Following on from the praise and success of his previous singles 'You've Lost Me Before' and 'Talking ‘Bout Roses', songwriting troubadour Benedict now returns with his latest heartfelt release 'When We Were Young'.
Described as "the story of two decades of processing a traumatic incident the singer experienced at age 17", 'When We Were Young' immediately sets itself as a deeply personal offering. With its rich and complex story, matched with sweeping piano tones and the frontman's own delicate vocals, this new gem looks to be one of his more engaging and passionate offerings to date.
So with the new single doing the rounds, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Must have been guitar. Although I never fell in love with it entirely. I must have been the obvious choice to make when you’re a kid. I think when I started playing in a band the instrument I really fell in love with must have been the bass. The function in the band, it’s sound, the guy that actually played it helped a lot with that image too. Great bass player. Great guy. Great sound. Great everything.
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
Inspiration... is a kind of a ... I don’t know. I can’t really appeal to the word. Or maybe I do but I want to say is... my songwriting is or was very autobiographical. All songs you hear on the album are things I have experienced in my own life. I get inspired by the ventilator that stands on the chair in front of me right now. I mean, you gotta do the work. Sit down, start writing and see what happens, most of the time its shit, sometimes it’s good. But you have to do the work.
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
Alternative rock. The first CD I bought was Guns n Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. I don’t think I really knew what I bought when I bought it... but listening to it I thought it was hooked. After that I rolled in to these bands like Faith No More, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers, R.E.M. and PULP. Loved it. A lot of guitars basically. I mostly found myself through these compilation albums you had in that time... yeah. Good times.
Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?
I never had the goal of making a life in music. It grew along the way. I don’t think I took it that serious at first. I saw it more as something I really really wanted to do, a dream... like “one day I’ll write my own album”. While doing it you meet so many people and you learn so much that... well. Now I’m here.
When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
None. I like it to be quiet in the morning. Actually I like it to be quiet all day. In the morning I have a coffee crawl behind my piano, improvise a little, or play some songs and go to work.
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
Haha. Uhm. Don’t know actually.. A lot I think. The album is autobiographical. There are many people involved in the stories I sing and tell. Most of them really exist. Some of them are just a dream.
What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?
I think the most memorable moment in my career is, because it’s so short, I just started so... it must be my career.. I feel like I’m just at the beginning. Of course I have some great memories but that's all.... I just started, you know. If I had to pick one it must have been the moment the curtains opened up in the theatre the night of the album release.
Outside of music, what is your biggest passion?
I don’t really like the word passion. When you’re involved in something that means so much to you that it soaks up your whole life I think it is much more than a passion. A passion is something you do next to the thing you do, I think. Like horse riding or painting. To me writing music and songs and getting better in all the things you do is beyond a passion. So for me there’s not really a second place. O wait, film. It must be film, haha. If I had to pick one it must be film. Go and check the ‘When We Were Young’ video.
If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?
Theatre. Acting, dancing, singing in theatre.
And what advice would you give to other musicians looking to start a career in music?
Always be polite. Make yourself happy. Define success for yourself. Work hard. Choose adventure and always keep moving forward, don’t give a f*** about what anyone thinks, do what you have to do for you. That last one I learned from Johnny Depp.. thanks Johnny.
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Benedict's new single 'When We Were Young' is available to stream and download now. Check out the new video for it in the player below.