Sarah Jones, More Than a Great Drummer

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Sarah Jones is an English musician based in London, best known for her work as a session and touring drummer.

She was born on 31 August 1985. Throughout her career, Sarah has performed with the likes of Bat for Lashes and Bloc Party, and as of now, she is taking part in the backing band by Harry Styles.

Recently, she has released several solo singles under the moniker Pillow Person. In 2020, she played drums on the new Puscifer album titled Existential Reckoning. Many fans of Harry Styles recognize her face as she’s played drums and provided backing vocals for Harry’s world tour, accompanied him on Saturday Night Live, and performed during his Tiny Desk Concert.

Sarah Jones has continued as drummer for Styles following his sophomore record, including its promotion and subsequent international Love on Tour from 2020 to 2021

Sarah Jones’ Early Career

Sarah Jones
Sarah Jones

Jones started gathering knowledge about the drums after a colleague left a drum kit at her apartment. Her cousin had taught her basic beats.

Back then, she could park herself and watch them play, and soon she joined in. It did not take long before Sarah started drumming and subsequently exploring the UK and Europe. 

As a kid, Jones picked up her first pair of drumsticks and started thwacking them as much as she could. And the things she caused a big load of noise because she grew up in the countryside. With her interest in drumming, she used to go to jam sessions in the back of a pub in the Forest of Dean. She played there all the time.

Sarah Jones with NYPC

Jones continued to play with musicians who came to her parent’s house to jam. Soon enough, she collected a menagerie of projects to work on, and, well, she continues to do so to this day. Throughout her activity, she gets really excited when traveling and tends to try and get things sorted when it’s most hectic.

Sarah Jones and Pillow Person Music

While busy with the tour, she’s releasing Pillow Person music. In carrying out activities such as releasing new music and living life as a touring musician, she’s also got her own label, NFNF, to co-manage with her friend. And she’s creating visuals for all Pillow Person songs.

Sarah Jones Performing
Sarah Jones performing

Pillow Person perfectly describes Jones’s signature style, too. She mixes in electronic gadgets to make her rhythms a menagerie of the acoustic and the manufactured. The visual work in the videos is astounding.

She’s dousing herself in frosting for the “On Your Way” video. Not only that, she peeled the plastic off her face in “Go Ahead.” In another video, she even sets herself in gold and crawls underneath a monstrous ghillie suit, making her look like a camouflaged Big Foot.

At the end of the day, when it comes to music, she realizes that with music, everyone’s just trying to have a nice time, and nothing should be scary. Jones was so nervous and shy when she started off, and she’s happy to get to her position now when it’s only about music.

Conclusion

Sarah Jones is more than just a great drummer. Her skills on the drums are undeniable, but her contributions to the music industry extend far beyond her technical abilities.

She has been a trailblazer for women in the music industry, breaking down barriers and proving that women can excel in any role in the music industry.

Her passion for music and her dedication to making the industry more inclusive and equitable make her a true inspiration to aspiring musicians and music fans alike. Sarah Jones’s impact on the industry will be felt for many years to come.

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Andrea

Andrea is a music lover and an experienced drummer with more than 15 years of drumming with different bands and music projects, such as Seditius and Hermano & the Marines.