Lynn Truell – A Drummer With Style

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Lynn Truell is a renowned bass guitarist, co-singer, and drummer for the San Francisco indie rock band Imperial Teen. The American musician gloats about a successful career trajectory. Over the years, she has performed with a wide range of household names in the music industry. 

Lynn Truell has built an incredible reputation performing as a drummer for The Dicks, the San Francisco version of the hardcore punk band.  Moreover, the drummer has worked with the Sister Double Happiness Band located in San Francisco. Lynn Truel was a pioneering female and an iconic figure in alternative rock movements and American hardcore punk.

Lynn Truell
lynn truell

Today, the drummer remains active in several activities. The drummer’s interaction with drums began at the age of 16.  In 1980, she ventured forth to work with the all-girl punk band Bessie Oakely, the Wrecks with Hellen Johnson, and Joan Stebbins. The band rose through the ranks performing locally and regionally.  They also subsidized a breadth of touring punk bands, including TSOL, Black Flag, 7 Seconds, and D.O.A.  

In 1982, the drummer relocated to San Francisco, where she met Gary Floyd, a well-known singer of Austin TX punk band The Dicks.  In 1983, Gary partnered with Lynn Truell to initiate a San Francisco-based record of The Dicks. This new version significantly scaled up the ladder to become a popular brand within the S.F. punk scene.  The band toured nationally several times with fellow S.F. band MDC and D.O.A.  

Lynn holds with high regard their performance with Dead Kennedys outside the 1984 Democratic National Convention.  This was and continues to be one of the major shows for the band.  In 1985, Gary Floyd and Lynn initiated Sister Double Happiness with Mikey Donaldson and Benjamin Cohen. Their dedicated passion and interest in alternative hard-rock blues sound saw Sister Double Happiness become one of the trendy bands in San Francisco.

The band did extensive U.S. tours championing other popular alternative bands and as headliners. Sister Double Happiness supported Mighty Lemondrops, Soundgarden, Nirvana, 4 Non-Blonds, and The Replacements. The band also visited Europe, where they did a couple of tours. During this time, they released one amazing live concert video from Zurich.  

Lynn Truell Performing
lynn truell performing

Lynn Truell’s experience through the dynamic music scene is incredible. The drummer of Imperial Teen boasts featuring in the Spin 100 Greatest Drummers.  Her foray into the scene illustrated a different connection to music. Lynn got her first kit at the age of 17 and could feel the energy.  Her transition to San Francisco was the urge to achieve greatness in the music industry. 

No doubt, the scene was nurturing and made her feel like an experienced drummer, not a “girl drummer.” The drummer maintains that drumming and the whole recording process in the studio have changed. Today, the whole activity can be done digitally, taking off the pressure to do it perfectly.  Lynn is more encouraged by the current state of the music business.  For her, it is pretty incredible how a myriad of bands can get their music out.  Lynn is currently known for her work with Indie rock. 

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Andrea

Andrea is a music lover and an experienced drummer with more than 15 years of drumming with different bands and music projects, such as Seditius and Hermano & the Marines.