I pride myself in recording great sounding groove based drums from the source. If it feels good raw, it'll sound great down the line. I'm known for my groove, dynamics and solid backbeat.
I’m a funk drummer at the core but am super versatile and have always had an ear for songs, I've had my studio for 10 years or so now and have been recording remotely for around the same length of time. I am endorsed by Zildjian, Remo and Roland.
I currently play with Brian Jackson (Gil Scott Heron), Josh Milan, Terry Reid, Alison Moyet, (x)Propaganda and Ibibio Sound Machine but have also worked with Labrinth, Sigma, Don Blackman, Brian Jackson (Gil Scott Heron), Josh Milan, Raf Riley, Rahsaan Patterson, Mica Paris, Spacek, Cleopatra, Tkay Maidza and others.
I've also worked with producers Stephen Lipson (ZTT Records), Pete Waterman (PWL), Dave McEwan (Plan B), Gordon Hulbert, Livingstone Brown and I also write and produce myself.
My studio room sound has a small but distinct amount of ambience, I work with the Audient ASP880 + iD22 combination preamps and also a pair of Neve 1081 style preamps.
I have a high quality mic collection that centres around my pair of Coles 4038s, a Beyerdynamic M160, a Vintage AKG D12 along with my selection of the classics.
Recently picked up an Isla S2400 which is a remake of the classic Emu SP1200 for those of you that are after drum programmed drums or beats with or without that old school crunch. I have all of the classic drum machine samples on storage from back in the day from Linn to Roland.
Send me a note through the contact button above.
17 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client
Endorse Paul Jones
check_circleVerifiedLook no further for a drummer. This dude is the real deal.
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This was the first time I worked with Paul and he was absolutely a dream to work with. Communication with Paul is quick, very clear and positive and delivery was exactly as promised. Paul goes a very long way in making the final result as good as possible, open to feedback in the process and coming up with great suggestions. And finally and most importantly, Paul's is a groove master that makes the track really feel good. Highly recommnded !!
check_circleVerifiedPaul was a pleasure to work with. Super professional and great communicator! You can tell he's a seasoned vet and has the drumming chops to boot. Highly recommend!
check_circleVerifiedThis is the second time I've worked with Paul, he was able to quickly grasp the spirit of the song and come up with some great drums.
check_circleVerifiedPaul is an amazing drummer! He took my track with his groove to the next level. Absolute genius!
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Paul was devoted to the needs of the song, providing a lot of great vibe options. Very happy with the finished product. Great groove and absolutely a pleasure to work with.
check_circleVerified (Client)Paul was great to work with! Very talented and the communication was great. Looking forward to working together again :)
check_circleVerifiedA blast working with Paul for the first time. Great musician, great communication and a great guy. Highly recommended.
check_circleVerifiedPaul is really good. He knew how to give life with a complete drum kit and exactly the style required
Paul is a master and a consummate pro. I’ve been lucky to work with him in a few different settings, and he nails it every time. He is thorough, has great attention to detail, and every note that leaves his studio has been given full attention. Look no further!
Paul played on a number of funk tracks for a production music project and he nailed it! Loads of great takes and insight into the material that completely lifted the music and was a pleasure to mix. Super pro and easy to work with.
Paul recorded on a project of mine last week.
His is a fantastic Musician , drummer and amazing Human.
It’s always a pleasure to work with Paul .
Looking forward to the next session with him.
I came across Paul's name looking for a drummer to play on my contemporary jazz project. The most amazing thing in my experience with him is that we have never met or talked on the phone. It takes a certain level of skill and professionalism to play the type of things he is playing on my album. I find Paul to be the ultimate professional and musician. I'm thankful I came across his page and looking forward to working with him in the future.
Paul played on two of my tracks. He nailed exactly what I wanted in a couple of takes. He’s fast, professional and he understands exactly what you need and delivery.
Top guy, top drummer!
Paul recorded drum parts for a track I produced. It was a pleasure working with him and his tracks were fantastic and just what I needed.
I have had the pleasure of touring extensively with Paul as part of (x)Propaganda. As the keyboard player stood right in front of Paul's drums, I can also vouch that he is an amazing drummer. He brings a smile to my face mid-gig with thoughtful, sympathetic (and funky) flourishes. Incredible timing and meticulous attention to detail (and tuning snares!), Paul will undoubtedly bring your song/production to life too with a pristine and solid drum sound.
I've worked with Paul over a number of years in the studio. Beautiful player who always adds to the music and never detracts. Beyond professional, clear and calm communicator, and delivers high quality warm audio from his amazing studio, One of a kind human as well. Jacob Wheeler Music Supervisor at Major Tom Music.
