Benji (Steam Down)

On Repeat: The Music Podcast

Welcome back to On Repeat!

This week we're speaking to Benji 'Chief' Appiah, one of the many artists involved in collective, Steam Down, though has also worked with artists from the UK jazz scene such as Nubya Garcia, Theon Cross and Ms Maurice. As a drummer, composer and teacher from south east London, Benji uses his drumming to express his Ghanian roots and the UK culture he grew up with.

For the uninitiated, Steam Down is an artist collective and jam night that started off by a group of multi-instrumentalists (AKA v.talented people!) in bar in Deptford (firstly Buster Mantis, later Matchstick Piehouse) to connect and collaborate, before quickly growing into one of the most in-demand parties on the UK jazz scene.

With a family vibe, the 8 piece band & rotating number of guests, have supported projects such as Sampa The Great on Jools Holland, headlined a Boiler Room Festival, and have played the likes of Glastonbury, Maiden Voyage, Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival, Love Supreme and Jazz Al Parque in Colombia. If that's not enough, Steam Down have won awards such as the Innovation Award and Live Experience of the Year Award featuring Kamasi Washington at the Jazz FM Awards 2019.

In this week’s episode, we’ll be speaking to Benji about work ethic in the music industry, how important it is to stay true to yourself as an artist, and meeting Thudercat on his birthday!

Show notes

Find out more about Steamdown via their website

Follow them on Instagram @Steamdown

Follow them on Facebook @Facebook

Follow the lovely Benji on Instagram @Benji_On_Drums

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