Wales’ first bespoke drum kits are set to appear on some of the biggest music stages in the world, including Lollapalooza Paris and Shepherd’s Bush Empire, after the company which makes them signed a contract to provide customised kits for a British rock group.
Tarian Drums will provide the high-end drums made from locally-sourced Welsh wood and materials for British rock band, The Struts, who have opened gigs for the Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones and Guns N Roses.
The Pontyclun-based bespoke drum manufacturer is the first in Wales. It was formed by friends Rhys Thomas and Geraint Frowen in 2020 during the start of the pandemic, who have since been supplying their drum kits to professional drummers across the globe.
The pair has received £10,000 via the British Business Bank start-up loans programme to launch Tarian Drums.
They used the funds to cover the costs of sustainable materials and build the drum moulds working with the University of South Wales engineering department.
Mr Thomas, an ex-professional drummer who attended music college BIMM Institute in Brighton, said: “I’ve always had a passion for music and playing the drums, but never in a million years did I ever think I would be crafting my own drum kits and customising them for drummers I have looked up to for my whole life.
“Before the pandemic hit, I was travelling a lot for work with the bands and artists I played for. However, with a young family, I started to wonder whether my profession was sustainable for the long-term. It wasn’t until we went into lockdown and the industry was flipped on its head, that I had time to think about my future.”
He added: “I had always dreamed of creating my own drum kit and having grown up around my grandads who were both carpenters, I had a pretty good grasp of how I would make my own drums if I ever got the chance. Having shared this ambition with my now-business partner, Geraint Frowen, the two of us decided to start our own business, Tarian Drums, producing high end bespoke drum kits for clients all over the world.”
The pair accessed the start-up loan via British In Focus, the Welsh delivery partner to British Business Bank based in Bridgend.
Mr Thomas said: “It’s only been a few months since receiving our loan but it has made the world of difference to allow us to create more drum kits thanks to our investment in drum moulds that can be used a hundred times over. Due to the increased volume we’re now able to produce, we are securing orders from more and more clients every day”.
Bethan Bannister, senior manager for Wales at the British Business Bank, said: “Tarian Drums, a home-grown Welsh firm driven by a real passion for both music and quality craftsmanship, is exactly why our start up loans programme exists – to bring the dreams and ideas of entrepreneurs to life.”
Ms Bannister added: “Start-ups are an integral part of our economy, and we must give them every opportunity to succeed, and the British Business Bank is playing our part in creating a fertile environment for them to thrive. In the past 10 years, the start up loans programme has delivered more than 4,100 individual loans to entrepreneurs in Wales, worth over £40m.”
