Feb 13, 2023 By Karen Mansfield 7 min read

Before Neal Yakopin was one of the most sought-after drummers in Nashville, he was the annoying little brother banging on a drum set in the basement while his mother and three older sisters waited for him to finish practicing.

Oh, how times have changed.

These days, Yakopin, 30, a graduate of Trinity High School and Waynesburg University, plays drums for rising Country music star Nate Smith, whose latest release, “Whiskey on You,” sits atop both the Billboard Country Airplay and Media Base/Country Aircheck Charts.

On Wednesday, Yakopin will keep the beat when Nate Smith performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Fallon.”

In a telephone interview from his home in Madison, Tenn., about 20 minutes outside of Nashville, Yakopin recalled his early days of drumming and talked about the upward trajectory of his career in Nashville’s fabled country music scene.

“My sisters are super loving and super supportive, but there’s only so much you can take. I wasn’t very good and I was playing loud, playing hard. They’d let me play one hour a day, and in my mind it went so fast,” said Yakopin, who ran back downstairs whenever his sisters were away to sneak in extra practice time. “My mom got so used to it that she could fall asleep in the living room above the basement when I was practicing.”

Yakopin has been drumming since age 13.

He grew up in a musical family. His maternal grandfather, Don Berry, was a classically trained pianist and organist and his maternal grandmother, Sandy, played the ukulele. His mother, Lynn Berry, and sisters are vocalists who play multiple instruments and write songs.

It was his father, Tom Yakopin, who got him hooked on drums.

The elder Yakopin had toured the country with several bands and was the original drummer for the Marcus Tyler Band, a rock and roll band.

When Yakopin was in seventh grade, the family was living in Chicago and Tom Yakopin, who had taken an extended break from the drums, started practicing again on an old set of drums in the basement.

“I was so intrigued. My dad was good, he knew what he was doing, and I said to him, ‘Can you teach me a beat, can you teach me a fill?’ and he taught me a lot of stuff. From that point, it was a burning passion and I wanted to get good,” said Yakopin.

Tom Yakopin said it was obvious that Neal had the rhythm, technical chops and the drive to become a professional drummer.

“I remember a talent show at Lincoln Way Middle school where he did a drum solo, just him and those drums in the gym with a packed house. In the end, he got a standing ovation,” Tom Yakopin said.

Yakopin started out playing his father’s favorite music, ’70s rock – The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith topped the list – then ventured into a variety of genres.

He didn’t take formal lessons; instead, he watched YouTube videos, bought instructional videos, and learned from his dad.

When Yakopin was in high school, his mother and a group of members of Chartiers Hill United Presbyterian Church in North Strabane Township formed Flashpoint, a contemporary Christian band, and invited Yakopin to play the drums. The group performed during the weekly church service.

“I was ecstatic with that. Everyone in the group was so supportive and helpful. I’ll always remember being in the church basement jamming out during practice, hanging out for hours afterward. There were so many good moments. I owe a lot to the church in its development of my life and my musicianship,” said Yakopin.

One of his Flashpoint bandmates, guitarist Aaron Hunt, marveled at Yakopin’s passion.

“He’s the only drummer I’ve ever known that practiced so much he actually wore out the cymbals on a regular basis. Like, wore holes through the metal,” Hunt said.

Yakopin considered pursuing a professional music career after high school, but was hesitant to jump into the competitive music industry and moving away from his close-knit family.

Instead, he graduated from Waynesburg University with a degree in business in 2015 and, like his parents, became an insurance agent. His dad is an agent/owner of West Penn Life & Health and his mother is the owner of Bridge Insurance Group.

But he didn’t abandon his goal of a music career and continued to practice relentlessly.

“I was determined to become such a good drummer that someone out there would have to hire me,” he said. “That passion never went away.”

Yakopin decided to take a leap of faith in 2019, after a conversation with a longtime high school friend, Brad Martin.

“He knew I was practicing super hard, and he asked, ‘What is the next step you need to do to make it work?’ I said Pittsburgh is not a big music scene, I’d have to move to Los Angeles or Nashville, and I told him I liked the style and culture of country music,” Yakopin recalled. “He said, ‘You should go. Start planning what you need to do,’ and I said OK. That conversation was my tipping point,” said Yakopin. “My parents had always been supportive – they’re a huge reason I’m here – and knowing that there was someone else who believed I could do it gave me the confidence to go.”

At about the same time, Yakopin met his wife, Pittsburgh native Lauren Hobbs, half of the twin country music duo The Hobbs Sisters, who are making a name for themselves in Nashville with their powerful harmonies and catchy song lyrics.

Yakopin auditioned for the band’s open drummer position, and he won both the job and Lauren’s heart.

The couple were married in Nashville in December. Yakopin’s sisters sang at the wedding.

“It’s a perfect match made in heaven,” said Yakopin. “It’s a blessing for me because she understands this business so well. She’s super supportive. It was nerve-wracking at first though, because I was crushing on her and I thought she was crushing on me, but I didn’t want to step over that employer-employee line. But I finally decided to go for it and I asked her out, and she said yes. Having her down here in Nashville where she wants to be and is chasing her dream has made it easier for me to be away from my family.”

Yakopin arrived in Nashville in July 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down concerts. But Yakopin gained buzz on FIVER, a platform where he added his drumming to artists’ songs, and ended up playing with Sony Music Nashville singer-songwriter Drew Green, who has written songs for Florida-Georgia Line and Conner Smith.

In 2022, Yakopin joined Smith’s band for a six-show tour. That’s when Smith’s “Whiskey” single was gaining traction, and the band toured with Brett Eldredge in the fall.

Country music fans have embraced the band. In recent months, Yakopin has performed at Nashville’s most revered country music venues: The Ryman, Bridgestone Arena, and the Grand Ole Opry.

“Playing at the Grand Ole Opry was a special moment, one of the bucket list moments you dream of when you get to Nashville,” said Yakopin.

This spring, Yakopin, Nate Smith and his bandmates are embarking on the 40-city “Home Team” tour with Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell.

Yakopin still has his insurance license, but he’s probably not going to use it anytime soon.

He’s looking forward to playing on Jimmy Fallon and touring the U.S.

“It has been such a great time. It’s been such a fast, fun journey for about the past year,” said Yakopin. “It’s almost like a dream.”

[gallery_header ids=”409766,409773,409780,409786,409792,409798,409806″]