Glenn Kotche, drummer, composer, and experimental percussionist, is best known as the rhythmic architect of Wilco, where his textural approach and musical restraint have helped shape the band’s sound for more than two decades. Based in Chicago, he has built a career that spans alternative rock performance, contemporary composition, solo drumset works, and collaborations that bring percussion into new musical environments.
Kotche joined Wilco in 2001 and became central to the band’s studio and live identity, contributing to their evolving sound through both traditional drumming and unconventional percussion. His playing combines deep groove, orchestration, and sound design, often creating rhythmic landscapes that function like a second layer of composition inside the song rather than simply timekeeping.
Recent activity through 2024 and 2025 shows Kotche fully active across both touring and creative work. Wilco continued touring widely in 2025 with extended U.S. dates and international performances, with Kotche anchoring the band’s live shows. At the same time, his solo and experimental output has remained consistent through his long-running Drum Beat Project, where he releases notated rhythmic studies and orchestration concepts as part of an ongoing compositional practice.
Kotche continues expanding his work outside Wilco through collaborations and performances that blend percussion with literature, film, and contemporary ensemble music. Recent appearances include performances with Saccata Quartet in late 2025 and the performance/film collaboration Historia with Karl Ove Knausgård. His solo drumset compositions also remain an active creative focus, with new pieces and scores available through his official platforms, reflecting a continuing commitment to composition as much as performance.
Gear:
DW Drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, and Remo drumheads.
Sources: Glenn Kotche official website (Live and Projects pages), Wilco official tour documentation, Pollstar, Third Coast Percussion, Pitchfork.
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Update 1/20/26