Nolan Byrd is an award-winning and critically acclaimed drummer currently based in New York City.
After displaying a talent for drumming at a very early age, Nolan began pursuing a life in music. Upon enrolling at the University of North Texas in 2010 on scholarship, Nolan began his invaluable years as a student of Ed Soph, culminating in several Downbeat Student Music Awards and drumming in the six-time Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band.
A year after graduating from North Texas, Nolan began attending the Manhattan School of Music, earning his master’s degree in 2017. During his time there and under the guidance of John Riley, Nolan began to establish himself as one of the more in-demand drummers of his generation. He already has performed at notable venues such as The Blue Note, The Apollo, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Fasching Jazz Club, and Smalls.
In 2018 Nolan began touring with Thai/Swedish artist Sirintip, supporting her debut album. Her album Tribus — produced by three-time Grammy winner Michael League of Snarky Puppy — is an exciting, eclectic work that touches on pop, R&B, electronic and jazz, while creating a sound uniquely its own. With Sirintip Nolan has performed all over world including several U.S. tours, the Stockholm Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and the Wonderfruit Festival in Thailand.
In 2019 Nolan joined the band of trumpeter and vocalist Brian Newman. Known as ‘Lady Gaga’s Jazz Band’, not only do they perform with the star during her recent performances in Las Vegas, the Brian Newman Quintet also has its own critically acclaimed residency on The Strip, ‘Brian Newman After Dark’. When the band isn’t out touring, Nolan can be heard performing with Newman at one of the multiple weekly residencies the quintet holds in New York City.
In February 2020, Nolan was the drummer in the featured rhythm section for the Seattle Symphony performing “The Best of Quincy Jones” conducted by Jules Buckley. In April 2020, Nolan performed with Sirintip in the Live From Our Living Rooms Festival and Fundraiser, which was featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and quoted “The first jazz festival of the quarantine era” by Rolling Stone.
In 2021, Nolan released an EP entitled ‘Silence of an Echo’ showcasing his talents as both a producer and drummer in the electronica world, creating a unique blend between acoustic drums, synths, and electronic instruments.