Seb Rochford

British musician

Sebastian Rochford is a British drummer and composer. He has recorded and released music as leader of the British band Polar Bear, as Kutcha Butcha and as part of numerous collaborations.

Rochford was born in Aberdeen and has a large family of two brothers and seven sisters. He is of English and Anglo Indian descent. His father, Gerard Rochford, was a poet. Rochford's first performances were with a punk band called Cabbage in Aberdeen. Rochford also played drums for Acoustic Ladyland, Basquiat Strings, Oriole, Menlo Park, Ingrid Laubrock Quintet, Bojan Zulfikarpasic's Tetraband, and was a founding member of Sons of Kemet. He has worked extensively with Joanna MacGregor and Andy Sheppard, led the band Fulborn Teversham and has an improvising duo with Leafcutter John. He also performs as a solo project under the name Room of Katinas. His new band Pulled By Magnets made its debut in London in late 2018. The band sees Rochford reunited with frequent collaborator saxophonist Pete Wareham as well as bassist Neil Charles. Pulled By Magnets released their debut album Rose Golden Doorways in 2020. January 2023 saw the release of a duo album with pianist Kit Downes. Entitled A Short Diary, the record was released on ECM and is dedicated to Rochford's father, the poet Gerard Rochford. In an interview with ECM, Sebastian described the album as "“short diary (of loss)” and “a sonic memory, created with love, out of need for comfort.”

In 2006, Rochford collaborated with Gwyneth Herbert in a production role for her album Between Me and the Wardrobe. He played drums on Adele's Mercury nominated album 19. He has drummed for Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles, performing on their eponymous debut single, and has continued to make guest appearances with them. He also played on the debut solo album by Carl Barât, Doherty's bandmate from Libertines. In 2008, he drummed on the David Byrne and Brian Eno album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, and rejoined Eno and Rick Holland for their album Drums Between the Bells. He produced and co wrote a four track EP with UK hip hop MC Mikill Pane, The Guinness & Blackcurrant EP, which was released independently in 2011. He played with Brett Anderson on Later Live With Jools Holland on 1 November 2011. In 2014, Rochford played on Paolo Nutini's album Caustic Love and since 2015 he has toured with Patti Smith (alongside Tony Shanahan and Smith's son Jackson). He has also worked with Corrine Bailey Rae, Herbie Hancock and American theremin player Pamelia Kurstin. In 2019 he co composed the music the Chris Morris film The Day Shall Come and in 2020 he played with Charles Hazlewood's Paraorchestra with Brett Anderson and Nadine Shah for a BBC TV broadcast. In 2021 Rochford undertook a four month residency at London venue Servant Jazz Quarters, playing solo sets and as well as collaborations with Lara Jones, Jason Singh, Theon Cross, Shirley Tetteh and Neil Charles. In 2021/22, Rochford toured with Damon Albarn in support of his solo album The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows.

In 2012, Rochford engaged in a 12 month digital 'singles club' under the name Days and Nights at the Takeaway, a reference to his studio in North London. Each single consisted of a collaboration in a variety of styles and was backed by a remix by a third party. Collaborators included Jehst, Spoek Mathambo, Jason Moran, Soumik Datta, Leo Abrahams, Drew McConnell, Brian Eno and Oliver Coates. Remixers included Micachu, Pete Wareham, Tom Skinner, Simon Bookish and Chris Sharkey. The series was released by The Leaf Label.

Rochford won the BBC Jazz Award for best newcomer in 2004, and was nominated for best musician in 2006. He was also nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005, 2007, 2014 and 2018, the nominations including Polar Bear's Held on The Tips of Fingers and In Each and Every One plus the self titled debut album by Basquiat Strings.