"I'M LIVING OUT OF MY CHILDHOOD DREAMS"

Drummer Charlie Engen on hair metal, archery and why he’s qualified to teach

You joined the band in 2018. Do you still feel like the new boy?

“I’d say the first year felt a little like that, and obviously with the break, it was odd. But we’re such good friends now that it doesn’t feel too new. Plus, I get to pass that off to Andy [James]!”

What’s the biggest challenge?

“Probably getting used to things changing quick and getting thrust into the spotlight. But it’s more like I made up a lot of the challenges in my own head. The fans were super-nice to me, which made it easier.

The two years made things weird, but I’ve been in the band four years now.”

What’s been the best experience in the band?

“Playing these massive shows. I grew up on arena hair metal, so getting to live out those childhood dreams with the big production and the fire and lasers, big loud drums, was nice. I was doing club gigs before, but I actually adapted pretty quickly; it felt surprisingly comfortable.”

Your social media is full of drumming playthroughs: when you’re not drumming, what else do you do?

“Yeah, my social media is definitely drum-heavy. I’m a big hockey fan, I love cars, and I spend a lot of time in the outdoors, camping. I don’t hunt much anymore, but I spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m also a big archery guy. That’s about it.”

What’s a fun fact we should know about you?

“Fun fact? I have a master’s degree in drumming and percussion performance. It’s a waste of money, but it’s a good human experience. I went to college for it and I can teach bachelor-level classes, if I wanted. It was more of a fallback plan, but I don’t think I’d ever do it, teaching-wise. I still teach privately once in a while.”