On May 17, Sting’s drummer Zach Jones gave an energetic performance with his band Zach Jones and the Tricky Bits at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village.
Although he is most highly regarded for his great drumming and being able to create perfect drum parts, Zach is also a gifted singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, when fronting his own band, steps up to center.
On that night, that drummer was Jack Hoffman. Like Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Jones is a drummer’s drummer who only will bring in the highest quality drum talent on a gig.
I interviewed Zach about his continued work with the Tricky Bits and about his plans on the musical horizon for the rest 2024. Here is what he said.
Let’s talk about Zach Jones and the Tricky Bits “Rendezvous with a Comet.” What inspired that title?
The title is from Scientific American Magazine. My friend Chris K was a subscriber. There were always copies laying around the house, and I would just flip through and see titles of articles that I just thought sounded cool. And so I wrote down a bunch of them and one of them was Rendezvous with a Comet and another was Are You a Hologram?
Why should a new artist make a full album rather than producing and releasing singles which are greatly more popular?
That’s a great question. I think if that’s what you want to do, you should do it.
I think in terms of if you want to talk business or what makes sense. On that side, I think vinyl sales are a thing again. So if you have an LP, then you have a vinyl record to sell to people. I don’t think people buy 45s.
I think also music publications want to review albums. They don’t want to review EP singles or whatever, but I think maybe now more than ever, it’s just kind of the wild west. I made the Plastic Soul album because I wanted to make a full length.
That was really the only reason. I could have split that up into a couple EPs. I could have released singles, but I really wanted to make at least one full length record and that made me write a few songs that I maybe wouldn’t have written.
What’s the best advice you would give a young, talented musician who wants to break into the scene and make a living playing music?
For me, this whole thing is about community. So, learn how to play with other people, find joy in playing with other people, play in a way that other people like to play with you. I think social media sort of encourages solo performance and the way that people play by themselves is not the way that people play in a group.
Just start hanging out with musicians, go to see musicians who excite you, be around them and maybe they’ll ask you to sit in one night. It’s really only worth pursuing the kind of stuff that you really want to. So find the people who are doing that.
Whether it’s in person or online or whatever, everything that’s happened to me that’s been good or exciting in my career is a result of making music with people I like and care about, and making the music that really means something to me.
How have song decisions for The Bitter End show been predicated on you playing guitar and being the frontman?
Well, first of all, the first gig that you saw is the first time I’ve ever played drums on a show. And that was just to sort of try it out and see. I play drums on all the records, but normally I like to be up front and we tried it that first night.
I realized, ”Yes, I do like to be up front.” I find it a lot easier to connect with the audience. And I also feel like I can just focus on singing and performing. It feels easier to me than having to kind of hold down the whole thing.
I don’t have a hard time singing while I play drums, but I do have a hard time being a front man while I play drums, if that makes sense.
So what are your plans for Tricky Bits for the rest of 2024?
One of my goals is to finally start writing some new tunes, do some recording. You know, I need to get back in it. Being on tour just kind of put all that to the side for me.
It’s hard for me to write and be creative in that way when I’m on the road. I definitely want to make some new stuff and we’ll be back at The Bitter End with Stephen (Salcedo) before the end of the year.
Zach Jones: Sting’s Drummer Brings his Own Brand of Power Pop to the Bitter End
Watch this full interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radjet