# Cherisse Osei
**Cherisse Osei** (also credited as Cherisse Ofosu-Osei) is an English drummer, born in 1986 in London, best known as the drummer of the Scottish rock band [Simple Minds](https://www.edgepedia.org/simple-minds) and for earlier long-term work with Mika, Bryan Ferry, and [Paloma Faith](https://www.edgepedia.org/paloma-faith).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, London, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2063392/) |
| Current band | Simple Minds, joined in 2016 for the "acoustic phase" and full-time drummer from the Walk Between Worlds promotional tour[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/) |
| Early career | The Faders, an all-girl pop/punk/rock band signed to Polydor; two UK Top 20 singles and the album Plug In + Play released in Asia[3](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei) |
| Mika years | 2006–2012; played drums on "Blame It On The Girls", the second international single to reach number one on the Japan Hot 100 after Leona Lewis' 2008 hit "Bleeding Love"[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/) |
| Award | First place, Live Session Drummer category, Rhythm magazine and Music Radar polls, 2018[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/) |
| Screen and soundtrack work | Drums on the Black Widow (2021) soundtrack and season one of The Wheel of Time, both with composer Lorne Balfe[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2063392/) |
## Early life
Osei was given her first drum kit at the age of five, a pink [Mickey Mouse](https://www.edgepedia.org/mickey-mouse) set from her uncle, and was performing in bands by age 12, exposure she credits with introducing her to many genres[3](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei). By 17 she was signed to [Polydor Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/polydor-records) with The Faders[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/). She studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama from 2005 to 2007, completing Grade 8 with honors[5](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cherisseosei).
## The Faders and early sessions
From 2004 to 2006 Osei drummed for The Faders, an all-girl pop/punk/rock band signed to Polydor (Universal). The band released two singles that both charted in the UK Top 20 and recorded the album *Plug In + Play*, released in Asia. The Faders appeared on UK television shows including [Top of the Pops](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-of-the-pops), Popworld, CD:UK, and Saturday Showdown, appeared in two episodes of the American series [Veronica Mars](https://www.edgepedia.org/veronica-mars) in 2005, and supported [Kelly Clarkson](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-clarkson) on her 2006 UK and Ireland tour[3](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei). In 2006 Osei also toured with the Swedish pop/folk/country band Calaisa[3](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei), and in 2004 she recorded drums on *Zero Tolerance*, an album by former Venom guitarist Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn.
In 2008 she performed at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games in the [National Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-stadium), playing a piece commissioned from composer Philip Sheppard before a reported television audience of 1.5 billion viewers[3](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei).
## Mika, Bryan Ferry, and Paloma Faith
From 2006 to 2012 Osei played and toured extensively with Mika, whose debut *Life in Cartoon Motion* went to number one in the UK and whose single "Grace Kelly" sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. Osei played drums on "Blame It On The Girls" and appeared with Mika on American shows including [Good Morning America](https://www.edgepedia.org/good-morning-america), The Tonight Show with [Jay Leno](https://www.edgepedia.org/jay-leno), Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Show with [David Letterman](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-letterman), and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and at festivals including South by Southwest, Coachella, Fuji Rock, Glastonbury, and V[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/).
From 2012 to 2015 she played drums with [Bryan Ferry](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryan-ferry), recording on his album *Avonmore* (released November 2014), touring the UK including the [Royal Albert Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-albert-hall) in 2013, touring America in 2014 with an appearance at Coachella, and headlining [Glastonbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/glastonbury) with Ferry[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/). Between 2012 and 2014 she also played live across the UK with Paloma Faith, appearing on Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Faith's album *A Perfect Contradiction* (2014), on whose supporting cycle Osei played, was certified double platinum[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/).
## Simple Minds
Osei joined Simple Minds in 2016 during the band's "acoustic phase", recording the album *Simple Minds Acoustic* and touring it. She played on three tracks of the 2018 album *Walk Between Worlds* and became the band's full-time drummer for its promotional tour, which launched in Glasgow and included the band's first North American shows in five years; The Guardian described the band as sounding "less blokey" and "modern and impressively energised"[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/). MusicBrainz records her Simple Minds membership as beginning in 2017[6](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f41490ce-fe39-435d-86c0-ab5ce098b423/relationships). She has since drummed on the band's releases including *Direction of the Heart* (2022)[7](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cherisse-osei-mn0001092552).
Her role demands more than acoustic drumming. Simple Minds' back catalog spans twenty-one albums, and her live setup combines a British Drum Company kit with six external pads, a separate kick trigger, three acoustic triggers, and Ableton software, from which she starts and stops drum loops and feeds delay cues to the rest of the band[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/). For songs such as "Waterfront" she triggers snare samples taken from the original albums, blended by the front-of-house engineer with her acoustic drums[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/). She has described succeeding the powerful hitter Mel Gaynor: at about five foot two she compensates for the difference in physical strength with technique developed over months of work with her teacher Mike Dolbear[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/).
## Other work
In 2019 Osei joined [Kelly Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-jones) on his third solo tour, first performing with him on 1 June at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, in a stripped-back set drawing on Stereophonics hits and Jones's solo material[2](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/). Her recorded credits include drums on Lorne Balfe's soundtrack for *Black Widow* (2021) and on the first season of the Amazon series *The Wheel of Time*, and she has expressed an interest in expanding her film and television recording work[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/) • [7](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cherisse-osei-mn0001092552). Apple Music lists a 2025 solo single, *Rhythm Sessions 002*, with three tracks[8](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cherisse-osei/141119668).
She has played Tama drums for around twenty years before switching to the British Drum Company, whose kit she uses with Simple Minds; her setup includes a 20 x 18" bass drum, rack and floor toms, a 20 x 14" gong drum, and custom maple and aluminum snare drums[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/) • [9](https://www.britishdrumco.com/artists/cherrise-osei).
## Teaching
Osei has taught drums for about eight years, offering lessons and masterclasses at universities and colleges, and she still takes lessons herself with Mike Dolbear[4](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/). She also offers online lessons, remote drum recording, and masterclasses through her website[10](https://www.tama.com/usa/news/news_file/file/Online_Artist_Services_200410_2.pdf).
## References
1. [Cherisse Osei, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2063392/)
2. [About, cherisseosei.com](https://www.cherisseosei.com/about/)
3. [Artist biography: Cherisse Osei, Drummerszone](https://drummerszone.com/artists/profile/6095/cherisse-osei)
4. [Cherisse Osei – Interview, Drummer's Review (29 May 2024)](https://drummersreview.com/interviews/cherisse-osei-interview/)
5. [Cherisse Osei, LinkedIn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cherisseosei)
6. [Simple Minds – Relationships, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f41490ce-fe39-435d-86c0-ab5ce098b423/relationships)
7. [Cherisse Osei – Biography, Discography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cherisse-osei-mn0001092552)
8. [Cherisse Osei, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cherisse-osei/141119668)
9. [Cherisse Osei, British Drum Co. artist page](https://www.britishdrumco.com/artists/cherrise-osei)
10. [Online Artist Services, Tama](https://www.tama.com/usa/news/news_file/file/Online_Artist_Services_200410_2.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Post-punk and new wave*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license