Sarah Jones (drummer)

Last updated

Sarah Jones
Hot Chip Lollapalooza 2015-11 (cropped).jpg
Jones drumming with Hot Chip at Lollapalooza 2015
Background information
Also known asPillow Person
Born (1985-08-31) 31 August 1985 (age 38)
London, England
Origin Hereford, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Drums
  • vocals
Years active2000–present
Website pillowperson.bandcamp.com

Sarah Jones (born 31 August 1985) is an English musician based in London, best known for her work as a session and touring drummer. She is a founding member of NYPC, and has also served as a touring drummer for musicians such as Aynsley Lister, [1] Harry Styles, Bat for Lashes, [2] post-punk revival band Bloc Party, [3] and synthpop band Hot Chip. Additionally, she has released several solo singles under the moniker Pillow Person. In 2020, she played drums on the Puscifer album Existential Reckoning . [4]

Contents

Early career

Jones showed an interest in music from an early age. In an interview with Tom Tom Mag, she stated that she started off playing the piano, and "although [she] liked it", the piano "wasn't exactly what [she] was looking for." Jones began learning the drums after a family friend left a kit at her house, having been taught basic beats by her cousin. She also noted: "My dad had some friends who would come around and play together on the weekends. I'd sit and watch them, and soon I started joining in." Not long after, Jones began drumming in local bands and subsequently touring the UK and Europe. [5]

Career

Harry Styles

Jones (right) performing with Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium in June 2023 HarryStylesWembley170623 (25 of 93) (52982073847).jpg
Jones (right) performing with Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium in June 2023

Jones played drums and provided backing vocals for Harry Styles's world tour, including an April 2017 performance on Saturday Night Live , playing "Sign of the Times" and "Ever Since New York". [6] [7] The tour itself began on 19 September 2017 and ended on 14 July 2018.

Jones has continued as drummer for Styles following his sophomore record, Fine Line (2019), including its promotion and subsequent international Love on Tour (2020–2023). [8]

Pillow Person

Jones has written and performed three electropop songs – "Go Ahead" (2016), "On Your Way" (2017) and "Kitchen" (2017)—under the name Pillow Person. [9] [10]

NYPC

Jones performing with NYPC at Neck of the Woods, San Francisco Sarah-Jones-Drummer-NYPC-Neck-Of-The-Woods.png
Jones performing with NYPC at Neck of the Woods, San Francisco

Jones is a member of NYPC (originally New Young Pony Club), an electronic music band that released three albums between 2007 and 2013.

Personal life

Jones is married to Styles's guitarist, Mitch Rowland. In 2021, they announced they were having a baby together. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Mitchell</span> English drummer and child actor (1946–2008)

John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer and child actor, who was best known for his work in the Jimi Hendrix Experience for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Ferrone</span> English drummer

Steve Ferrone is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Average White Band in the 1970s. Ferrone has recorded and performed with Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks, Laura Pausini, Christine McVie, Rick James, Slash, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees, Scritti Politti, Aerosmith, Al Jarreau, Mick Jagger, Johnny Cash, Todd Rundgren and Pat Metheny. Ferrone also hosts The New Guy weekly radio show on Sirius Xm's Tom Petty Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Wilk</span> American drummer

Bradley Joseph Wilk is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reni (musician)</span> English drummer

Alan John "Reni" Wren is an English rock drummer and member of The Stone Roses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvin Jones</span> American jazz drummer (1927–2004)

Elvin Ray Jones was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as My Favorite Things, A Love Supreme, Ascension and Live at Birdland. After 1966, Jones led his own trio, and later larger groups under the name The Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. His brothers Hank and Thad were also celebrated jazz musicians with whom he occasionally recorded. Elvin was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1995. In his The History of Jazz, jazz historian and critic Ted Gioia calls Jones "one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz". He was also ranked at Number 23 on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Rich</span> American jazz drummer and bandleader (1917–1987)

Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jeff Beck Group</span> English blues rock band

The Jeff Beck Group was a British rock band formed in London in January 1967 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. Their innovative approach to heavy-sounding blues, rhythm and blues and rock was a major influence on popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aynsley Dunbar</span> British drummer (born 1946)

Aynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Nils Lofgren, Eric Burdon, Shuggie Otis, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Whitesnake, Pat Travers, Sammy Hagar, Michael Schenker, UFO, Michael Chapman, Jake E. Lee, Leslie West, Kathi McDonald, Keith Emerson, Mike Onesko, Herbie Mann and Flo & Eddie. Dunbar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017.

