Noah Bond on SoundBetter

My focus as a drummer is simple - to serve your song. I pride myself on providing thoughtful and creative drumming that never distracts from your original vision.

Hi! My name is Noah and I am a touring & session drummer based in Western Massachusetts. I've been fortunate enough to play with artists such as Cut Worms, Martin Courtney (of Real Estate), Widowspeak, Bonny Doon, John Andrews & The Yawns, Anna St. Louis, Doug Tuttle, Willy Mason, and more.

I am currently offering high quality live drum recordings from my cozy home studio in Northampton MA. I typically record 10-12 channels: stereo overheads, snare top & bottom, kick in & out , rack & floor tom, knee, and stereo room. I will send stems in 2 separate folders - one labelled "cooked" with industry standard processing and effects that I'll have used to create the perfect sound for your mix, and one labelled "raw" that will just be the clean stems so you and your mix engineer can start from scratch.

To get started, I'll just need a stereo mix of your song (one with and one without any temporary drums is helpful), and any notes you have on the arrangement and production. Recording to a metronome is preferred, but if not, I will do my best to provide a solid feel for your tune. I also love receiving references - send me some of your favorite drum sounds and I'll do my best to integrate their aesthetic into your song.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

13 Reviews

Endorse Noah Bond

by Jimmy Stanfield
Working with Noah has been a dream since day dot! Couldn’t say enough good things about this bloke.

Super professional, great style, excellent communicator and always willing to take it that step further!

Mixing Noah’s drum stems requires little to no work because everything is already there, a wonderfully clean dynamic recording played beautifully to whatever you throw at him.

The option of Cooked and Raw stems is super handy if you want to bypass any drum processing.

Work with man you won’t regret it
by David Vicini
Noah Bond is probably my favorite living drummer! Noah has impeccable feel, timing, and taste, all while making it look easy. He’s a great communicator and will work until the drums are exactly as you imagined. Noah’s drumming was the glue my song needed, and he nailed it. Not only does he work fast, he’s also reliable, trustworthy, and professional. If you’re looking to hire a drummer for your project, your search is now complete, because Noah will no doubt be the perfect collaborator and player for you.
by Heidi Gluck
Noah added so much to my recordings with so little effort from me. We were able to communicate quickly ,and by sharing a few reference tracks, he nailed the feel I was going for with very little back and forth. The quality of his recordings is 🤌 and I’m so glad I found him!
by Soft Walls
Noah is a fantastic drummer with impeccable timing, taste and feel. He gave my whole album a coherent, solid foundation of beautifully-recorded, and expertly-played drumming. He 100% nailed the vibe of what I was going for, understanding and taking onboard any references I gave him. He goes above and beyond to provide well-recorded, thoughtful tracks that are sympathetic to the arrangements. The actual quality of the audio he provides is fantastic too, his stereo 'cooked' tracks were what I used 95% of the time in my final mixes. I look forward to working with Noah again in the future!
by Hamilton McKay Belk
I am blown away by Noah's drumming! He plays with impeccable feel and deft attention to the subtleties of the arrangement. He's really nice and easy to work with too!
by Eric Strand
Noah got great feeling and can make the drums sound like they should on any track! It’s been a pleasure working with him on my new album.
by Stephen Robinson
Noah is an is in credible drummer and musician. I was lucky enough to have him play on my album. His understanding of creating a beautiful tone from his drums, playing for the song and being a very professional guy to deal with made the whole experience really enjoyable. Working remotely, he turned around the files extremely quickly and delivered the files immediately which I could mix straight away. It rare to find somebody who can deliver at this high level. I highly recommend booking Noah. A real gem!
by Clayton Lindbom
Noah is an amazing drummer and someone you need to work with. He gives an in-depth explanation into his recording process and is very adaptable to the kind of sound you might be looking for and then some! I commissioned him to do percussion on a song I released recently. He really added to the sound and emotion of the song. It would not be where it is today without his help!
by John Leavenworth
Noah offers drum recordings of an extremely high quality both in execution and in actual recording. He reminds me of a modern day Hal Blaine. He’s rad.
by Colton Sherrill
I hired Noah after hearing his work with Cut Worms. Wow! He has impeccable timing and really knows how to shape his sound to fit your song. He’s a really easy guy to work with and he had my tracks ready to go in no time!
by Grant
Noah is the most tasteful drummer I have worked with, who alway puts the song first. A true songwriter’s drummer who can get the sounds in your head out onto a tune. His feel and touch cannot be beat.
by Andrew Aylward
Working with Noah remotely on drum overdubs was a breeze. Great communication and attention to detail. He got me the parts I wanted based on my ideas and even some parts I didn't know I wanted! Highly recommended.
by Jake Morrill
An absolute pleasure to work with! Noah added some drums to a couple songs of mine and it was exactly what I was hoping for. Fantastic drum tone and performance - an extremely nice guy as well!

