Zoë Brecher

Zoë Brecher played drums with Bruce Springsteen for four nights during his special takeover of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in late 2022. On the last night, she double-drummed with Questlove. Working with The Boss was magical for her, but also the result of hard work, dedication, and discipline.Based in New York City, Zoë started drumming when she was 10, performing in jazz bands from middle school through high school. For seven years, each Friday night, she studied with a teacher who taught her the importance of groove and feel above all else and this is central to her philosophy and how she plays today. Her teacher also revered Ringo Starr’s artistry, an admiration she shares – along with Ringo’s preference for Ludwig.

Following Skidmore College, where she graduated with honors and majored in music, Zoë has done more than 20 national and international tours. She has played in venues from New York’s Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Brooklyn Steel, and Bowery Ballroom; to the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood; and stages in Australia and Canada. She has drummed at festivals like SXSW and Lollapalooza and done many radio appearances including NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series and KEXP.

Aside from playing in Springsteen’s Nightshift band on The Tonight Show, you may have seen Zoë on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Zoë has played with Mark Ronson, Benson Boone, Oberhofer, Sad13, King Tuff, Sasami, Palehound, Sammus and Caroline Rose, among numerous other outstanding artists that span a variety of genres. Zoë also does session work and has played percussion/drums on albums including Haunted Painting by Sad13, which was named one of Rolling Stone’s top albums of 2020; and Max Heart by Kalbells. Zoë was a contributor to Tom Tom Magazine, which also did a feature on her. She has a solo project called HUSHPUPPY, for which she writes and sings all of the songs, plays every instrument and records the music. Over the years, Zoë has learned that the drum community is a tight, supportive and deeply caring part of the music world. She cherishes that and the privilege to contribute to works of art.