Brooklyn-based drummer, percussionist, producer and composer Shai Wetzer has spent more than two decades exploring the connections between musical cultures. A Berklee College of Music alumnus, his career has taken him across five continents, including twenty years performing alongside Israeli rock icon Danny Sanderson. Now stepping forward as a bandleader and composer, Wetzer is bringing those experiences together through an ambitious two-volume project.
His latest single ‘You Can Hear It Your Own Way’, featuring vocalist Yuli Beeri, serves as the title-track from his new album 'You Can Hear It Your Own Way, Vol. 2'. Blending hypnotic indie textures with world fusion, the song offers a gentle response to an increasingly divided world, encouraging listeners to move beyond labels and embrace their own interpretations.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Drums
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Early Genesis, Selling England by the Pound. Pink Floyd, Any Jazz: Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, Pat Metheney.
What was the first album you remember owning?
ACDC: For Those About to Rock We Salute You
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Billie Jean
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
My process for creating new music usually starts with the decision to commit to a whole new project. I usually begin by giving the project a working title—something flexible that can always change later. From there, it’s all about showing up. I go to the studio every day and experiment, approaching it with the discipline of opening a shop each morning. Whether I make a sale that day or not, consistency is what keeps the door open.
Who are your favorite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
At home on vinyl; Paul McCartney, McCartney; Radiohead, Ok Computer; Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun. When I’m biking, whatever Spotify chooses for me from my first selection.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If I'm thinking about artists my music closely aligns with, opening for Salif Keita, Beirut, or Tinariwen would be a dream. But if we're talking absolute bucket-list dream shows, it would have to be Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Connection, Bridge differences.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The real frustration comes after the music is finished—navigating everything it takes to actually get it out there and heard in today's crowded space.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
As a drummer, someone once told me, 'If you can't hear the singer, you're playing too loud.' It taught me that listening is just as important as playing. Consistency is key, but you must keep your ears open—otherwise, you can easily be consistently wrong.
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Shai Wetzer's new single 'You Can Hear It Your Own Way' is out now. Check it out in the player below.