Joey Waronker

Jon Joseph Waronker(born May 20, 1969) is an Americandrummerandmusic producer.He has performed with acts includingBeck,R.E.M.andRoger Waters,and is a member of the experimental rock bandsAtoms for PeaceandUltraísta.

Joey Waronker
Waronker in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Jon Joseph Waronker
Born	(1969-05-20)May 20, 1969
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Rock and roll,pop,indie rock
Occupation(s)	Drummer,songwriter,producer
Instrument(s)	Drums,percussion
Years active	1989–present
Member of	Ultraísta Roger Waters
Formerly of	Ima Robot Atoms for Peace

Background

Waronker was born inLos Angeles,the son of producerLenny Waronkerand actress and musicianDonna Loren.He has two sisters (one being musicianAnna Waronker) and two half-sisters. His grandfather was classical violinistSimon Waronker,namesake for the "Simon" character in theAlvin and the Chipmunksfranchise.Joey was a student ofFreddie Gruber.

Drumming career

Walt Mink

Waronker's first professional project was the alternative rock bandWalt Mink,which he helped form while attendingMacalester CollegeinSt. Paul, Minnesota,in 1989. The band's name was taken from that of a former psychology professor at Macalester.He played on their first two albums,Miss Happiness(1992) andBareback Ride(1993).

Beck

Left-handedWaronker first became well known in the late 1990s for his work withBeck(onOdelay,Mutations,Midnite Vultures,Sea Change,Guero,Modern Guilt,andMorning Phase). He continues to tour and record periodically with Beck.

Elliott Smith

In 1998, Waronker played drums on two songs ( "Bled White" and "Bottle Up and Explode!" ) onElliott Smith'sXOalbum. He also appeared on "Stupidity Tries" on Smith's next release, 2000'sFigure 8.

R.E.M.

In October 1997, R.E.M.'s drummerBill Berryleft the band in pursuit of a quieter life. Seven months later, as R.E.M. rehearsed inAthens, Georgia,for a tour in support of that year'sUpalbum, Waronker entered the band and toured with them in support of the tour. His first performance with R.E.M. was inWashington, D.C.,at theTibetan Freedom ConcertatRFK Stadium.

Between 1998 and 2002, Waronker toured with R.E.M. and appeared on two albums, 1998'sUpand 2001'sReveal.

Roger Waters

Waronker played drums onRoger Waters' albumIs This the Life We Really Want?(2017) and joined Waters' band during theUs + Them Tour.He contributed to Waters' Lockdown Session,The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux albumand performed on Waters'This Is Not a Drilltour (2022–2023).

Other work

Waronker has played on a wide range of albums since beginning his professional career in the mid-1990s. Highlights include recordings with Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Johnny Cash, Norah Jones, Yoko Ono, Pink, Leonard Cohen, Dwight Yoakam, Thurston Moore, Daniel Johnston, Doobie Brothers, Bat For Lashes, Pete Yorn, AIR, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard Thompson, Gnarls Barkley, Jeff Martin's Idaho, Brett Dennon, Benji Hughes, Tracy Chapman, Leona Ness, Sia, John Doe, Five For Fighting, Nelly Furtado, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Lisa Marie Presley, Willie DeVille, The Vines, Badly Drawn Boy, Rufus Wainwright, R.L. Burnside and Ima Robot.

Some of his drumming can be instantly recognized onThe Vines' "Get Free",Smashing Pumpkins' "Perfect",Beck's "Chemtrails" andAir's "Photograph", among others.

He has produced numerous acts, most notably "Tamer Animals" and "Rituals" fromOther Lives,as well as albums forYeasayer,Priscilla Ahn,Lisa Germano,Eels,Carole Facal,andthe Moth & the Flame.

In 2009, Waronker joinedThom Yorke,Nigel Godrich,Mauro RefoscoandFleato play material from Yorke's albumThe Eraser,as well as other original pieces, for three dates in Los Angeles in October 2009.The band, now namedAtoms for Peace,then played a brief tour of America in April 2010. Their full-length albumAmokwas released February 25, 2013, on XL Records. Waronker later contributed drums to the song "The Axe" from Yorke's third studio album,Anima.

He currently plays drums with his band,Ultraísta,formed with bandmates Nigel Godrich andLaura Bettison.Their debut album was released on Temporary Residence on October 2, 2012. A remix single of their song "Smalltalk" was released September 18, 2012, onGhostly International.He performed on six tracks onBrandon Flowers'The Desired Effect,which reached number one in the United Kingdom.

Waronker plays on Irish folk musician Malojian's2017 album, "Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home."

Waronker also played on three songs fromthe Who's albumWho,released in December 2019.

Soundtrack work

In 1996, Waronker scoredMiguel Arteta's movieStar Maps,followed byChuck & Buckin 2000 andThe Good Girlin 2002. He has also scored several documentary movies forAMC,including 2002'sLost in La Mancha.Other Waronker compositions have appeared in the dramaAlias,the sit-comMalcolm in the Middleand on FOX Sports.

His drumming performances have appeared in a number of scores, includingMan on the Moon(1999),Badly Drawn Boy'sAbout a Boysoundtrack (2002),Collateral(2004),Dawn of the Dead(2004), andWalking Tall(2004).

Collaborations

• Let It Rain–Tracy Chapman(2002)
• Folklore–Nelly Furtado(2003)
• Chariot–Gavin DeGraw(2003)
• Melancolista–Adam Cohen(2004)
• Chaos and Creation in the Backyard–Paul McCartney(2005)
• Fires–Nerina Pallot(2005)
• How the Mighty Fall–Mark Owen(2005)
• Wreck of the Day–Anna Nalick(2005)
• What's Left of Me–Nick Lachey(2006)
• Loose–Nelly Furtado(2006)
• Two Lights (album)–Five for Fighting(2006)
• The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard–Rickie Lee Jones(2007)
• Our Bright Future–Tracy Chapman(2008)
• The Fall–Norah Jones(2009)
• IRM–Charlotte Gainsbourg(2009)
• ...Little Broken Hearts–Norah Jones(2012)
• AMOK–Atoms for Peace(2013)
• Melody Road–Neil Diamond(2014)
• The Desired Effect–Brandon Flowers(2015)
• Is This the Life We Really Want?–Roger Waters(2017)
• American Utopia–David Byrne(2018)
• Home, Before and After–Regina Spektor(2022)
• The Lockdown Sessions–Roger Waters(2023)
• The Dark Side of the Moon Redux–Roger Waters(2023)
• Liam Gallagher John Squire–Liam GallagherandJohn Squire(2024)