Nick Buda

Nick Buda (born March 26, 1974) is an American drummer and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Primarily associated with contemporary country music, Buda has been featured on recordings by Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and Martina McBride, and has also worked with Lionel Richie, Jewel, Michael W. Smith and more.

Early life Born March 26, 1974 in Cape Town, South Africa, Buda was enrolled in piano lessons as a child but soon gravitated toward his teacher's drum set instead. At the age of 12, he and his family moved to the United States seeking an escape from apartheid and a path to better opportunities. He went on to attend Boston's Berklee College of Music on the recommendation of one of his idols – Sting drummer Vinnie Colaiuta – graduating in 1996 with a bachelor's degree focused on percussion performance.

Career After returning to Nashville following college, Buda moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000 to join the touring band of jam-fusion pioneer Colonel Bruce Hampton. He performed with Hampton's group for two years, Striking up a potent working partnership, the pair began recording multiple demos each week as part of a studio team which also included Tim Marks (bass) and Chad Carlson (engineer).

Buda went on to play drums on all four of Swift's country albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now and Red), In 2009, Fearless won Grammy awards for Best Country Album and Album of the Year.

Since then, Buda has continued to work as a recording drummer, contributing to albums by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Martina McBride, Jewel and Michael W. Smith. He also continues to perform live with artists such as Jewel and others.