Ryan Loerke is a Kelowna drummer who has spent over two decades honing his craft.
“I saw the movie That thing You Do,” Loerke said. “And I thought I’d really like to play drums.”
The musician has been involved with multiple bands including Stutterfly, Shreddy Krueger and Secret & Whisper, travelling all around the world collecting memories.
Longtime friend Matthew Ratzlaff was always intrigued by the stories Loerke shared with him and offered his services as a writer for an intimate biography.
“I’m so happy about it,” Ratzlaff said. “I’ve poured my heart and soul into this for the last four or five years and, just to see it all come together, the photos and all the people who made this happen, I just couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”
The 400-page book WHALE: The Oral History of Canadian Drumming Prodigy Ryan Loerke is written in the form of interviews between the two friends.
“It was kind of cathartic to just review all these experiences that I feel, in the moment, I maybe took for granted,” Loerke said.
The book launch takes place at Milkcrate Records in Kelowna on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. to 6.p.m., with both author and musician available to meet in person.
To purchase a copy of the book, visit Mosaic Books or Lulu.com.