Drumless – Djo – End of Beginning

“End of Beginning” by Djo (Joe Keery) is a song that sneaks up on you. It feels nostalgic, hazy, almost gentle on first listen—but for a fan of the drums, it’s the subtle rhythmic architecture underneath that gives the track its emotional weight. The beat doesn’t shout. It supports, breathes, and moves the song forward like a quiet heartbeat through memory.

The song was written during a period of transition for Joe Keery, as he was balancing his acting career with his growing identity as a solo musician. After the psychedelic, synth-heavy textures of his earlier work, End of Beginning emerged as something more introspective and grounded. Keery wrote and recorded much of the material himself, building the song layer by layer in a home-studio environment. This gave him freedom to experiment with structure, tone, and especially rhythm—allowing the drums to be emotional rather than just functional.

From a drummer’s perspective, the groove is beautifully restrained. It’s not a flashy beat, but it’s deeply intentional. The kick pattern is soft but steady, anchoring the song without weighing it down. The snare sits slightly back in the mix, almost like it’s echoing from another room, reinforcing the track’s dreamlike quality. There’s a lo-fi intimacy to the drum sound, as if you’re sitting right next to the kit while it’s being played. That closeness is part of what makes the rhythm feel so personal.

The composition leans heavily on atmosphere, but the drums are what give the song direction. Without them, the synths and vocals would drift. With them, the track moves—slowly, thoughtfully, inevitably. For drummers, this is a lesson in restraint: knowing when not to play is just as important as knowing what to play. The spaces between the hits matter. The groove breathes, and in doing so, it mirrors the reflective nature of the lyrics.

“End of Beginning” was recorded as part of Djo’s album DECIDE (2022), a project that marked a clear evolution in his sound. When Keery began performing the song live, it quickly became a highlight. Played in intimate venues and on tour across the U.S. and Europe, the song takes on a new life on stage. The drums become slightly more pronounced, the dynamics a bit wider, giving the groove more physical presence while still preserving its subtlety. In a live setting, you can feel how the rhythm connects the audience to the emotional core of the song.

For a fan of the drums, End of Beginning is about control, mood, and honesty. It proves that you don’t need speed, power, or complexity to make an impact. Sometimes, the most powerful drumming is the kind that quietly carries the weight of the story—hit by hit, memory by memory.