Jon Joseph Waronker[1] (born 1968 or 1969)[2] is an American drummer who has performed with acts including Beck, R.E.M., Roger Waters, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, and Oasis. He was a member of Walt Mink, Ima Robot and Atoms for Peace, and is currently a member of Ultraísta.
Waronker was born in Los Angeles, California.[3] His father Lenny is the former head of Warner Bros. Records and DreamWorks Records.[4] His mother is actress and singer Donna Loren.[5] His parents are Jewish.[6][7] His sister Anna is a singer-songwriter,[4] and his grandfather was classical violinist Simon Waronker.[3]
Waronker began his career drumming for the alternative rock band Walt Mink, whom he joined in college. Starting in the 1990s, Waronker worked with Beck, R.E.M., the Smashing Pumpkins, and Richard Thompson.[8]
In 2009, Waronker joined Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco and Flea to play material from Yorke's album The Eraser, as well as other original pieces, for three dates in Los Angeles in October 2009.[9] The band, now named Atoms for Peace,[10] then played a brief tour of America in April 2010. Their full-length album Amok was released February 25, 2013, on XL Records. Waronker later contributed drums to the song "The Axe" from Yorke's third studio album, Anima.[11]
Waronker formed Ultraísta with Nigel Godrich and Laura Bettison, releasing their debut album in 2012. The same year, he appeared on Irish folk musician Malojian's 2017 album, Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home.[12]
Waronker played on Roger Waters' album Is This the Life We Really Want?(2017) and joined Waters' band during the Us + Them Tour. He contributed to Waters' Lockdown Session,[13] The Dark Side of the Moon Redux album[14] and performed on Waters' This Is Not a Drill tour (2022–2023).[15]
In 2023, producer Greg Kurstin enlisted Waronker to play drums on Liam Gallagher and John Squire's self-titled collaboration album, and Waronker also joined its subsequent tour.[16] In July 2025, Waronker became a touring member of Oasis on their 2025 tour,[17] with Liam Gallagher saying of Waronker: "He's the best and we're lucky to have him. I've enjoyed all our drummers but this guy is special."[16]
The 30-year-old drummer...returned to his hometown of Los Angeles...
Born in Los Angeles into a prominent musical family...
...his father, Lenny Waroniker, the former president of Warner Bros. Records, who now co-heads Dreamworks.
...Joey Waronker (whose mom, '60s pop star Donna Loren, is making a comeback...
...Lenny Waronker, who he really liked, his guys at Warner Brothers, were Jewish.
I tried to expose other beliefs to my children as well as the Jewish faith we inherited.