Ellis is like the neighborhood barbershop for the Twin Cities’ finest drummers. At any given time you’ll find the likes of Dave King, J.T. Bates or Michael Bland kicking it in the store, just talking drums. Lately, we’ve cornered some of our more prolific patrons and forced them to tell us their life story — or maybe just give us a quick lesson on one of our beautiful Ellis Drum Co. kits. We call it “Shop Talk,” and it’s the next best thing to actually being here. So peruse the videos below and come on out to either Ellis Drumshop — you never know who you might bump into.

Ian Prince

Ian Prince has been supplying the backbone for top-notch Minneapolis indie bands for well over a decade. Possessing the perfect blend of play-for-the-song sensibility and face-melting technical prowess, Prince is an undeniable powerhouse on the drums. He plays each gig as if it were his last, digging into every stroke with stoic conviction while exuding unbridled passion for his craft.

He’s a drummers’ drummer — so naturally we at Ellis wanted to find out what makes him tick. From his childhood fascination with the Fab Four, to the hard-rocking Houston days, to his current pop/rock project, Story of the Sea, Prince tells all and drops more than a few nuggets of wisdom for would-be rock drummers along the way.