Primus frontman Les Claypool addressed the impact of the band’s new drummer, John “Hoffer” Hoffman, in a recent interview. Hoffman joined Primus in 2025 after beating out more than 6,100 applicants in a global audition process dubbed the “Interstellar Drum Derby,” stepping in for former drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander.
Claypool was asked directly about Hoffman’s influence on the band’s sound and whether his arrival had changed things in any noticeable way.
When asked, “What has Mr. Hoffman brought to the sound? Has it changed the sound of Primus in any way?” Claypool responded:
“Well, it’s interesting because he’s, you know, our drummer, Jaycek, who had left the band in the late ’80s prior to us actually making our first record,” Claypool said. “He was very instrumental in what created the sound most people know. And so Hoffer is quite a lot like him, has this kind of hop to his playing, a lot of grace notes on the hi-hat and whatnot.”
Claypool went on to describe how Hoffman’s enthusiasm as a longtime fan has shaped the band’s live shows.
“The thing that he’s really brought is, A, he’s a big fan,” Claypool continued. “So he often says, ‘Hey, why aren’t we playing this song? I love this song. It’s a great song.’ And we go, ‘Oh shit, we forgot we even had that song.’ So it’s like having our fan base in the band because he’s drawing songs out of us that a lot of people haven’t heard in many years, if ever, because he enjoys them himself. So that’s a big thing.”
He also touched on Hoffman’s personality and how it affects the mood on stage.
“He’s also just an incredibly nice, positive human being,” Claypool said. “And even when we’re playing and, you know, even if he f*cks something up and I turn around to give him the look, you know, he’s just back there smiling away, and just making me laugh, you know, I’m all right, all’s right with the world, you know.”
Claypool then reflected on Hoffman’s early experiences touring with the band, including his first-ever show.
“So it’s very endearing playing with him because he didn’t even have a passport before doing the first show with us, which was down in the Dominican Republic, where he literally— his first song playing with Primus was In Tandem with Danny Carey on stage,” Claypool said. “And he’s been wide-eyed and absorbing the world, and it’s incredible because after doing it for so many years, I don’t want to say you become jaded, but things that you take for granted.”
He shared a specific memory of experiencing New York City through Hoffman’s perspective.
“I remember rolling into Manhattan early in the morning in a limo van with him and his wife a year or two ago and just looking at his face, and they were both just so enamored with what was going on,” Claypool said. “And we’re in a limo van and we’re rolling into the Manhattan skyline. He’d never been there before.”
Claypool closed by comparing the experience to watching his own children discover something for the first time.
“And we’ve done it countless times, and it makes you appreciate a lot of these things that you’ve forgotten about,” Claypool said. “It’s like when I first took my kids to Disneyland. I got to relive it through their eyes. It’s a similar thing with Hoffer.”
The story behind Hoffman’s arrival adds even more weight to Claypool’s praise, especially considering the circumstances that led to the search for a new drummer in the first place.
Tim “Herb” Alexander departed Primus in October 2024, exiting the band via email. Alexander cited that he had “lost his passion for playing.” The decision left the band without a drummer for the first time in years and set the stage for one of the more unconventional replacement searches in recent rock history.
Rather than quietly filling the vacancy, Primus turned the search into a global spectacle. The band launched the “Interstellar Drum Derby,” an open audition that invited drummers from around the world to submit video entries. The response was massive, drawing more than 6,100 applicants vying for a spot behind the kit.
Hoffman, a musician from Shreveport, Louisiana, emerged from that enormous pool as the winner, landing what many fans and musicians alike would consider the gig of a lifetime. His selection process was documented as part of a multipart web series chronicling the band’s search. The series gave fans an inside look at how thoroughly Primus vetted its new member before officially welcoming him into the fold in 2025.
Since joining, Hoffman has quickly made his mark on the band’s live shows. Primus’s 2026 setlists have featured a mix of deep cuts and fan favorites, including tracks like “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweakers,” “Last Salmon Man,” “American Life,” “The Ol’ Grizz,” and “My Name Is Mud.” This reflects the very dynamic Claypool described, with Hoffman pushing the band to revisit songs that might otherwise have stayed buried in the catalog.
