs to be done and why the composition was written that way. And also why I can't change a certain composition by Neil. If I did, I would be compromising the essence of a particular Rush song, and that's really not acceptable. That's the very fine line I'm walking right now. Where do I play the original part and where can I add something of my own?"

I understand that Rush will play a different set list every night during the tour. To make it even more challenging for you.
"That's definitely the plan, and that's also why I have to learn so many songs. It's my job to make them my own and learn them perfectly. I'm not going to use sheet music and want to learn every part completely by heart. I'm also not going to take any notes because I really want to make the songs my own, so I don't have to rely on what I've written down. That's also necessary in order to play as well as possible and with the right energy on stage. The hardest part will be memorizing all of Neil's original parts and playing them perfectly when the time comes. You see, Rush's music is very creative but also very complex. You can control the physical part by training and getting fit. But the hardest part is getting all the details right.

                                           © Rob van Dalen 

Have there been any parts that made you think: I need to put some time into this?
As I mentioned, I grew up with rock and progressive music, and in recent years I've mainly played complex fusion music. In terms of playing, there's nothing new, but there is a moment when I have to play with a certain intensity. Neil hit hard, but he also had a specific energy and feeling for a certain groove. He played his ride in a unique way, and I also think his snare drum sound is legendary. So I really have to get inside Neil's head to make the song sound the way he did. I really have to get into that nerd bubble. Neil was a very flexible player. He was definitely not just a rock drummer. He had a great swing and a feel for blues, reggae, funk...‘

"My phone almost exploded"

You are currently head of the drum department at the Popakademie Baden-Wurttemberg. For the time being, the sign 'not present’ will be behind your name.
'Of course, I won't be able to teach during the Rush tour, but as head of the drum department, I'll definitely continue to do so remotely. Other drummers will take over my classes during this period. Look, the school also thinks it's great that one of their teachers is still actively touring. I can share my experiences of touring with our students, and that's also an important part of their studies. How do you deal with touring and what do you have to do on stage? It's only an enrichment for the school. Do I teach them Rush songs? Haha, no, I work with first-year students, but maybe after the tour. That would be nice. We've already had the necessary rehearsals and we'll continue to do so. But then the real preparation for the tour will start, and that will happen in April."

And what will happen now with your own band, Nevell?
“When I told them the news, they were a bit in shock. Of course, they were super happy for me, but it also means that I won't be able to tour with Nevell for more than a year. And that's right after a year's break and the release of a new album. But after Rush, I will definitely go on tour with these amazing musicians again.”

How did the people around you react when the news was announced worldwide?
"My phone almost exploded. I think everyone I've ever met in my life sent me a message. Of course, there were a lot of drummers, and it was complete madness. But my social media and YouTube videos also exploded. Of course, I had expected some reactions, but this was so big, so huge. I had known about it for a few weeks, but on that day, I truly realized what Neil's legacy means. Actually, that's when I realized it. Oh, my God, it's real, and it's Rush!"

This interview will of course also be featured in the upcoming March-April edition of Slagwerkkrant.

rush.com
anikanilles.com
@anika.nilles  

Copyright 2026 Slagwerkkrant Magazine/Keijser 18 B.V. & Jean-Paul Heck