German fusion drummer Anika Nilles has spoken about joining Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on the band's "Fifty Something" tour, discussing the challenge of stepping into the role left by the late Neil Peart. In a new interview with Thomann's Drum Bash, she described approaching the material with care and respect for Peart's legacy while finding room for her own interpretation.

Nilles, who previously toured with Jeff Beck, said she knew Peart's playing but had not deeply explored Rush's catalogue before being asked to join the 2026-2027 tours, which also feature keyboardist Loren Gold. She explained that she studied each song individually to decide where to stay faithful to Peart's original parts and where to improvise, calling his drumming "basically an own composition" that demanded careful, song-by-song decisions. She also praised the personal chemistry with Lee and Lifeson, describing them as "so funny" and "so human", which made connecting with them easy.