Double drumming is a musical technique, used mostly in rock music, where two drummers each play a drum kit at the same time. One may play the rhythm while the other may play another style, or both may play the same rhythm. It is more common to have a main drummer with an auxiliary percussionist who plays Latin American percussion, toms, or mallet percussion, but this is not considered "double drumming".

New Rhodes were a British indie-pop four-piece. The band was formed in 2001 when James, Joe and Jack were students together at college. During their early years the band were based in their hometown Bristol but moved to Hackney, London in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Wallis</span> British musical artist

Gary Wallis is a British drummer, percussionist, drum programmer, producer and musical director. He has worked with a wide range of artists and bands, including Nik Kershaw, Pink Floyd, 10cc, Il Divo, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten, Paul Carrack, Dusty Springfield, Bonnie Tyler, Mike Rutherford, Mike + The Mechanics, Spice Girls, All Saints, Tom Jones, Jean-Michel Jarre, Helene Fischer and Schiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Chip</span> British electronic music band

Hot Chip are an English synthpop band formed in London in 2000. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. They are occasionally joined by former member Rob Smoughton for live performances and studio recordings. The group primarily produces music in the synth-pop and alternative dance genres, drawing influences from house and disco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puscifer</span> American rock group

Puscifer is an American rock group formed in Los Angeles by Maynard James Keenan, known as the lead singer of the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. Initially, Keenan was the only permanent member, and as such he considered the project to be his "creative subconscious". Later, frequent collaborators Mat Mitchell and Carina Round became permanent members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYPC</span> English electronic music band

NYPC are an English electronic music band from London. The band was formed by Andy Spence and Tahita Bulmer in 2004. Their influences are predominantly post-punk and new wave artists.

Sarah Jones may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Robinson (drummer)</span> American drummer

John Frederick Robinson, known professionally as JR, is an American drummer and session musician who has been called "one of the most recorded drummers in history". He is known for his work with producer Quincy Jones, including Michael Jackson's multi-platinum Off the Wall album and the charity single "We Are the World". JR's drum fill kicks off Jackson's chart topper "Rock with You", and his drum solo opens the Steve Winwood album Back in the High Life (1986) to begin the number 1 song "Higher Love".


The Wild Angels is an English rock and roll group. The group got their name from the 1966 Roger Corman film The Wild Angels starring Peter Fonda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inhaler (band)</span> Irish rock band

Inhaler are an Irish rock band originating from Dublin. Formed in 2012, the band consist of vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon. Their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This, was released on 9 July 2021. It entered the Irish & UK Albums Charts at number one, while also also entering the top 10 and top 20 album charts in other European countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. The band's second studio album, Cuts & Bruises, was released on 17 February 2023.

Mitchell Kristopher Rowland is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as a touring guitarist and for co-writing songs on all three of Harry Styles's solo albums. "Watermelon Sugar", a song he co-wrote with Styles, Tyler Johnson, and Thomas Hull, was nominated for and won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021. Rowland, along with Styles, Johnson, and Hull, also won the Brit Award for Song of the Year for "Watermelon Sugar" at the 2021 Brit Awards.

References

  1. "Live Recording description, Aynsley Lister – Live / 2004". Ruf Records. 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  2. "Bat for lashes Pearl's Dream Live Glastonbury 2009". YouTube. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  3. "Bloc Party play last show before hiatus at Latitude Festival - NME". NME. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  4. "Puscifer on Facebook". Facebook . Archived from the original on 30 April 2022.[ user-generated source ]
  5. "Hot Chip's Hot Chip: Sarah Jones". Tom Tom Mag.
  6. "Harry Styles Is Cool And All But Let's Talk About His Drummer Sarah Jones". BuzzFeed.
  7. "A guide to Harry Styles' band, and no, we don't mean One Direction". Bandwagon. 2 April 2018.
  8. "Harry Styles Covers Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" Live on the Howard Stern Show". YouTube. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  9. "Somehow Sarah Jones has managed to find time to create Pillow Person". Loud and Quiet.
  10. "Sarah Jones Is Harry Styles' Drummer—She's Also A Half-Fake Pillow Person". NYLON.
  11. "Harry Styles' drummer Sarah Jones is pregnant with guitarist boyfriend Mitch Rowland". Capital FM. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022.