Who is Anika Nilles?
Here’s the rundown on Anika Nilles (pronounced AH-nee-kaah NEE-less), the German drum powerhouse who just landed the gig with RUSH.
Who is Anika Nilles?
Born on May 29, 1983, in Aschaffenburg, West Germany.
Comes from a drum‑family: her dad, uncles, cousin are all drummers. She started tapping out beats at age six. Her father taught her the early grooves.
Before going full rock‑star path, she worked in social education (yes, preschool/childcare work), then left it behind to study popular music at the Popakademie Baden‑Württemberg in Mannheim. Broke through online: original songs/videos like “Wild Boy” (2013) went viral among drummers and prog/rock audiences. Albums with her band Nevell: Pikalar (2017), For a Colorful Soul (2020), Opuntia (2022) and False Truth (2025), each showing serious chops, tone and groove.
How she landed the RUSH gig. Yes, it’s a big deal. Neil Peart passed away in 2020 and Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson had barely thought about touring again, but here’s how things turned: Geddy Lee had heard her on the Jeff Beck tour. Lee mentioned in interviews that he was impressed by Nilles’ drumming while she was playing with Jeff Beck in 2022. He’d also seen her work all over YouTube. “Terrific,” he said.
Connection through tech / backstage networks. The link came via Lee’s bass tech, John “Skully” McIntosh, who had been working with Beck. He witnessed Nilles in action and pointed her out. Secret session. A trial run, but not a formal audition. RUSH brought her to Canada in private “session(s)”, just Lee and Lifeson playing with her, seeing if the chemistry worked, how she handled their catalog, and whether she could capture both the technical demands and the feel of Neil Peart’s legacy.
They were impressed.
After those private sessions, it was clear: she wasn’t just keeping time. She understood subtlety, dynamics, the odd time signatures, the spirit of RUSH songs. Lee & Lifeson concluded she could “do justice” to the material. That led to the announcement: Anika Nilles is their drummer for the 2026 Fifty Something Tour.
Why it matters?
Replacing Neil Peart is basically a monumentally risky endeavor. The guy’s drumming is legendary, unique, but RUSH didn’t settle for a name or publicity stunt, they searched for musical integrity. Anika brings her own voice. She’s not a clone. She’s respected for her groove, her ability with complex rhythms (quintuplets, sextuplets, etc.) and her musicality, not just speed or flash. RUSH needed someone who could feel the music, not simply mimic it.
So, there you have it: AH‑nee‑kaah NEE‑less, German drummer, YouTube viral starter, educator and artist. She didn’t brute‑force her way into RUSH, she earned it. Those demos, tech referrals AND private sessions? They were tests and she passed with flying colors. Rock fans might be wary, but if she pulls it off, this could be the most inspiring “passing of the torch” moment since, well, forever.
Want me to dig into the fan reaction or what’s expected from her behind Neil’s massive drum setup?
