JJ Wallace: Finding Your Own Sound

From playing drums on his dad’s head at the age of two to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, JJ Wallace has packed an extraordinary amount into his career.

Now an established name in the pop and R&B world, Wallace has performed everywhere from Ronnie Scott’s and church services to stadium shows, and currently works with Jorja Smith. Yet despite the variety of environments, his approach remains remarkably consistent.

“I don’t really see any of it any different,” he explains. “As long as I have my desk, which is my drums, and I don’t necessarily mean physically my own drums, but a drum set in front of me, the environment doesn’t necessarily really matter.”

That musical adaptability stems from a remarkably broad background. Wallace grew up playing gospel and jazz, while also developing an appreciation for classical music and learning piano. That relationship with the keyboard has subsequently changed the way he approaches the drums.

“I’m now thinking about if I was a keyboardist, what would I not want the drummer to play or would I want the drummer to play,” he says. “Sometimes I’m now playing more as if I was maybe a producer in the room rather than just a drummer.”

It is an approach that has also changed the way he thinks about technique. When Wallace takes to the stage at The UK Drum Show this year, where he will appear in Mike Dolbear’s Masterclass Room, he plans to explore something beyond simply demonstrating chops.

“I use silence a lot,” he explains. “The chops are cool, but actually there’s a big punch in sometimes dropping out at odd points.”

For Wallace, knowing when not to play is just as important as knowing what to play. He makes a distinction between playing to music and playing with musicians, with the latter requiring the discipline to sometimes sacrifice an idea because it serves the bigger musical picture.

That philosophy is also central to the advice he gives younger drummers. Having won Young Drummer of the Year in 2018, Wallace knows what it is like to have other players looking at his journey for inspiration. His message is simple: don’t become a copy.

“When you find a sound that suits you, hone in on that,” he says. “You don’t have to change up your playing because somebody else plays and it sounds great when they play, but that’s not your sound.”

It is advice that clearly reflects his own journey. His first tour was with Celeste, after she happened to hear him playing on a night out and connected with his sound.

For a drummer whose career continues to move between genres, venues and stages, perhaps that is the biggest lesson of all: technical ability may open doors, but developing a sound that is uniquely yours gives people a reason to remember you.

JJ Wallace will be performing at 1:30pm on Sunday 25th October in Mike Dolbear’s Masterclass room at The UK Drum Show. Get your tickets HERE.