Lucy Ritter, a 24-year-old from Westfield, NJ, has been drumming since she was nine years old. She attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University for three years before dropping out and starting her career as a touring drummer. She started her professional career on tour with the musical An Officer and a Gentleman, then joined the first national touring production of Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill.
In July 2023, Ritter moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a pop drummer. The day after she moved there, she auditioned for a part in Chappell Roan’s band. She’s been drumming with Roan ever since.
Music director Heather Baker encouraged Lucy Ritter to move out to Los Angeles if she wanted a career in pop music, and the day after Ritter moved there, Baker got Ritter an audition for Chappell Roan’s band.
Roan released her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in September 2023. Since then, she’s had a meteoric rise to fame, from attracting the largest Lollapalooza crowd in history to winning Best New Artist at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Ritter has been there alongside Roan every step of the way, from opening arena shows for Olivia Rodrigo to playing an NPR Tiny Desk concert.
“Okay, I’m not biased because this is an NPR-affiliated group, but NPR Tiny Desk was really sick,” Ritter said. “I’ve been watching those since I was a kid and idolizing the performances, idolizing the musicality, you know, thinking about how unrealistic that performance space is and how people make do. Walking into that office and seeing the set — and it’s verbatim what I remember in my brain — was really special, and also one of those childhood bucket list check marks. And the staff was really nice. It’s cool to also perform without a click track, which is something we never get to do. Playing these huge arenas, huge outdoor venues, even, you know, 2,000 club venues, we’re always using a click track. So playing just to each other acoustically, listening to each other’s volume, it was really special.”
Roan, a lesbian with multiple hits about queer relationships, has quickly become an icon in the LGBTQ community. Ritter also identifies as a queer woman, and relishes being part of the recent renaissance in queer women’s music.
One of the three performances Lucy Ritter has had in Iowa this year was at the Hinterland Music Festival, where she and the rest of Chappell Roan’s band wore nun costumes provided by the Theatrical Shop in West Des Moines.
“I don’t know if anyone that does this and is involved in queer music intends to be part of a revolution. I think you are who you are, and suddenly people have interest in that, and that’s when change happens. It’s not by performative actions. It’s not by trying to be something you’re not so you get fame. I think Chappell, she works really hard. She’s been herself and people are interested in that. And she’s also a unique performer. And with me, I’m also queer,” Ritter said. “I just allowed my personality to take reign on the drums and being, you know, a queer person and a queer drummer and a queer woman, it’s all very natural. And seeing the uprising of all of it and largely because of the project that I’m a part of, is really sick.”
At only 24, Ritter has accomplished more than many musicians do in a lifetime. She said that she looks back on the journey so far with gratitude and will continue to chase new goals and experiences.
“I look back at this year and I’ve done dozens of things on my bucket list. That’s one of the things that no one ever tells you, once you hit all those things, you still have to live your life, and then make more things! And it’s like, you know, I’m 24. I just turned 24, and I wasn’t expecting my 23rd year to have all these experiences that I’ve dreamt of my whole life,” Ritter said. “It was really fast and it’s hard to take in every single moment when you have moments every week to take in. So I’m just trying to enjoy it and be grateful.”