Sam Jones Interview (Nubya Garcia, Sons of Kemet): Focused Practice, Gigging Realities & Small Wins
There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you see a band firing on all cylinders, especially at a festival. A few years back, I found myself in the Love Supreme Festival crowd watching Nubya Garcia. The energy was electric and I was really digging the drummer. At the kit was Sam Jones, who I hadn't really heard of until that day, but having the opportunity to interview him was a real pleasure. Sam was humble, approachable and very happy to share stories and insights about his journey. You can watch/listen to the full interview here or you can skim some highlights below.
The Most "Annoying" Start
"I actually started playing the oboe," Sam told me with a laugh. "I’m not from a musical family... me being the youngest of four and wanting to be annoying as I could, I literally chose the most annoying instrument". Fortunately for the drum world, the oboe didn't last.
He moved onto drums with his first kit being quite far from a professional setup. His parents bought a "mashed down" kit off of eBay that arrived in legendary disrepair - "the snare drum head so had like a crater - like a meteor hit it".
Despite the gear, Sam spent his formative years building his kit piece by piece, saving up birthday and Christmas money for drums until he finally assembled a decent Mapex kit. It’s a reminder that the "juice" doesn't come from the gear; it comes from the hours put in on a drumhead with a crater in it.
The London Struggle: Maintenance vs. Practice
One of the most surprising revelations from our chat was that Sam, one of London’s busiest drummers, currently doesn't have a permanent place to play.
"My flat... the walls are too thin," he explained. "I can’t play real drums anymore". Between a heavy touring schedule and the astronomical cost of London rent, keeping a dedicated studio space often doesn't make financial sense.
This has forced Sam to develop a highly disciplined, three-tier approach to staying sharp:
Maintenance: This is done at home on practice pads. He focuses on wrist flexibility, finger strength, and Moeller strokes, treating it like a gym workout rather than a creative session.
Rehearsal: When a gig is coming up, he’ll book a few hours in a rehearsal room to brush up on specific genres, like jazz swing, ensuring his feel and control are locked in.
Learning: This is the deep work. Sam admits he needs at least a two-hour block to dive into books like the John Riley Jazz books or Alan Dawson’s methods.
The "Jellyfish" Motion and the Cuban Connection
We spent a good portion of our time geeking out over specific tracks from Nubya Garcia’s record, Odyssey. If you’ve heard the track "Set It Free," you know that incredibly funky, "in-between" hip-hop feel.
Sam attributes that feel to a mix of influences: the legendary Clyde Stubblefield and James Gadson, filtered through the way their beats were later sampled in hip-hop.
However, it was the track "Solstice" that provided the best 'easter egg' of the interview. Originally, the song had a laid-back hip-hop backbeat. But during a soundcheck on the actual Summer Solstice in London, Sam decided to throw the rulebook out the window.
"I don’t know what I was on that day," he said. "I was like, 'I'm going to play really, really fast and just ignore everything we’ve already done on this'".
He drew on a "Songo" groove he learned during a five-day crash course in Cuba, mixed with the double-time feel of UK Dubstep and Grime. The result was so high-energy that the band adopted it as the new standard. (Fun fact: The original hip-hop version only exists as a secret track on the Japanese version of the album!).
Golden Advice: Don't Quit
As we wrapped up, I asked Sam for advice for the next generation of drummers. His answer was refreshingly practical. While he stressed the importance of rudiments and learning from the greats, his most passionate plea was about the "business" of being a musician.
"The worst thing you can do in this game is quit," he said. He spoke candidly about the "nasty cycle" of taking badly paid gigs just to pay rent, which often leads to burnout and resentment toward the music.
His solution? The part-time job. Sam has worked at a bike shop on and off for a decade. "It’s better to do a couple shifts in a cafe...to pay your bills, than be doing gigs you don’t want to do". It keeps the music sacred.
From the Interview to the Masterclass
That initial conversation was so inspiring that we knew we had to bring that knowledge to our community in a bigger way. I'm so happy that we were able to invite Sam to our room at the UK Drum Show (picture above), where he presented an incredible live masterclass on the "Evolution of Traditional Drumming Styles."
He took the concepts we discussed-like the Songo rhythms-and demonstrated them with the kind of power and clarity you can only appreciate in person.
If you missed the UK Drum Show, don't worry. We captured the entire masterclass and it is available right now for our members.
In the masterclass, Sam goes much deeper into:
The mechanics of the Cuban Songo and how to adapt it for modern styles.
An open-minded approach to stick technique.
How to develop ideas from learning one groove from a song.
Click here to join the Drum Dog membership and watch Sam Jones’ Masterclass in full!
By joining, you’re not just getting Sam’s insights; you’re supporting our ability to bring more world-class drummers to the stage.
See you behind the kit!
Still Stuck Behind the Kit?
If your doubles are sloppy, your grooves feel rigid, or your ghost notes get lost in the mix — it’s not your fault. You’ve been trying to fix the wrong things.
🎧 Ralph Rolle (drummer for Nile Rodgers & Chic) reveals the exact lessons most drummers skip… but every pro nails.
In just 8 crystal-clear videos, Ralph cuts through the fluff and gives you the breakthroughs YouTube never could.
Doubles that feel right
Grooves with flow
Ghost notes that hit
Bonus: Shuffle, hip-hop feel & clinic jam
Here’s the kicker:
You’ll feel better behind the kit — and your band will hear the difference. All for less than a pair of sticks.
“Turns out I wasn’t missing one trick. I was missing Ralph.” – @sticktwister
STAY IN THE LOOP