Jon Foster on SoundBetter

10+ years experience as session drummer, producer, & composer. Ready to record drums for your music. I provide high quality performances of the drum tracks you need to elevate your songs. My goal is to bring your vision to life with the sounds, textures, energy and groove you've been looking for.

Hi, my name is Jon Foster. I have drummed for artists including Justin Nozuka, Mathew V, Saint Claire, Craig Cardiff, Tanika Charles, Shawn Desman, Jeremie Albino and many others. I've made records with producers such as Dan Hosh, Andy Sheppard, Corwin Fox, and more. I have also composed scores for TV, film and commercials for companies such as ABC, USA Network, TD Bank, Toyota, and many others.

I've been doing recording sessions for over 7 years for countless artists - my roots are in Jazz and I've expanded from there into Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Americana, Electronic and R&B. I also offer drum programming for various genres. I am endorsed by Snareweight and Los Cabos Drumsticks.

I record my drum tracks in my home studio. The space has high ceilings, a natural room sound, and features state-of-the-art plugins and high end mics. In addition, I can provide fully programmed drum tracks, time-alignment on your tracks, remixes and film scores. I have worked in major studios and have experience working on tight timelines, incorporating client feedback and delivering on time. Feel free to reach out with any questions. I'd love to work on your project!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

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Credits

9 Reviews

Endorse Jon Foster

by Noel Thomson
Jon delivers extremely high quality drum tracks, is very professional and easy to work with - highly recommended!
by andrew marzotgto
It is always a pleasure to work with Jon Foster. He always brings his A-Game. His strong musicianship, recording chops, versatility, and positive attitude make him a go-to drummer for many of Canada's finest. Did I mention he composes? Jon's development as a film composer has been beautiful to witness. Hire this man!
by Paige Ballagh
Jon Foster is my go-to drummer for any project. He is great to work with - collaborative, reliable, and reasonable, and I am always thrilled at the end result. Jon is very flexible and professional, and finds the perfect balance between taking the artists notes, while sticking to his natural drum instinct. I always trust that he will better any track he is on, and make the process enjoyable. He's friendly and easy to work with, and I highly recommend working with him!
by Ashley Jane
Jon Foster is an extremely talented drummer and musician. He's versatile, professional
and reliable. Jon's passion is infectious and his positive attitude makes him a joy to work with. I highly recommend working with Jon!
by Avery Raquel
I find some musicians approach new vocalists with apprehension. Not the case with Jon. I was immediately comfortable with his easy-going nature, helpful suggestions, professionalism, and his ability to both take control, and let others take the lead when necessary. Especially when performing original songs, Jon is as accurate to the recording that you’d want to be, yet still adds his own flare and style. It’s now been 3-4 years, and Jon is still first on our list to call for both live shows, and studio work, as he instinctively creates what’s best for the project.

Avery Raquel
by Robb Cappelletto
I've worked with Jon professionally for almost 10 years now, both live and in the studio. He's one of those rare players that knows how to get the right feel, vibe and drum sound for practically any genre you can throw at him, from hard rock to hip hop to latin to traditional jazz. Great attitude and easy to work with. Highly recommended.
by Chris MacFarlane
I love working with Jon because of his versatility and great attitude. It is critical that an artist or producer feel comfortable with a drummer so they can work together and suggest new ideas. Jon has been so successful because he combines a high level of talent with humility and positivity. Hire him!
by Mathew V
I’ve worked with many musicians in the industry, none whom I would feel comfortable attaching my name to more so than Jon Foster. Professional and highly skilled. -Mathew V
by Matt Habets
I’ve worked with Jon as co-producer/composer on a multitude of recordings for high profile clients, and his ability to record/re-sample drums that fit the recording is incredible. He brings the groove and character of a professional live player into any track. As someone who produces mainly with digital sounds, I’ll always go to Jon whenever I feel the recording needs some live drums!

