When Rush’s Geddy Lee praised “a time rich for great drummers” during a 2023 interview with The Guardian, few expected his words to foreshadow one of the most anticipated reunions in rock history. Alongside familiar names like Tool’s Danny Carey and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Lee mentioned a lesser-known talent: Anika Nilles, a German drummer he had recently discovered.
At the time, Lee couldn’t have known that Nilles would soon play a crucial role in convincing him and guitarist Alex Lifeson to return to the stage for the first time since the death of Neil Peart, their legendary drummer.
Rush’s Quiet Retirement After Peart’s Passing
Rush’s touring career seemed to reach its end after their final R40 tour date on August 1, 2015, in Los Angeles. Shortly afterward, Peart announced his retirement, citing physical challenges that made it difficult to perform at his best.
“He was struggling throughout that tour to play at his peak,” Lee told Eddie Trunk in 2018. “He didn’t want to do anything less than what people expected of him. That’s what drove him his whole career.”
Peart’s passing in January 2020, following a long and private battle with brain cancer, left both surviving members devastated. Lifeson admitted he had lost motivation to even pick up his guitar. “Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly mess around and put it down after 10 minutes,” he said in an interview with WFAN.
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Healing, Time, and a Push from Paul McCartney
In the years following Peart’s death, Lee and Lifeson were bombarded with offers from eager drummers hoping to fill the vacant seat. “Dude, wait two months—at least two months, if ever,” Lee later recalled telling one of them. They needed time to grieve before even considering a return.
Five years later, the spark reignited. Encouraged by none other than Paul McCartney, the duo decided it was time to celebrate their legacy. “Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we f***ing miss it,” Lee said in an October 2025 press release announcing Rush’s 2026 tour. “It’s time for a celebration of 50-something years of Rush music.”
But they still needed someone capable—and worthy—of sitting behind Peart’s drum kit.
Discovering Anika Nilles
The answer came from within Rush’s extended family. Lee’s longtime bass tech, Skully, had been touring with Jeff Beck and spoke highly of Beck’s drummer on the final tour: Anika Nilles.
“He would come home and rave about her—what a brilliant player she was and what a great person,” Lee revealed at an October 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event. Intrigued, Lee looked her up. “She’s all over YouTube. She’s fairly well known in her own world of music. So I said, check her out. Maybe that’s an interesting way to go.”
That curiosity quickly evolved into a musical connection.
Who Is Anika Nilles?
Born in Aschaffenburg, Germany, on May 29, 1983, Nilles grew up surrounded by drummers and started playing at age six. Initially, she pursued a stable career in social education, but in 2010, she left her job to follow her dream of becoming a professional musician.
“It was really risky,” she told Modern Drummer in 2017. “When you get money and you are safe, it’s not easy to quit. But I wasn’t happy.”
Her decision paid off. A viral video of her original track “Wild Boy” catapulted her into the global drumming spotlight. Soon after, she became a regular on the international drum clinic circuit and released her debut album, Pikilar, in 2017.
Nilles later joined Jeff Beck on his 2022 European tour, earning widespread respect for her dynamic feel and technical mastery.
“For me, music is all about emotion,” she told 15 Questions. “On drums, that emotion comes through in dynamics—playing with sound and silence just as much as with notes.”
Becoming Rush’s New Drummer
Replacing Neil Peart, one of rock’s most revered drummers, is no small task. “No matter who the drummer is, they have their own perception of what it’s like to play a Rush song,” Lee explained. “We secretly brought Anika to Canada. It wasn’t an audition—it was an experiment.”
That experiment worked. “I’m very happy to say she is fantastic to play with,” Lee said. “We’ve had a number of sessions with her, and we’re going on the road.”
At 42, Nilles brings a fresh perspective to Rush’s complex catalog. “She came to Rush music without any preconceptions,” Lee added. “She had to really try to get into Neil’s headspace and his feel. You can play Neil’s drum fills, but to make the songs feel right—that’s work. And she’s winning.”
A New Era for Rush
With Nilles behind the kit, Rush’s 2026 world tour marks not only a reunion but a rebirth. For fans, it’s a chance to honor Peart’s legacy while witnessing a new generation of musicians keep Rush’s spirit alive.
As Lee put it best, “It’s time for a celebration.”
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