Mike Joyce - The Drums: A Times Book of the Year 2025 [Paperback]

Discover the long overdue reflection on life inside one of music's most influential groups from the perspective of their legendary drummer, Mike Joyce. This honest and witty memoir offers a unique, human insight into the feeling of being a member of The Smiths, moving beyond the well-documented iconic moments.

Mike Joyce, the last member of The Smiths to release an autobiography, shares his no-holds-barred story of playing the drums for the band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1987. Throughout his reflections, he explores the question he and bassist Andy Rourke often shared: ‘Where did it all go right?’

• A Times, Resident and Rough Trade Book of the Year
• Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize 2026
• Praised by the Guardian as 'A warm and engaging memoir'
• Described as 'A beautifully told odyssey' by the Daily Express

The Smiths achieved massive success, with all four of their studio albums reaching the top five in the UK charts, cementing their status as one of the most influential groups of all time. Mike Joyce provides the perspective of the self-confessed biggest Smiths fan in the world who started as a drummer from the suburbs of Fallowfield.

• Author: Mike Joyce
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Print Length: 320 pages
• Publication Date: June 18, 2026
• ISBN-10: 1917923279
• ISBN-13: 978-1917923279
• Dimensions: 13.1 x 2.5 x 19.6 cm
• Weight: 230 g

This deeply human and entertaining memoir is the perspective Smiths fans have been waiting for, conveying exactly what it felt like to be part of the band.