Michael William Byrne (born February 6, 1990) is an American drummer who was a member of the band
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...
. When Pumpkins frontman
Billy Corgan
William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band th ...
called for rehearsals to replace
Jimmy Chamberlin, Byrne auditioned and was chosen out of thousands of applicants. He played drums in
Sky Saxon
The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space.
In the field of astronomy, ...
tribute band
Spirits in the Sky for six shows in August 2009, along with Corgan,
Kerry Brown, Kevin Dippold,
Mark Tulin,
Linda Strawberry,
Ysanne Spevack,
Mark Weitz, and
Dave Navarro
David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot C ...
, and also performs drums on the Pumpkins project, ''
Teargarden by Kaleidyscope''. As a part of ''Teargarden'', Mike contributed drumming duties on ''
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
'', the Pumpkins' eighth full-length album. On April 17, 2010, Byrne played his first show under the Smashing Pumpkins moniker in celebration of Record Store Day.
On June 13, 2014, Billy Corgan reported that Byrne had left the band.
Early life
Byrne grew up in the
Portland suburb of
Beaverton, Oregon with his parents Eric and Chris Byrne and his sister, Elise Byrne.
He started playing the drums regularly at age 12
and later played in local bands the Mercury Tree, Bearcubbin'! and Moses, Smell the Roses. By his freshman year of high school he was quickly recognized by upper-class musicians as not only a prolific drummer but as a singer/guitarist after performing a cover of a Staind song in which Byrne provided both percussion and vocals with two other guitarists from his freshman class. He also participated in marching band and marched on drumline while in high school.
While attending
Beaverton High School, from which he graduated in 2008, he worked at
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
to save money for college.
The Smashing Pumpkins
On August 17, 2009, he was officially named as the new drummer for the Smashing Pumpkins.
The Pumpkins were already one of his favorite bands, with
Jimmy Chamberlin among his most influential drummers. Byrne's YouTube channel, which he created three years prior to joining the band, had been "MarquisinSpadez", a reference to the song "Marquis in Spades", from the Smashing Pumpkins'
''Zero'' EP.
In 2011, Byrne won best "Up and Coming" drummer in ''
Modern Drummers Reader's Poll.
In June 2014, Billy Corgan reported that Byrne had been asked to leave the band.
After the Smashing Pumpkins
Upon leaving the Smashing Pumpkins, Byrne continued his efforts with his local band Bearcubbin!, in the Pacific Northwest. They have released two full-length albums. During their visit to SXSW in 2014, they won the award for "Worst Band Name" out of the thousands of bands attending.
According to his own website http://www.mikebyrnedrums.com/ (which has not been updated since November 2015), Bryne offered drum lessons in Seattle or over Skype.
Musical influences
Byrne cites some of his influences as
The Cure,
Maserati,
Maps and Atlases, and
Pelican. He enjoys
post-rock and
math rock.
Discography
;With the Smashing Pumpkins
*''
Teargarden by Kaleidyscope'' (2009–2014)
*''
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
'' (2012)
;With Bearcubbin'!
*''Live from the Bear Trap'' (2009)
*''Jewels & The Wallwalkers/ Bearcubbin'!'' (2010, split album)
*''Get Your Heavies Out'' (2011)
*''Girls with Fun Haircuts'' (2014)
;With Moses, Smell the Roses
*''Frenemies EP'' (2007)
*''Please Do Over'' (2009)
References
External links
Smashing Pumpkins’ “Drummer of the Future” May Be 19 Years Old– ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, Mike
American rock drummers
Living people
People from Beaverton, Oregon
The Smashing Pumpkins members
1990 births
Beaverton High School alumni
Alternative rock drummers
Musicians from Portland, Oregon
21st-century American drummers