It hasn’t taken long for Melbourne based singer songwriter Ben Abraham to capture the attention and hearts of music lovers across the country following on from the release of his truly stunning 2014 LP Sirens.
Ben’s honest songwriting and disarming stage presence has seen him grow in the last two years from a well-kept hometown secret into an independent artist with a passionate international following.
To celebrate the launch of the EP, Abraham is gearing up to perform his biggest show yet at Melbourne’s iconic Athenaeum Theatre this Saturday the 11th of July with support from Wafia. Ahead of his launch, we caught up with the incredibly talented muso to get to know him a little better. If you like what you hear be sure to check out Ben on Saturday for more info visit www.benabraham.com.au.
The Beginning
It’s hard to know where to start because I feel like so much has happened in my time as a musician. Do I give context about how my parents were Indonesian pop stars in the 70s and thus music was a big part of my upbringing? Do I tell you about the church music they raised me and my siblings on (and had us singing in matching clothes)?
Do I talk about the big turning point that came during my screenwriting studies, when I got a day job entertaining kids in hospital and ended up writing a song with a troubled teenage girl? I mention these because somehow it’s all tied in with why I make music and ultimately who I have learned I am as an artist.
In a nutshell – I finished school wanting to be a film maker and then at 22 I picked up a guitar and started writing songs. Somehow 8 years later I’ve independently produced and released an album, toured with Emmylou Harris, co-written with Sara Bareilles, worked in the studio with Gotye and shaken hands with Quincy Jones (that last one had nothing to do with my music but it happened so I’m throwing it in because it sounds impressive).
Key Influences
As a writer I’d say guys like Cat Stevens and Randy Newman. As a singer I would say Donny Hathaway, Thom Yorke and Georgia Fields. As an artist I would say Sufjan, Kate Bush and Chris Thile. As a kid I would say Disney songs and Chicago (band not musical). Because Peter Cetera.
Playing Melbourne’s Iconic Athenaeum Theatre
Well first off it’s a really beautiful space and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in a theatre. But also specifically for this show, I am going to be playing my full album in sequence and I wanted to do that in a setting that would augment the experience.
I’ve always thought musicians need to be considered about the spaces we play in and the impact they have on how the music is received (David Byrne says some really interesting stuff on this in the opening chapter of his book How Music Works). I would love to tell you that I could rock out the Corner but the truth is the last thing you want to do with my songs is stand and hold a beer while I play them for an hour.
[include_post id=”444337″]I do actually think that the best setting to hear this album performed is in a big old theatre. I guess the Athenaeum is a scale of venue that is a little above my pay grade in terms of what I’ve done until now. But then I also think as artists sometimes it’s about fighting to put our work in the places where we feel it deserves to be.
I’m producing the show myself along with some friends of mine, and it’s proving to be a pretty exhausting challenge. The big question hanging over it all is ‘obviously will people come?’ I guess we’ll find out haha.
I really see an opportunity to create an immersive experience with the music – more than you might have in a pub or bar-based music venue. I’m talking with friends about getting some simple staging ideas and maybe even a kind of costume I might wear. I just love this idea that I can bring people into the universe of my music in a more intimate way because they’ll be sitting down in a dark space.
The point calls to mind an old film lecturer who used to go on about how cinema is like a giant, communal womb – somehow that feels relevant. You’re welcome for that visual by the way.
‘Sirens’ – The Album 7 Years In The Making
The songs on the album span a time ranging from my earliest days through to the days of recording, which was a period of about seven years. In terms of writing, I tend to write as a reaction – which means every song can be tied to a specific story or experience.
Because of this, the album kind of became this documentary of my evolution as a writer both thematically and stylistically. That’s the through-line and the songs are arranged chronologically (except for one track) because I thought it made an interesting narrative. It’s also why I want to play it in sequence for the show.
It was recorded over two years with Melbourne producers Jono Steer (who produced Ainslie Wills’ flawless debut ‘You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine’) and percussionist Leigh Fisher and we did most of the tracking at Sing Sing or in Jono’s garage. I was pretty lucky to have this assembly of amazing friends work on the record including Gotye, Gossling, Tim Shiel, Ryan Meeking, Lawrence Folvig, oh and Sara Bareilles ha.
It felt like a real family thing and watching Jono and Leigh work has been one of the most important musical experiences of my life. Those guys are incredible.
On Growing As An Independent Artist
The confidence that I’ve found through independence has been definitive for my career.
I don’t write songs that are especially trendy so I think from an industry perspective, I’ve always been, as one guy put it, “hard to place”. Some of that is speculation I suppose but I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve had from these gatekeeper types who tell me “you’re doing great work but we just don’t know if it’s something we can really get involved with”.
Those conversations started happening pretty early on so I just decided I was going to have to find another way ‘in’. This attitude has meant some pretty unconventional career moves (the video to Sara Bareilles being one of them) but it’s also brought an understanding that there really is no set model for building a career in this industry.
And there’s an amazing community that has gathered as a result of this. Doing it myself has meant relying on the kindness of friends and strangers and has taught me to value and seek out genuine relationships with the people I work with – from my fellow musicians through to the guys running the venue or reviewing the show.
It’s also forced me to rely on my audience and I have been pretty blown away by just how supportive they are. I seem to have amassed this crazy mob who are better described as advocates than fans and it’s very validating. When my album came out – to all the fanfare of an Instagram, Twitter and Facebook post – it hit the #1 spot on the Aussie alternative iTunes chart (and 15 on the overall albums chart #PR) and then stayed in the top 10 for a week.
Of course that stuff is pretty meaningless in the scheme of things, but for that week I got to see just how much support there was out there for what I’m doing. Given I had just blindly fumbled my way through 7 years of trying to establish a music career, it was a pretty nice confirmation that I had done something right.
Making independent art in Australia is really challenging – and only getting harder with the present political climate. I’m happy to fiercely fly that flag if only to show people that it can be done.
Upcoming Athenaeum Show
Saturday July 11th
The Athenaeum Theatre
188, Collins St Melborune
w/ Wafia
Tickets and info at www.benabraham.com.au