Interview with Noah Bond

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I play drums on several songs on the new John Andrews & The Yawns record coming out in the spring of 2023. I feel this record is a perfect representation of my song serving, 'less is more' drum philosophy, and I am beyond excited for people to hear it!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: In addition to various remote sessions, I am currently working with Max Clarke from Cut Worms on his next album. Playing on Max's last album 'Nobody Lives Here Anymore' with producer Matt Ross-Spang was an incredibly formative experience for me. I love his songs and his openness to how he approaches arrangement.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: For me, this is really a question about what kind of work flow you enjoy. I have heard incredible sounding recordings produced from both worlds...most often a combination of the two. I primarily work digitally, mostly out of convenience, but I also love turning knobs and not looking at a computer screen from time to time :)
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: My friend Hamilton Belk is an incredible pedal steel player that I've been fortunate enough to tour with. He is actually the person who recommended SoundBetter to me. He's a talented and thoughtful player and a sweet guy to boot! Highly recommend you hit him up for pedal steel, dorbo, banjo, bass, or production work.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to respect your song and your vision. I want you to be thrilled about what we've made together!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Meeting & collaborating with new people, and having them turn me onto music I haven't heard before.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I think people often think that I simply bang your song out in one take and move onto the next thing. This is simply not true. I will often try several ideas before I find something I really enjoy. I never rush through any project. I want both of us to be incredibly excited about what I have contributed to your song.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Do you have a vision for how you'd like this song to feel? Any reference recordings for songs/sounds that you really enjoy? Any notes on arrangement? Production?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Try to find someone that will understand the aesthetic you are going for. The music world is incredibly diverse and there are so many talented musicians out there. Finding someone who shares your passions and perspectives can be much more tricky!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: kick, snare, acoustic guitar, Coles 4038, and a cassette 4 track.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'd say my time is pretty evenly split between touring and recording drums. I have garnered a reputation as a drummer who won't overplay, always putting the song first. I love finding a creative space to explore while supporting those around me.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more. There's a reason this is such a commonly used phrase in music circles. It's almost always true.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Because of the artists I tour with, I have a bit of a reputation as a drummer who is into vintage sounds and styles of playing. Most people come to me with music that is deeply influenced by the past.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Thoughtful and attentive listening.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: A keen sensitivity and insight into what a song needs. No more, no less.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I begin by listening to a clients song several times, often while reading any production notes they've provided. Listening to an artists references can also help provide me some inspiration on how I should approach my part. I then play around to the song while making choices about drums/tunings/treatment/cymbals, etc. Once I've got the drums sounding good in the room, I dive into mixing. I never want the drums to sound overdubbed - I want them to feel like an organic part of the song. Once I've got something I'm happy with, I start recording takes.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Studio drummers of the 1960s and 70s...Kenny Buttrey, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Jim Keltner...I could go on and on! I love thinking about the creative limitations present in early recording technology and the kinds of decisions and commitments artists needed to make in the studio. In many recordings from this time, the drums and rhythm of a song are often "felt" rather than "heard", but if you listen deeper, you can hear not only their virtuosity on their instrument but an incredible sensitivity to exactly what a song needed. This will be forever inspiring to me.