A week after announcing the departure of longtime drummer Derek Grant, Alkaline Trio has revealed Atom Willard is next in line to man the throne. A few other bands the journeyman has played in throughout his 30+ year career include Rocket From The Crypt, Against Me!, and Angels & Airwaves.
Willard has also collaborated with Matt Skiba on side projects like theHELL and, more recently, Lektron. Shit, he even did a brief stint as the touring drummer for Alkaline Trio in 2000! (video evidence below) Is there anything this man hasn’t already done?
Derek Grant parted on good terms, citing the demands of touring as his main reason for walking away from the band. The veteran drummer spent 22 years with Alk3, joining shortly after the release of their breakthrough album From Here to Infirmary in 2001.
Atom Willard’s first day on the job is June 21st at Wrigley Field. More info on Alkaline Trio’s upcoming tour dates can be found here.
