BAND-MAID's drummer AKANE recently opened up about the drum work that drives her as a musician, highlighting everything from metal legends to her own band's explosive sound.

In an interview with Natalie Music, AKANE discussed several songs that have influenced her playing style. She cited abingdon boys school's "Nephilim" for its impactful 6-stroke fills at the 3:53 mark—simple in concept but visually striking in execution. She also credited Arch Enemy's "Enemy Within" as foundational for her hand-and-foot coordination practice, noting how changing the combination of snare and bass drum can completely shift a groove's feel.

But it's Nickelback's "Follow You Home" that gets AKANE's blood pumping. "The moment the drums hit, my tension skyrockets," she explained. The opening double-bass fill has become a staple for drummers everywhere—including AKANE, who's spent countless hours copying it. She appreciates how the tightness and weight of that intro demands serious foundational technique to replicate.

What's particularly interesting is AKANE's admiration for subtlety. She praised SIAM SHADE's "1/3 Pure Emotion" for its deceptively simple two-hit fill before the first chorus. Where many drummers would pile on flashy fills, this track taught her the power of restraint and precise timing.

Of course, AKANE also championed her own work. BAND-MAID's "Ready to Rock"—the opening theme for the anime "Rock is a Lady's Hobby"—features what AKANE describes as a guitar-versus-drums battle at the 13-second mark. She channeled competitive energy into that performance, treating it as a dare to the guitarist: "Bring it on."

When it comes to her own playing, AKANE focuses on maintaining groove continuity, imagining her drumming as drawing circles rather than hitting isolated beats. She's also conscious of note timing and shot speed—the precision details that separate good drummers from great ones.

AKANE credits Maximum the Hormone's Naø as her biggest influence. Seeing a female drummer produce such aggressive, thick tones early in her career proved that gender and genre expectations don't define capability. That inspiration drives AKANE's mission: to become a drummer who shocks audiences the same way.

BAND-MAID's WORLD TOUR 2026 wraps with final shows at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan on November 13-14, followed by a recharge period before their 15th-anniversary comeback in 2028.