Casey McHale
Employed To Serve
Overview
Originally from Cornwall, UK, Casey is a professional touring drummer and full-time member of UK metal band Employed To Serve. Growing up on a mix of Motown and The Beach Boys, he first picked up the sticks at age 10. After progressing through school music grades, it was hearing Dream Theater’s Live Scenes From New York at 13 that turned a growing passion for drums - and Mike Portnoy - into a full-on obsession. Early influences also included Jose Pasillas (Incubus), Chris Adler (Lamb Of God), and John Otto (Limp Bizkit), all of whom shaped Casey’s early playing style.
He played his first local show at 12 and spent his teenage years gigging around the southwest pub circuit before moving to Brighton at 18 to study music production. While at university, he quickly made a name for himself in the local scene and joined his first UK tour in 2009 with Epitaph Records band This City. Between 2009 and 2015, Casey gained professional recording and touring experience with various projects, including international tours with Welsh melodic hardcore band Goodtime Boys.
Since 2015, Casey has toured globally as a session drummer, performing with acts such as Funeral For A Friend, Young Guns, The Amity Affliction, and Being As An Ocean. His drumming has featured on BBC Radio 1, Radio 6, Kerrang!, and Sirius XM, and has racked up millions of views across YouTube - most notably through his work with Ashnikko, and on channels like CaliberTV and Tim Cayem.
In late 2019, Casey became a full-time member of Employed To Serve. He’s recorded two albums with the band - Conquering (2021) and Fallen Star (2025), both released on Spinefarm Records. The band has since gone from strength to strength, opening for Gojira on their 2022–2023 EU/UK tour and performing at major festivals across Europe, including Wacken, Rock am Ring, Roskilde, Download, Hellfest, and Copenhell.
“The first kit I ever played was a Pearl Export. My school had a beautiful Pearl kit that only a few of us were allowed to use, and once I started touring internationally, Pearl kits became my go-to for their consistency and reliability. I played a Pearl Reference in Australia in 2016 and was blown away - it was the best sounding kit I’d ever played. I’ve been officially with Pearl since 2018, but to me, they’ve always been the top choice.”