Adam Willard

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Adam "Atom" Willard
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist


Img_capt = Willard performing with Angels & Airwaves on August 24, 2007 in Astoria, Oregon.
Birth_name = Adam David Willard
Alias = Atom Willard
Born = birth date and age|1973|8|15
Born = San Diego, California, United States
Death =
Genre = Alternative rock, punk rock
Occupation = Drummer
Years_active = 1990–present
Instrument = Drum kit
First_album = ""
Latest_album = "I-Empire"
Notable_albums =
Notable songs =
Label =
Associated_acts = Rocket from the Crypt
Alkaline Trio
The Special Goodness
Moth
Melissa Auf der Maur
The Offspring
Angels & Airwaves
URL =

Adam David Willard (born August 15, 1973 in San Diego, California), known professionally by his stage name Atom, is an American drummer who has been a member of several notable musical acts. Willard's drumming career began in 1990 when he joined Rocket from the Crypt, who he remained with until 2000. Subsequently he joined The Special Goodness and The Offspring, and in 2005 became a founding member of Angels & Airwaves. In 2007 Willard announced his departure from The Offspring to focus on his work with Angels & Airwaves.

Musical career

1990-2000: Rocket from the Crypt

Willard joined the San Diego, California rock band Rocket from the Crypt in 1990, after their original drummer Sean had moved away from San Diego.Pecorelli, 73.] In a 2006 interview Willard recalled of the experience:

Willard performed on Rocket from the Crypt's second album "" (1992) and subsequent albums "Hot Charity" (1995), "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" (1995), and "RFTC" (1998), as well as numerous EPs and singles. During his years with the band he toured the United States and Europe. Willard recalls several wild tour experiences with the group such as touring in a box truck and an airport shuttle, both at his suggestion.Pecorelli, 73.] Pecorelli, 74.] In 2000, however, he decided to leave the group due to disagreements with the other members over the band's direction:

Willard was replaced in Rocket from the Crypt's lineup by Mario Rubalcaba.

2000-2003: The Special Goodness and temporary acts

After leaving Rocket from the Crypt Willard served as a drum technician for Weezer. In 2000 he filled in as a touring drummer for the Alkaline Trio and appeared with them in the music video for the single "Private Eye".Fact|date=May 2008 He soon joined Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson in his side project The Special Goodness, in which Willard drummed while Wilson sang and played guitar. Willard also filled in with Moth in 2002 for tours in support of their third album "Provisions, Fiction and Gear" [cite web
last =Budofsky
first =Adam
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Review: Provisions, Fiction, and Gear
work =Moderndrummer.com
publisher =
date =
url =http://www.moderndrummer.com/viewcritlist/m
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] and appeared in their music video for "I See Sound". Willard's first recorded output with The Special Goodness was 2003's "Land Air Sea". The band have not released an album since then, but announced in November of 2007 that they would be entering a studio to record new material for a future album. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Special Goodness update
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =November 3, 2007
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/26340
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] Willard also recorded drum tracks for the songs "Head Unbound" and "Would If I Could" on Melissa Auf der Maur's debut solo album "Auf der Maur" (2004). [cite album-notes
title = Auf der Maur
albumlink = Auf der Maur (album)
bandname = Melissa Auf der Maur
year = 2004
notestitle =
url =
first =
last =
pages =
format = CD liner
publisher = Capitol Records
publisherid =
location =
mbid = a196f2ee-eb10-4212-802a-4fd6f88d0226]

