Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson recently spoke about new Rush drummer Anika Nilles, addressing the question of whether the band would have looked for someone else if her trial rehearsals hadn’t gone well.
Anika Nilles recently joined Rush after five days of rehearsals with Lee and Lifeson to determine whether she would be the right fit for the band’s reunion tour. When asked whether the band would have regrouped and tried a different direction had those rehearsals not worked out, both musicians weighed in.
“Who knows? I mean, it’s impossible to say,” Alex Lifeson said.
Geddy Lee then elaborated on what he believed would have happened and expressed his relief that things worked out as they did.
“My gut tells me we would have regrouped and looked elsewhere, but I’m very happy we didn’t have to do that. We’re really lucky. And also with Loren Gold, our keyboardist – I met him in 2014 when I did a charity show with the guys from the Who in London for their 50th anniversary, ironically,” Lee said.
“We kind of hit it off. Again, he was one of those names that just stuck in the back of my mind. And when we talked about adding a keyboard player, his was the first name that came to mind,” he continued.
“We’re very fortunate that the two people who were top of our minds both have worked out really, really well. That’s a little bit of a blessing from above, I think. Someone’s looking after us there,” Lee added.
Both Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold are now confirmed as part of the Rush lineup as the band moves forward with its reunion plans. Nilles drew widespread praise from fans and fellow musicians following Rush’s first 2026 concert.
Nilles is a German drummer who built her reputation on the international touring circuit before joining Rush. She is best known for her time as a touring member of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck’s band. That experience placed her among a select group of drummers capable of handling the technical and emotional demands of a legacy act’s catalog.
Preparing for the Rush tour proved to be a challenge that went beyond simply learning the material. Nilles has spoken openly about the depth of preparation required, noting that memorizing all the parts was one thing, but learning the feeling behind them was an entirely different challenge. That distinction speaks to the complexity of Neil Peart’s drumming legacy, which she was tasked with honoring night after night.
Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy attended Rush’s first 2026 concert and offered a direct assessment of her performance. “She absolutely killed it in the best way imaginable,” Portnoy said. His endorsement carried significant weight given his standing in the progressive rock and metal community.
The early reception to Nilles’ live debut reinforced the band’s belief that they made the right call. The combination of Nilles on drums and Loren Gold on keyboards has given Rush a foundation strong enough to carry the reunion forward with confidence.
