Anika Nilles on Her Rush Journey: ‘I Have No Ego, So I Play What’s Required’
Anika Nilles has joined Rush on tour, taking on the demanding role of performing parts made famous by the late Neil Peart. After four opening shows in Los Angeles, she said she felt energised and relieved, and described learning to match the band’s distinctive feel as a greater challenge than mastering the complex drum parts.
The German-born drummer, 43, learned 40 Rush songs over a year of rehearsals after Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson invited her to play with them. She adapted her technique, including changing how she played “Tom Sawyer”, and said she focused on the music and her bandmates before feeling more comfortable with the audience by the third show. Nilles began studying music at 26 after working in social care and at a preschool, then built a career through viral videos, solo recordings and touring with Jeff Beck.
In short
- Nilles is touring with Rush after a year of preparation.
- She learned 40 songs and adapted her playing to match their feel.
- She says capturing the songs’ feel was harder than playing the parts.
Explained simply
Rush are a Canadian rock band formed in the late 1960s. Their best-known line-up featured singer and bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, whose intricate playing and lyrics became central to the band’s sound. Peart died in 2020.
Anika Nilles is a German drummer who built a career through recordings, online videos and touring, including with guitarist Jeff Beck. Lee and Lifeson invited her to perform with them, learning a large catalogue of Rush songs and adjusting her playing to fit the band’s established style.
The role matters because Peart’s parts are closely associated with Rush’s music, while Lee and Lifeson are continuing to perform songs shaped by their long-time bandmate. Nilles’s appointment brings a new drummer into that history and lets audiences hear the material performed live again.