2003-2007: The Offspring

In 2003 Willard became an official member of The Offspring, replacing original drummer Ron Welty who had left the group earlier that year. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Atom Willard Drumming for The Offspring
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =October 1, 2003
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/7229
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] During Willard's tenure with the group he performed on numerous tours but did not perform on any officially released studio recordings. Professional drummer Josh Freese had recorded the drum tracks for the band's 2003 album "Splinter" after Welty left the group. [cite album-notes
title = Splinter
albumlink = Splinter (album)
bandname = The Offspring
year = 2003
notestitle =
url =
first =
last =
pages =
format = CD liner
publisher = Columbia Records
publisherid =
location =
mbid = fd55a3dd-0487-4216-87b9-2e99863cc2df] Willard joined shortly after the album's release and appeared with them in the music video for the single "(Can't Get My) Head Around You". However, in 2005 he became a founding member of Angels & Airwaves (see below), and his commitments to the new group began to draw him away from The Offspring. The Offspring released a "Greatest Hits" compilation in 2005 including two new songs, "Can't Repeat" and a cover of The Police's "Next to You". Drum tracks on both songs were again credited to Freese, [cite album-notes
title = Greatest Hits
albumlink = Greatest Hits (The Offspring album)
bandname = The Offspring
year = 2005
notestitle =
url =
first =
last =
pages =
format = CD liner
publisher = Columbia Records
publisherid =
location =
mbid = 8cf132ec-abca-4723-bc19-49e986c0be54] though Willard appeared with the band in the "Can't Repeat" music video. In July 2007 Willard officially announced that he was leaving The Offspring to focus on Angels & Airwaves. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Atom Willard leaves The Offspring
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =January 15, 2007
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/21756
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] Freese again recorded drum tracks for The Offspring for "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace" (2008) before it was officially announced that Willard's permanent replacement would be former Face to Face drummer Pete Parada. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Atom Willard leaves the Offspring, replaced by Pete Parada
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =July 28, 2007
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/24831
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Offspring talk about Atom Willard's departure
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =August 4, 2007
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/24934
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] Offspring singer Dexter Holland later commented:

2006-present: Angels & Airwaves

While The Offspring took a "touring hiatus" in 2006 Willard joined former Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge in his new group Angels & Airwaves. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Ryan Sinn joins Atom Willard, David Kennedy and Tom Delonge in Angels and Airwaves
work =Punknews.org
publisher =
date =September 26, 2005
url =http://www.punknews.org/article/13903
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] DeLonge remarked that Willard "has always felt to me like the single largest score in music. He is a loyal, honest and humble friend, but an even better showman." [cite web
last =DeLonge
first =Tom
authorlink =Tom DeLonge
coauthors =
title =About Angels & Airwaves
work =Myspace.com/angelsandairwaves
publisher =
date =
url =http://www.myspace.com/angelsandairwaves
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-05-07] The band, which also included former Box Car Racer/Hazen Street guitarist David Kennedy and former Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn, released their debut album "We Don't Need to Whisper" in May of 2006. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200Fact|date=May 2008 and spawned several successful singles including "The Adventure", "It Hurts", "Do It for Me Now", and "The War", and Willard toured extensively with the group in support of the album. In July of 2007, during production of the band's second album "I-Empire", Willard officially announced that he was leaving The Offspring to focus on his work with Angels & Airwaves. The album was released in November 2007 and went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the United States.Fact|date=May 2008 Singles from "I-Empire" included "Everything's Magic", "Secret Crowds", and "Breathe". Willard continues to perform with Angels & Airwaves in support of the album.

Musical equipment

Willard is endorsed by Orange County Drums and Percussion. When performing with Angels and Airwaves his drum kit consists of two snare drums (6.5"x14" and 7"x12"), two tom-toms (6"x6" and 9"x13"), two floor toms (14"x16" and 16"x18"), and a bass drum (18"x26"). For cymbals he uses K custom session hi-hats (14"), an A custom EFX crash cymbal (18"), two A custom projection crashes (19" and 20"), a K custom ride cymbal (22"), and a K custom medium ride cymbal (20"). [http://www.ocdrum.com/artists/profile.php?id=15]

Discography

This section lists albums and EPs on which Willard has performed. For complete listings of releases by each act, see their individual articles.

Videography

Music video appearances

References

General references

*Pecorelli, John. "Into the Void: A Short, Woefully Incomplete Oral History of Rocket from the Crypt." "Alternative Press", February 2006, 72–76.

Notes

External links

* [http://rftc.com Rocket from the Crypt official website]
* [http://www.offspring.com/ The Offspring official website]
* [http://www.angelsandairwaves.com/ Angels & Airwaves official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/angelsandairwaves Angels & Airwaves official MySpace profile]