Interview with Jon Foster

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: A project I worked on recently that I am especially proud of was recording the drum tracks for an X-Box commercial. The result was a funk track for their commercial announcing X-Box Game Pass (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeqnUp_Vs40&t=2s). I used to play video games growing up and it felt like a real full circle moment to be working on a commercial for X-Box.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently producing an album for an instrumental duo with my collaborator, Steve Poloni. Our project is called New Routes (NewRoutesBand.com) and it will feature 12 original compositions inspired by the vast landscapes of Canada. The album will be released in the fall of 2020.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I am someone who thrives on variety and new challenges. I love that I get to work on so many different projects as a session drummer and composer and look forward to each new project and the excitement they bring.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Most clients ask me what the best way is for them to deliver their tracks to me for me to record to. I always say the more stems they can send me, the better, because I can really get inside the track and hear what's already there. Then I can craft the drum tracks to fit as perfectly as possible.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: It's okay if you don't know exactly what you're looking for when you are hiring a session drummer. Sometimes the best drum parts come from a simple conversation about the origin of the song that inspire a certain direction you may not have considered before.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Kick, Snare, Hats, Sticks and my iPhone.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My earliest roots are as a self-taught rock drummer, learning from playing along with records by Blink-182, Muse and Coldplay. Later, I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters in Jazz Performance. From there I have toured internationally with artists such as Justin Nozuka (Singer/Songwriter), Tanika Charles (Soul) and Mathew V (Pop). I would describe myself as a versatile drummer, able to adapt to most genres and that my Jazz studies have helped me develop a dynamic feel on the drums.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I always want to start on the same page as the client. First, I ask for a breakdown of what their vision is for the song and then we discuss the best path to getting the perfect take. My #1 job is to make sure that the song is being elevated by the drum tracks, and sometimes that can mean playing less or experimenting with sounds. I am always on board for exploring until I figure out exactly what's needed. Often, references to other songs that the client feels carry the vibe they are looking for are a good place to start. Once I get to know the song, I create a few demos of ideas based on the input I've been given to start. From there, I begin to craft each section until the part feels right. Once I feel it's ready, I record 3 complete takes on separate playlists and let the client choose which vibe feels best.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a home studio that is tailored to optimize my workflow. My live room is perfectly suited for drum tracking and I have an effective setup with all of my sessions organized with quick access for client revisions. I own most of the plugins that Waves offers and use them in addition to Sound Radix, Soundtoys, iZotope and others to acheive high quality analog emulation without the need for outboard gear. With these plugins I am able to EQ, compress, and saturate my tracks resulting in mix-ready drum tracks. I have all the industry standard microphones for tracking drums. Most importantly, I have an amazing stock of great sounding drums and cymbals with a wide array of tones and textures. I mostly use my Maple Custom Absolute series of Yamaha drums ranging in size from a small jazz kit to a full four-tom kit, and keep them tuned with fresh heads for the best tone. Whenever I record, I make sure to choose the right sounding kit for the song at hand. I am endorsed by Los Cabos Drumsticks and Snareweight so I always have a wide variety of sticks, mallets, brushes and other percussion tools ready to use. My cymbal collection ranges from Sabian, Zildjian, and Istanbul to custom handmade hi hats and rides by a cymbal maker in Australia.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am constantly inspired by people who are true masters of their craft, whether as session musicians, composers, producers or a combination. Some of the people who come to mind are Larnell Lewis (Drummer for Snarky Puppy), Mark Pelli (Guitarist/Music Producer), Ludwig Göransson (Producer/Composer), Junkie XL (Film Composer), Ólafur Arnalds (Multi-Instrumentalist/Composer).
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Live drum tracks are what most clients come to me for specifically. Recording in my home studio allows me to work with clients remotely but I do occasionally get hired to bring my drums into a studio to do an in-person session. Some of my clients prefer programmed drums as it better suits their genre - usually for Pop and Electronic songs.