In a new interview with CBC News, Rush frontman Geddy Lee has shared new, fascinating details about the band’s new drummer, Anika Nilles, revealing that the German virtuoso “didn’t really grow up as a Rush fan.” He explained that this made her learning process a “daunting task” but that her “incredible” work ethic and talent ultimately won them over.
Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson are preparing for their massive “Fifty Something” reunion tour in 2026, their first tour in 11 years and the first since the passing of iconic drummer Neil Peart. Lee explained that the search for a new drummer was the primary “stumbling block” in deciding to tour again.
“How do we replace the irreplaceable, so to speak?” Lee mused. The answer came from his bass tech, John “Skully” McIntosh, who had just finished a tour with Jeff Beck and Nilles. “He came home from that tour raving about her,” Lee recalled.
The band then arranged a secret, week-long audition in Canada. “We contacted her, and she’s just a fantastic person… we very surreptitiously snuck into a studio and worked out for about a week. And by the end of it, we were convinced that this would be a go for us. Yeah, she’s just a tremendous player,” he said.
Because Nilles wasn’t a lifelong fan, she had to learn the band’s famously complex material from the ground up, a process Lee admitted was overwhelming at times.
“When she first came over here, we started playing some of the songs, trying to translate Rush music to someone who didn’t really grow up as a Rush fan; she was not a Rush fan. She knew, of course, of Neil‘s playing — every drummer knows who Neil is… so it was a bit of a daunting task,” he said. “And we had to go through each song and explain the nuances of the song and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songs are put together. So at times she was a bit overwhelmed, but she’s an incredibly hard worker. She’s got great technical facility and she’s just got a really positive attitude, and that’s really good for Alex and I to be around right now.”
Lee, who has been seen frequently at Toronto Blue Jays baseball games, was asked if he missed the “roar of the crowd.“
“Actually, no. It never answers my mind, to be frank,” he responded. “The one thing I miss about touring is actually the job itself and that marvelous feeling of being in the middle of a 10-minute song and you’re caught up on your playing… and all your bandmates are clicking. It’s that adrenaline that I miss.”
Now, both he and Lifeson are in full training mode for the physically demanding tour. “I’m hitting the gym pretty hard, and so is Alex. But we’re gonna be ready. We’re working at it,” he said.
You can listen to the full episode down below.
