Homer Steinweiss (born March 25, 1982) is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer known as a prominent drummer in the New York soul revival scene. He is a founding member and drummer of groups including Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Lee Fields & the Expressions, Hardly Knew Ya, El Michels Affair, and Dan Auerbach's the Arcs, among many others. He leads the Brooklyn folk soul band Holy Hive with Paul Spring. A popular session musician as part of the Dap-Kings and in his own right, he is perhaps best known for his work with Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, with whom he recorded the 2006 album Back to Black.
Early life Steinweiss was born into a musical family in New York City. His parents worked in the jewelry business and were supportive of his interest in music. He began playing music in the early 1990s after watching a conga player in the jazz band at his sister's Manhattan high school. When his conga teacher became unavailable he switched to drums. Steinweiss was initially interested in grunge but an early drum teacher, Matt Patuto, guided him to the music of James Brown and the Meters.
In 2001, Steinweiss entered college at SUNY Purchase to study philosophy, though he already had an active musical career.
Career Steinweiss' career took off when he was only 16 after the Mighty Imperials released their first record, Thunder Chicken. The Mighty Imperials included Steinweiss on drums, bassist Nick Movshon, multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels (later founder of Truth and Soul Records), and singer Joseph Henry.
The Mighty Imperials' raw funk and soul sounds morphed into many collaborations including Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, Fabulous Three, Menahan Street Band, the Arcs, and others. In 2006, British producer Mark Ronson heard Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and asked the band to play a session with the then-unknown Amy Winehouse. These sessions became her album Back to Black.
Steinweiss has recorded and toured with artists such as Amy Winehouse, the Arcs, St. Vincent, Foreigner, the Kills, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, and others.
Personal life Steinweiss is an illustrator and dog lover, a foodie and occasionally blogs about the food he finds.
Discography Adapted from AllMusic.
As band member With the Mighty Imperials Thunder Chicken (2001)
With Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2002) Naturally (2005) 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007) I Learned the Hard Way (2010) Give the People What They Want (2014) It's a Holiday Soul Party (2015) Soul of a Woman (2017)
With Lee Fields & the Expressions Problems (2002) My World (2009) Faithful Man (2012) Emma Jean (2014) Special Night (2016) It Rains Love (2019) Big Crown Vaults Vol. 1 (2020)
With El Michels Affair Sounding Out the City (2005) The PJs... From Afar (with Raekwon) (2006) Walk On By (A Tribute to Isaac Hayes) EP (2009) Enter the 37th Chamber (2010) Loose Change EP (2014) Return to the 37th Chamber (2016) Adult Themes (2020) Clover (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (as the Diamond Mine) Yeti Season (2021)
With Menahan Street Band Make the Road by Walking (2008) The Crossing (2012) No Time for Dreaming (2011) (with Charles Bradley) Victim of Love (2013) (with Charles Bradley) Changes (2016) (with Charles Bradley) Black Velvet (2018) (with Charles Bradley) The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band (2021)
With the Fabulous Three The Best of the Fabulous Three (2014)
With the Arcs Yours, Dreamily, (2015) The Arcs vs. the Inventors Vol. I EP (2015)
With the Olympians The Olympians (2016)
With Holy Hive Day Break (2017) Harping EP (2017) Float Back to You (2019)
As producer The Like – Release Me (2010) (additional producer, 3 tracks) (produced by Mark Ronson) Diane Birch – Speak a Little Louder (2013) Paul Spring – Towards a Center (2015) Monika – Secret in the Dark (2015) Mail the Horse – Planet Gates (2015) Max Shrager – Thoughts of You (2016) Erika Spring – Scars (2018) Doug Shorts – Casual Encounter EP (2019) (produced with Frank Dukes)
As sideman Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006) (produced by Mark Ronson) Mark Ronson – Version (2007) (produced by Mark Ronson) Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens – What Have You Done, My Brother? (2009) Daniel Merriweather – Love & War (2009) Aloe Blacc – Good Things (2010) Mark Ronson – Record Collection (2010) (produced by Mark Ronson) Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7 – Seahorse and the Storyteller (2010) Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game (2012) (produced by Mark Ronson) Saun & Starr – Look Closer (2015) Texas – Texas 25 (2015) Geoff Zanelli & Mark Ronson – Mortdecai (Music from the Motion Picture) (2015) The Frightnrs – "Gonna Make Time" from Nothing More to Say (2016) Lady Wray – Queen Alone (2016) Como Mamas – Move Upstairs (2017) The Sha La Das – Love in the Wind (2018) (as the Menahan Street Band) Grace Lightman – Silver Eater (2019) Hanni El Khatib – Flight (2020) Michael Leonhart & JSWISS – Bona Fide (2022)
