Rush is heading on the band’s first tour in over 10 years in 2026, and they’ll have a new drummer coming with them.
The band’s leaders, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, shared the news in October 2025. The Fifty Something Tour will celebrate “RUSH’s music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart,” the pair wrote in a statement shared on the band’s website.
The statement also announced that relatively unknown drummer Anika Nilles will join the band.
“Yet life is full of surprises, and we have been introduced to another remarkable person; an incredible drummer and musician who is adding another chapter to our story while continuing her own fascinating musical journey,” Lee explained. “Her name is Anika Nilles, and we could not be more excited to introduce her to our loyal and dedicated RUSH fanbase, whom, we know, will give her every chance to live up to that near impossible role.”
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The announcement prompted plenty of interest in who Nilles is. Keep scrolling to learn more about her.
She Left Her Education Job to Pursue Drumming Full Time
Anika Nilles Richard Ecclestone/Redferns
In a 2019 interview with Drum Radar, Nilles reflected on her decision to leave her job in social education to pursue a career in music. As she told the outlet, she decided to study at the Pop Academy in Germany. Her studies at the school weren’t strictly limited to playing music.
“While studying at the Pop Academy, my studies weren’t focused on drums only. A big part of the curriculum was on the music business side of things,” Nilles explained. “Things like how to promote yourself, how to handle all the office work, taxes for professional musicians, self-employment stuff, social media work and all that stuff. All of this was really helpful in my career.”
In a 2023 essay for Drumeo, Nilles clarified that she spent five years studying to be a social worker and was working as a preschool teacher before making the professional leap.
She Toured the U.S. and Europe on Her Own
Nilles began a series of drum education tours in Europe and the United States in 2015. One of the events was hosted by the DrumShop in Washington, England.
“I think it’s fair to say that Anika Nilles was fantastic!” the shop wrote in a blog post published May 11, 2015. “Thank you to everyone who came and I hope you all had an amazing time and was left feeling inspired like the rest of us here at DrumShop. The clinic was held here at DrumShop and it was great to have Anika in the shop.”
Her six-day tour in the United States in 2018 included stops in Chicago and Salt Lake City, Utah.
She Is Also a Composer
Nilles spoke about composing her own songs in the same interview with Drum Radar. “More or less when I start composing it’s similar to when a band is composing a song together,” she said. “I start with an instrument, then I do the next one, I put it down for a few days while listening to it, and then I restart the process. I get new ideas and let the song grow.”
She Toured with Jeff Beck in 2022
Anika Nilles PASCAL SCHMIDT/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Nilles was mentioned by Rush’s lead singer, Lee, in a 2023 interview with the Guardian. When asked about drummers who could replace the band’s longtime drummer, Neil Peart (who died on January 7, 2020, of a form of brain cancer), Lee commented, “There are so many. We’re living in a time rich with great drummers. I love [Tool’s drummer] Danny Carey’s playing. I love [Red Hot Chili Peppers’] Chad Smith. Very different to Neil, but the man has so much power. I heard this drummer the other day, I think her name is Anika [Nilles]. She played on the last Jeff Beck tour and I thought she was terrific.”
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YouTube Has Played a Big Role in Her Career
In a 2015 interview with Drum! Magazine, Nilles reflected on how YouTube has helped her career over the years when it comes to sharing her music. “The biggest goal is to share my music and playing with the people,” she explained. “All of my new songs will continue to be released on my YouTube channel in the future. But there will be different categories coming up on the channel this year, including a Live Drums playlist. Also there will be some special videos coming up.”