Interview with Paul Jones
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Some tracks I recorded for a client in Alabama. Super lovely J Dilla type hip hop / jazz trumpet led tracks that were 100% my thing. I was the drummer on three on them.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own compositions.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Philip Larsen, he's an amazing producer, an absolute gent and a knows his stuff back to front.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog because I just love the warmth and fatness.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To make sure they are 100% happy.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Getting to craft something that fits like a glove.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you be yourself.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I only play funk. Diversity within music is the thing that I enjoy most.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Ludwig LM400 snare drum, my Hayman kick drum, my Zildjian Session Custom Dry hi hats my a laptop and a Coles 4038.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I tend to work with pop, pop rock and groove based music and anything that needs to be driven. Although can lay out and be sparse with more complicated arrangements. Use me for anything that needs to be driven or needs that special touch.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is my sensitivity towards approaching the dynamics of a song closely followed by my groove.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a fairly simple setup currently which is all centred around my Audient iD22, ASP880 and 2 Neve 1081 Preamps. I have a medium sized room which has a small amount of ambience. I have a nice set of mics, a pair of Coles 4038, a 1950's AKG D12, my Beyerdynamic M160 and my Yamaha sub kick; they are my centre pieces amongst others I use for drum tracking. My main goal before I record anything though is to always make sure the drums are sounding great first and foremost, completely dry. I have a selection of Waves (SSL channel strips and compressors plus some of the CLA range) plugins that I can use to give me some subtle analogue warmth and crunch if necessary, so can print that sound to Logic if I wish. It's really all dependent on what the song requires, so I wouldn't necessarily treat each session and recording the same way. Then to the drums, I have a Sakae Almighty kit which is punchy and sort of has a naturally EQ'd sound, something like a cross between a modern sound and an old school Yamaha maple Custom. My vintage kit is a George Hayman Vibrasonic, dry punchy and very warm. And lastly my Sonor Delite kit which has an amazing tone and is very warm.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Firstly for any session I listen to the track and lay down whatever comes completely naturally to me. Next, if there is a drum track or have been given reference songs, I will then listen to those carefully and make sure that I've included the musical direction given. Thirdly, I'll go back over the song until I have all the necessary crucial bits recorded but with the all important excitement and vibe. My main aim is to end up with a drum track that works best for the song and enables it to shine through as best as possible.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What kind of overall sound / feel are you after? Do you have any reference songs that you feel capture the type of thing you're after.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Paul Jones is a London based Drummer and Producer with over 20 years experience playing live / touring and 3+ years doing online sessions. Paul plays for the song first and foremost. Paul's early career was spent in Manchester with genre bending acid jazz band Frantic and funksters Loose Booty amongst many others. This led to his first taste of large scale touring with pop band Cleopatra, playing support to The Spice Girls on their last ever stadium tour before they split in 1998. In 1999 Paul relocated back to London and in the early 2000's started from scratch seeking freelance work in the capital. In the next few years he joined the cutting edge Soulful hip hop innovators Spacek, working alongside Mathieu Schreyer and Gary Dourdan and also sharing the stage with artist Dwele. Other artists include Mikey Graham (Boyzone), Don Blackman, Rodney P, Vula Malinga, Patrick Alan, Jennifer Phillips, Steve Spacek, Mica Paris, Alison Limerick, Rahsaan Patterson, Leee John (Imagination), Boney M, Labrinth, Tkay Maidza, Josh Milan, Sigma and most recently Alison Moyet. He has worked with producers such as Dave McEwan, Stephen Lipson, Gordon Hulbert, Livingstone Brown and Pete Waterman and also writes for and produces for his own side project. His online studio has been up and running for 5+ years and he most recently completed a Russian Rock album for artist Jake Pashkin which is in the final stages.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Trust in the process, because the right person will definitely be able to give you everything you want and more!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'd say I'm a groove player with funk, soul and rock all rolled into one, with the engine being driven by a dance music cpu!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I'd love to work with Rascal Flatts mainly because Gary LeVox's voice is so incredibly emotive and that's what connects with me the most when playing songs. Apart from the that, the songs are so incredibly well written and the production is flawless.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Always musical and I never try to overshadow the song, whilst hopefully in each and every case allowing my voice to come through.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Andy Gangadeen, Adam Deitch, Steve Jordan, Me'shell Ndege Ocello, John McKenzie, Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones, Labrinth, Fraser T Smith.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Recording live drumtracks from my own studio. Live sessions on location in studios with client and / or producer. Live work and tours. Programmed drums. Have good knowledge and love for House and Drum and Bass programming.
I was the Drummer, Engineer for drums in this production
- Live drum trackAverage price - $300 per song
- Programmed drumAverage price - $250 per song
- PercussionAverage price - $150 per song
- Beat MakerAverage price - $200 per song
The turnaround can be in as little as 48 hours. Maximum turnaround of 7 days.
I offer up to 2 revisions.
- Steve Jordan
- Clyde Stubblefield
- Nate Smith
- Apple Audient ASP880 + iD22. Coles 4038s
- Beyerdynamic M160
- AKG D12 (vintage). Hayman Vibrasonic kit
- Sakae Almighty Maple kit
- Ludwig LM400 snare
- Pearl Limited Edition 14x7 snare
- Yamaha Absolute Maple Custom 14x7 snare. Zildjian collection.
For multiple tracks I will cut you a deal!
- Latest recording!Aug 03, 2021
Just completed a track for a client in Berlin. Sounds like a really interesting, slightly leftfield track with a lot of energy. I used my Ludwig LM400 for this one with my George Hayman drumkit. They included a guide drum sample but with the chorus we came up with something that helped to drive it along in the right direction! Great session.
- Lastest recordings.Jun 18, 2021
Hey! Been working on another track for a repeat client in Alabama who makes very tasteful Miles Davis influenced jazzy hip hop. A track with some very heavy weight players from USA, Philippines and Cuba plus a new drum video for my website including PYT by Michael Jackson. If you need drums with groove and passion, I'm your man!
Paul.
