On the Drums

Daru Jones

Read this in-depth interview with one of the most creative drumming voices of the modern era.

by justin lisa // August 11, 2026

Daru Jones is Unmistakable.

Daru Jones has built one of the most unique careers in modern drumming. From his early years playing gospel in Michigan churches to collaborating with artists like Jack White, Nas, and Slum Village, he's forged a path entirely his own. We caught up with Daru to discuss his musical journey, the lessons he's learned along the way, and the experiences that continue to evolve his approach On The Drums.

DW: Tell us about your drumming journey. How did you get started?

DJ: I started drumming at the age of four and started playing at church. My mom and dad are both musicians, musical directors, organists, and pianists. And my dad was my mom's organ teacher. I went to a Pentecostal church, and we had service every night of the week. And I had cousins and uncles that played and still play to this day. And they inspired me to jump on. So, I learned by playing in church.

DW: What are some of your earliest memories with DW gear?

DJ: I took chart-reading lessons for a year, and I remember going to the drum shop and seeing DW in Modern Drummer magazines. The teacher also had a DW VHS tape that showcased all the drum shells—like a product tape. I was just like, “Yo, I never heard of any company doing that.” They talked about how each drum kit is one of a kind, like they were making furniture.

"I felt like there was an identity there."

DW: How has your setup evolved over the years?

DJ: In church, we had a basic 5- or 6-piece kit from another brand. And I don't know how they ended up on my church drum kit, but we had roto-toms. It was conventional otherwise.

Growing up, everyone played matched grip, but I had an older mentor who showed me how to play traditional grip. So, I started playing traditional grip, the jazzier grip, and learned about ‘Philly’ Joe Jones, Buddy Rich, Omar Hakim, Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, all those guys. And I remember seeing ‘Philly’ Joe Jones tilt his snare drum. And I was like, “Man, why did they play with the snare tilted?” Then I saw marching guys in high school with their snare drums sideways. And again, I was like, “Okay, what is that?”

Fast-forwarding, I remember reading Modern Drummer magazine and seeing covers with Terry Bozzio and Vinnie Colaiuta with their drum kits. And I felt like there was an identity there.

A few years later, I saw The Roots. I remember Questlove's drum kit, and he just had a snare drum and floor tom. And I was like, “Yo, where's the rest of this guy's drum kit?” Then, when I started playing in hip-hop bands, I realized Amir (Questlove) downsized his kit because he was replicating loops back then and the grooves were minimal.

Now, back in the day, hip-hop was all about being original and having an identity. Nobody wanted you to look like or sound like them. So, when I downsized my kit similar to Questlove's, I never wanted to be in the same room with him and have there be any question that I was biting or copying his style. I thought to myself, "What can I do to stand out?" That pushed me to experiment with different drum configurations, angles, and ways of approaching the instrument until I developed a setup that reflected my own personality and musical voice.

So, I took a page from ‘Philly’ Joe Jones and jazz drummers. I tilted my snare sideways, then my tom, and then instead of tilting it sideways, I sloped it down like a hill. And then I felt like I didn’t need many drums. Then I added them back. Then I sat higher, then lower. Then on my last tour with Jack White, I played fully hybrid, which I’m playing nowadays.

DW: What are some memorable onstage moments for you?

DJ: I met Robert Plant playing Lollapalooza with Jack White in 2015. Sometimes before we’d go out on stage, we'd listen to hip-hop and rock'n'roll. And I remember us listening to Led Zeppelin, and Jack asked Robert if he would come out and perform with us in the second set. I didn't know he was going to come out—it was a surprise. Anyway, we start revving up, and Jack starts playing “The Lemon Song,” Robert Plant comes out and sings it with us, and that’s one of my favorite rock ‘n’ roll memories.

Another with Jack was playing at Madison Square Garden, where I've always wanted to play. And Q-Tip was there, and Jack brought him out to perform “Black Bat Licorice” with us, and then we went into Q-Tip’s verse of “Excursions” by A Tribe Called Quest. The crowd just went crazy.

“People who really know it can tell if you're faking the funk.”

DW: What’s a new genre you've embraced, and was it a surprise?

DJ: Latin music and Caribbean music. Now that I live in LA, I hear a lot more authentic Latin music—which is percussion and bass-heavy—and it’s been cool to tap into that. I also played in a Caribbean band with a steel drum ensemble with a legendary British-Guyanese steel pan maker, Phil Solomon, who lives in Pittsburgh. So, I really learned Caribbean beats like samba, reggae, bolero—and the rules on how you play those grooves and beats. And playing with people who really know it can tell if you're faking the funk. I had to listen to a lot of it to learn.

DW: How important is it for a drummer to be able to record themselves in this era?

DJ: We live in an era where you can just go to Guitar Center, pick up recording gear, and you’ve got a home studio. When I came up, there weren't a lot of home studios. You got some money, and you booked studio time. I'm glad I have all those experiences because when you’re paying for studio time, you take it seriously. I’d rehearse and have my stuff together before I go in the studio, but nowadays it starts with recording, and I'm a producer, so I know how to record and mix my own sound. And that’s really important.

“I like players that challenge my thinking.”

DW: Who’s a personal inspiration to your creative evolution? One drummer and one non-drummer.

DJ: Vinnie Colaiuta is still one of my favorite drummers to this day. DJ Premier is another go-to for inspiration. He's one of my favorite producers from Gang Starr and J Dilla; somebody that gets me excited to be creative. You know, J Dilla, and God, of course. And Dilla has a lot of unreleased beats that I keep finding in projects. Another is Will Kennedy as a drummer—I like his approach to beats in Yellow Jackets. Stewart Copeland from The Police. I like players that challenge my thinking.

DW: What’s a song that you would never change a note of?

DJ: Oh, man. I got to think about that one. “Voices Inside My Head” by The Police.

DW: Is there a piece of advice that you frequently reflect on?

DJ: It’s never too late to start over. Go back to the basics.

DW: Any current upcoming projects you want to share? Tell the DW audience just what you're currently working on.

DJ: I've been working on my own music for the past few years, and I’m getting close to releasing it. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s going to showcase beats, instrumentals, and vocalists. Recently, I put out a single last year with Josh Dion, a drummer who plays in Paris Monster. Another group I collaborated with in Nashville is called Modern Inventors. We put out an alternative track, “Immeasurable Love.” I also recently performed on NPR Tiny Desk with De La Soul. Another project I want to plug is Daru & Rena, which is a project with my sister, Tamara aka TamaRena, from our Return of #Honey 2.0 2025 digital release.

Photo credits: Jake Rich, Kris Perry, Mark Ailee