Can you believe that our beloved Ben Drysdale is only now releasing his DEBUT single? Since a mystical time known colloquially as 2004, the award-winning indie folk singer-songwriter treasure has been a musical mainstay of the Canberra and East Coast music scene, both as a solo performer and fronting a number of bands (Ben n Beth, East Row Rabble, Smitten to name a few).

On the cusp of 2024, and inspired by his trips to the Hawaii Song-writing Festival (where he recently won runner-up) Ben has distilled a lifetime of learning, experience, and talent into the career-defining If I Don’t Lie Down.

For you see, the song marks a new indie folk project under his own name and a turning point in a long and lustrous career. It is also a foot-stomping, vocal layered, tight two-and-a-bit minute exploration of motivation and purpose, encouraging the listener to overcome self-doubt, persist, and pursue their goals with vigour and passion.

Both wistful and determined in tone, its content is as much about entertaining and inspiring the listener as it is a clarion call to the man himself.

“It’s freakin’ hard pursuing your passions and battling the self-doubt and limiting beliefs that stop us from doing what we want,” Ben states. “There is struggle and exhaustion, and sometimes you just have to slap yourself in the face and go for a beach walk to get the motivation to keep going.”

Indeed, this message is reflected in the musicality of If I Don’t Lie Down, with the verse lyrics jumping back and forth between the notions of diving in or holding back, ultimately landing on the will to keep striving in the pre and chorus.

But let’s just pump the brakes there for a tick. There’s plenty more good stuff on Ben’s new song, direction, and joie de vivre, but let’s go back to the start, and see what set this whole crazy thing into motion.

“I’m not sure if there was a particular spark but I used to love listening to music on long car trips as a kid,” Ben recalls. “We’d crank Cat Stevens on trips to Broulee over Christmas, so I got a strong sense of how music could be a vehicle for inspiration and social change through that.”

This young interest soon turns to young love.

“I was obsessed with the karaoke machine at my after-school care at Aranda Primary,” Drysdale reveals. “One time, the boss of ‘afters’—who happened to be Canberra blues and roots legend Marji Curran of the same named Trio—dressed me up in her boyfriend’s leather jacket to sing Blue Suede Shoes for the school talent show.

“I came third. I think. It didn’t matter; I had a taste of the thrill of performing live on stage.”

In 2023, Ben continues to land podium spots, securing second place in the HSF’s prestigious songwriting competition with another song Listen Now to be released in January.

Ben could have kicked off his solo project with this award-winning composition; and what better start could you ask for than peer-recognised winner? But his heart was set on If I Don’t Lie Down to be his debut in order to mark the turning point in songwriting, music career, and life in general.

“It all came from my first trip to HSF in 2019, though it could apply to so many different experiences I’ve had,” Ben reveals.

“The lyric ‘If I don’t lie down I’ll be alright’ came first, perhaps with the beginnings of the melody. After working hard for three days we partied hard; a great time hanging out with fellow artists, songwriters and mentors.

“Suddenly, it’s 2 am; I have a 4:30 am bus to make my flight. I’m standing there, pretty tipsy, wondering what to do with myself. Sleep? Watch an episode of something?

“Hell no! If I do those, I’m passing out and missing that bus/ flight. So I said, ‘If I don’t lie down, I’ll be alright’.

“‘Hey! That’s a hook!’ I thought to myself. So, I jotted down some notes on other lyrics and headed back out the door for a beach walk. “When I got home, the song progressed into a metaphor for the whole experience.

“It remained unfinished until 2020 when I brought it to a co-write with someone in Portland I’d met through an online songwriting course. This song was a break from my usual writing style. I often start with chords, but with this song’s lyrics down, I had to work out what chords matched the melody in my head.

“The progression was a lot more complicated than I typically would have written if I’d started with chords.”

A complicated progression for a song about working our complications. For while his decades-long career boasts many triumphs, the inevitable tribulations have oft lurked nearby.

“Before I went to the 2019 HSF, I was in a really low place,” Ben reveals. “Over the prior two years, I had put a huge amount of effort into planning and promoting releases, tours, and festival appearances for East Row Rabble, and I didn’t feel any tangible growth, reach, or financial gain for any of us. I felt like packing it all in.”

Whilst somewhat doused, the songwriting fire within Ben still sputtered and burned.

“This being said, I got a grant to attend the HSF festival, and went knowing I had something to offer as a songwriter and singer. I played live as much as possible and did mentoring sessions seeking feedback on previously released songs or works-in-progress.

“The feedback re-inspired me,” Ben says. “Not because it was all positive. It gave me direction; showed me I had much to learn about songwriting whilst giving me networks and resources to begin that journey of improvement as an artist and songwriter.

The whole experience flipped my headspace and inspired me to back myself, do the work, and keep pursuing something that had been a dream of mine since I was a kid.”

With the fire not just stoked but ablaze, Ben quickly toiled in the new light offered.

“Since then, I’ve invested in myself through study, conferences, and networking events. And it’s paid off. My songwriting is substantially better. I’ve won international songwriting awards and had a few songs land placements on TV shows.”

A beautiful twist in this deeply personal exploration through music is how the term ‘solo’ is somewhat of a misnomer.

“Ironically, my songwriting process is a lot more collaborative now!” Ben says. “In previous bands, Smitten and East Row Rabble, I would write the songs, and the band would play and have creative input on the arrangement.

“Over seven years, three EPs, and a live album with Beth n Ben, there was actually only one song we wrote together,” Ben continues. “Usually, one of us would present a song and then we decided if it made it into the repertoire.

“As I focus more on being a solo artist, I collaborate with other songwriters,” Ben reveals. “Sometimes, for deeply personal things, the whole song pours out in a way that I’m 100% happy with. Mostly, I’m bringing an idea to collaborate with someone. Sometimes just a line or two, a concept for a verse or chorus, or it’s a song that seems finished but I know could be better.

“Collaboration is awesome!” Ben enthusiastically concludes. “It can half your work and double your potential.”

And the best collaboration of all, of course, is that between artist and their audience. This is where you come in!

“Come to the Canberra Irish Club to help me celebrate the release! It’s a free gig on the deck so how can ya go wrong!

“I have an album’s worth of songs ready to go, with more to record as soon as I can come up with cash. You can certainly expect more solo work. I’ll drop another song around my birthday at a Smith’s gig in late January, so stay tuned.

“Also, I’m keen to get the Rabble back in action. We’re down some horn players, though, so if anyone plays a tight trumpet or a blistering bone, hit me up.”

Ben Drysdale’s debut solo single If I Don’t Lie Down is on all streaming platforms from Friday, 15 December. The launch gig is at the Canberra Irish Club on Sunday, 17 December from 4pm – 6pm.

As it is a generously FREE event, I warmly recommend supporting dear Ben via his charmingly named Bennyboppers Patreon Community and Linktr.ee !