Getting to Know: Luke Graydavis

Hey friends! If you’re new here, my name is Luke and I'm the drummer of The Happy Fits. When I was growing up, I was surrounded by different kinds of artists. My mother being an incredible painter, and my father being a talented landscaper made for an inspiring environment. Watching my older brother and sister draw and paint, it only felt right that I would give it a shot too. I loved to draw and still do. I was drawn to the idea of art taking you away to somewhere else. Creating universes and characters, whether they were my own or inspired from someone else's, was something I was really proud of. Before I was 9, music was something that I enjoyed but never dreamed I'd be able to pursue. My father playing Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin in the car opened my world to rock and roll. My mother would always put on the country radio and sing to us in the car, and although I didn't appreciate it at the time, I always loved hearing her voice. My sister got me into bands like Hot Hot Heat, The AquaBats, and Sum 41 (I know she's literally the coolest). My brother, only being two years apart from me, would always show me the newest band he found. He and I used to watch Tunami together and loved when Dragon ball and Naruto would play every night. I’ll always remember when he showed me this Naruto edit on YouTube where Three Days Grace was playing in the background. Looking back on it, it’s one of the most ridiculous videos, but we thought it was so cool at the time. Being exposed to a new kind of art form through music opened my eyes (and ears) to a whole new world.

As I grew up, I continued drawing, but every day my focus was aimed more towards music. Weirdly enough, the thing that bridged the gap from being a listener to a performer was video games. My parents would always get my brother and I the newest consoles when they came out. Having games like Tony Hawk and ATV Motocross exposed me to the best soundtracks. We actually had a kitchen timer so that my brother and I would get an even amount of playing time. Although, I would always try to add a few extra minutes (sorry Logan). In 2005 Guitar Hero came out and we were OBSESSED. We would play for hours on end. A breakthrough moment for me was playing “Woman” by Wolf Mother on hard difficulty. From there on, I excelled at the game and it was so fun to show off to my friends and family. After flaunting my skills on two more releases of Guitar Hero, Rock Band released in 2009. Finally, I could play with my brother and my friends together in a full band! For the first few songs I played guitar, and when my brother wanted to switch, I would be sad to switch to the drums. But, immediately when I played, something clicked. Since then, I’ve been hooked! I beat every song on expert difficulty, but still had never played a real drum kit. 

My mother and I visiting my brother at his college during my first semester

When I was in 5th grade, I was finally old enough to audition for percussion in my school band. I was nervous. I couldn’t read music very well and struggled through the sight reading portion of the test. My teacher then asked me if I could play the drum kit, I hesitantly said yes. When I walked over and sat down, it was my first time at a real kit. But, before my mind could think, I started to play “Maps” By the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. My teacher was shocked and asked how I was able to play it and I replied, “I can play expert on Rock Band!”. I eagerly awaited the results, and the next day found that I had made it into my middle school orchestra! Almost a year later my parents bought me my first drum kit. I think they wanted to see if I would stick with it before buying the loudest possible hobby a child could have.

I continued playing drums at home and participating in orchestra through highschool. But it wasn’t until Junior year that I broadened my horizons. I was friends with all the marching band kids, but was worried I would be made fun of by my non-music friends if I joined. Also, if i'm being honest, I REALLY didn’t want to just play cymbals for a whole year. But, at the beginning of the school year, my teacher encouraged me to audition for snare drum and I passed! I made so many new friends and my non-music friends did tease me, but they cheered me on at the football games. During this time I had also discovered Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes. While I enjoyed drumming, I found myself singing more and more because these bands’ style fit my voice. With that, I auditioned for Show Choir that year and made it in as well! As I went through high school, I started to stray from playing the actual drum kit at home. When at school, I focused on my music classes and marching band. At home, I focused more on singing and playing guitar.  When senior year came, My friends and I started our band called Moonbaby (shout out to Joe for the absurd band name). We played battle of the bands and had a big crowd, but unfortunately that would be the only show we ever played. My friends' little brothers always joke with me to this day and say, “Oh my god is that the lead singer of Moonbaby!” and we always chuckle.

Battle of the bands Bebe!

Finally, it came time to choose which college I would enroll in to further my chops and music career. Funny enough, I didn’t apply for drums in my auditions, but for singing and songwriting. William Paterson was the perfect fit, it had a program that focused on being an artist in the real world through a hybrid program, as opposed to getting a BA in performance. This way I would learn how to navigate the world as a musician in a more realistic way. I met many friends and made meaningful connections while I attended my three semesters there. I would also meet the love of my life, Cass, at the neighboring school of Montclair during my first week of college. I was even asked to play drums for my good friend Zach Matari. He heard I played drums, and even though I had not played the kit in months, I practiced through multiple nights to make sure I nailed the audition. I nervously played in front of him and made it into his band! I learned so much being in his band. It was my first experience playing real live shows and touring. He and his family were so supportive and caring of me and still are to this day.

I loved playing for Zach but deep in my heart I didn’t want to be a hired gun forever. In my sophomore year of college, I was asked to play session drums for two kids who went to North who were a year under me. I was nervous (recurring theme) to play my first recorded music but with the encouragement of Cass and my friends, I went and played on two songs for a band that called themselves The Happy Fits. If I had never played with Zach, I don’t think I would have ever been recommended by a friend to play on our first EP. It's funny how life can work like that  sometimes, and I am forever grateful! When I first heard the songs, I immediately loved it. It was music that felt so new, but so familiar. I remember thinking, like, “Who is this mad man playing cello?!”. One of the things I remember most is playing "Too Late" and thinking to myself, “Why are there so many stops in this song? I can't remember how many ‘da da’s’ I do here”. I left that day feeling fulfilled and excited to finally hear myself in a fully recorded song, and thought it would just be that. Little did I know, that drum session would turn into my life and my dream. Now, 9 years later we're bigger and better than we’ve ever been and I can’t wait for everyone to hear! Thank you to everyone who listens to and supports us. I never Thought Rock Band would take me this far, but I'm loving every moment of it. 

My first “official” live show I ever played!