Credits Drumming credits Credits as a session musician. + List of tracks credited as the drummer, with details Title Year Artist AlbumPrimary producer "Rehab" 2006 Amy Winehouse Back to BlackMark Ronson"You Know I'm No Good""Back to Black""Love Is a Losing Game""Wake Up Alone""He Can Only Hold Her""You Know I'm No Good" (Remix featuring Ghostface Killah)"Do You Feel Me"2007Anthony HamiltonAmerican Gangster OSTHank Shocklee"Smile (Version Revisited)"Lily AllenAlright, Still Mark Ronson"Valerie" (feat. Amy Winehouse)Mark RonsonVersion"Apply Some Pressure" (feat. Paul Smith)"The Only One I Know" (feat. Robbie Williams)"Fried Chicken" (feat. Busta Rhymes)2008NasNas"6 O'Clock Blues"SolangeSol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams"Patches"The Saturday KnightsMingleDaptone"Standing in the Rain"Al GreenLay It DownQuestlove"The Real Thing"2009Bebel GilbertoAll in One Daptone"The Slitter"Stone Cash PlayersThe Slitter / Necking"Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings)Michael BubléCrazy LoveBob Rock/Daptone"Some Kind of Wonderful" (bonus track)"Hollywood" (bonus track)"Fool For You Anyway"2010ForeignerCan't Slow Down"Our Love Is Fading"Sheryl Crow100 Miles from Memphis"Eye to Eye" (feat. Keith Richards)"Summer Day""Peaceful Feeling""Georgia"CeeLo GreenThe Lady Killer"It's My Party"Quincy JonesQ Soul Bossa Nostra "Rave On"2011Julian CasablancasRave on Buddy HollyMatt Sweeny"Well All Right"Kid Rock"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2011)"Amy WinehouseLioness: Hidden TreasuresMark Ronson"Valerie ('68 Version)""Locked Out of Heaven"Bruno MarsUnorthodox JukeboxSpecific tracks TBD2013Michael BubléTo Be Loved Bob Rock"Ghost"Ella HendersonTo Be LovedRyan Tedder"Bohemio"2014PeliriojaInjusticia"Se Equivoco""Te Wa' Tumbar""Ciudad de Nadie""Ingrata Conclusion""Rattlesnake"St. VincentSt. Vincent"Prince Johnny""Huey Newton""Digital Witness""I Prefer Your Love""Every Tear Disappears""Pieta" (bonus track)2015"Sparrow" (bonus track)"Heart Of Stone"Mario BiondiBeyond SpecialDap-Kings"Who To Blame"Emile HaynieWe Fall "Feel Right" (featuring Mystikal)Mark RonsonUptown SpecialMark Ronson"I Can't Lose" (featuring Keyone Starr)"In Case of Fire" (featuring Jeff Bhasker)"Lay Me Down" (bonus track)Adele25"Trust In Me"2016Scarlett JohanssonThe Jungle Book Original Soundtrack"Perm"Bruno Mars24k Magic"Only Love"Andra DayCheers to the Fall"My Trigger"Miike SnowIIIAndrew Wyatt, et al."Genghis Khan""Lonely Life""Longshot (7 Nights)""Doing It To Death"The KillsAsh & Ice "Heart Of A Dog""Bitter Fruit""Siberian Nights""Black Tar""Whirling Eye""Telepathy" (feat. Nile Rodgers)Christina AguileraThe Get Down (Original Soundtrack)"This Ain't No Fairy Tale"Justice Smith"Set Me Free" (feat. Nile Rodgers)Herizen Guardiola"Up The Ladder"Herizen Guardiola & Justice Smith"Zeke's Poem (I Am The One)"Justice Smith"Sinner's Prayer"Lady GagaJoanneMark Ronson"Hey Girl""Just Another Day""Standing In The Rain"Action Bronson, Mark Ronson & Dan AuerbachSuicide Squad (The Album)"Price Of Fame" (also producer)2017Paloma FaithThe ArchitectHomer Steinweiss"What's The Word"Joe FoxWhat's The Word / Night WalkingLeon Michels"Στάλα"Monika Στάλα"Flight 22"2018Kali UchisIsolation"Killer"Wayne Gordon"Facing East"79.5PredictionsLeon Michels"Predictions""Fantasy""Summer" The CartersEverything is Love Leon Michels, et al."The Arctic Circle"Michael Leonhart OrchestraThe Painted Lady Suite"The Internet" (also producer)Jon BellionGlory Sound Prep"Mah's Joint" (featuring Quincy Jones)"Glimmer"2019Liam GallagherWhy Me? Why Not.Andrew Wyatt"Late Night Prelude"Mark RonsonLate Night FeelingsMark Ronson"Late Night Feelings" (featuring Lykke Li)"Find U Again" (featuring Camila Cabello)"Pieces of Us" (featuring King Princess)"Knock Knock Knock" (featuring Yebba)"When U Went Away" (featuring Yebba)"Why Hide" (featuring Diana Gordon)"Cipralex"Jack Peñate After You"The Way That You Feel"Leif VollebekkNew Ways"Wait A While""Someone To Someone" (feat. The Sha La Das)Paul & The Tall TreesSo LongLeon Michels, Thomas Brenneck"Ask Me""These Walls"The Brand New HeaviesTBNHMark Ronson"Sucker" Jonas BrothersHappiness Begins"First""Treat People With Kindness"Harry StylesFine LineJeff Bhasker"Runaway" (feat. Homer Steinweiss)2020Sylvan EssoFree Love"Bad Karma" (feat. Joan Jett)Miley CyrusPlastic HeartsMark Ronson"Never Be Me""Paper Thin" (also producer)Lianne La HavasLianne La Havas"Future Nostalgia"Dua LipaFuture NostalgiaJeff Bhasker"Sunblind"Fleet FoxesShore"Jara""Maestranza""Young Man's Game""Smokin Out the Window"2021Silk SonicAn Evening with Silk Sonic
As sampled artist The earthy, retro grooves of the Menahan Street Band have been sampled by many artists including Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. El Michels Affair grooves have also been sampled by many artists including Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, Isaac Hayes, and others. Credits include:
Eminem – "Groundhog Day" from The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) Ludacris – "Not Long" from Ludaversal (2015) Travis Scott – "Antidote" from Rodeo (2015)
Film soundtrack Song Year Album Co-artist(s) "Grandma Calls the Boy Bad News"2025F1 the AlbumRachel Keen, Mark Ronson, Christopher Braun, Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Victor Axelrod
References