Drumming Without a Map: Our Chat with Benjamin Shannon
There are interviews where you ask questions, get answers and say your thank yous. And then there are ones like this, where you're just hanging on for the ride and soaking in every last bit of insight.
We recently caught up with Benjamin Shannon, a boundary-pushing drummer, composer, conductor, educator and all-around musical workhorse. Based in Australia, Ben’s got a CV that stretches from PhD research to free improvisation on a clothes rack (seriously).
Beyond the Kit
Ben doesn’t sit still creatively. His drumming work with Drop Bear Lodge was our entry point - and their EP (released in February this year) is a banger if you haven't checked it out yet - but that barely scratches the surface.
He's also knee-deep in a PhD on conduction (that’s conducted improvisation - a fascinating, genre-breaking performance style pioneered by Butch Morris). If you’ve never heard of it, think less "orchestra with a baton" and more "fluid, gestural live composing in the moment." It’s wild. Ben's tutorial on it is well worth a watch if you want your creative brain shaken up a bit.
But it’s not all academia and deep thought. Ben still plays gigs where the stage is a football field and the setlist includes unison stickings with choreographed moves. And that kind of versatility doesn’t come from luck. It comes from grind.
Finding Your Voice
A big theme that came up in our interview was finding your own sound, not just on the drums, but as a creative human being. Ben talked about unlearning bad habits, learning to trust his musical voice and how years of dabbling in everything from prog to jazz metal to experimental film scores helped him piece together who he is today.
What stood out wasn’t just his playing; it was his attitude. Honest, thoughtful and slightly chaotic in the best way. He’s someone who isn’t chasing trends or trying to impress. He’s just doing the work and staying curious.
Drop Bear Lodge & Beyond
Speaking of doing the work, Drop Bear Lodge isn’t just another experimental band. It’s a collective of seriously committed musicians pushing each other to dig deeper. From odd-time grooves to microtonal riffs to full-on sonic chaos, there’s a real sense of joy and intensity in what they’re doing. It’s complex, but never pretentious. There’s room for humour (just check the album artwork) and moments of absolute groove, even when everything feels like it might fall off the rails.
Ben's solo section in "2323 Rumble of the Beast" is a perfect example. You can hear him holding on for dear life, riding the chaos, playing right on the edge - and absolutely loving it.
What Hit Us Hard
Here are a few of our favourite takeaways from the interview:
Technique serves the music (not the other way around). Ben’s all about playing what the moment calls for, not what looks cool on Instagram.
Let the music lead you – In his conduction work, he spoke about being in a feedback loop with the musicians. Sometimes the conductor leads. Sometimes the music does. There’s magic in that.
Community over ego – From conducting ensembles to local gigs to teaching first-year students, Ben’s all about connecting with others and growing together.
Creative freedom comes from discipline – You can’t get weird without a solid foundation. His journey proves that.
Check out the full interview on YouTube here.
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