The brain child of Australian singer, songwriter, and producer Ben Beamish, sleepy benjamin is getting ready to wrap up a truly explosive debut year. Boasting a sound that’s inspired by the likes of FINNEAS, CXLOE, NoMBe, RY X and Labrinth, the young talent is methodically starting to make waves, exploring themes of mental health while pushing precious values such as kindness, self-belief and a strong work ethic.
sleepy benjamin’s songwriting style is quirky and engaging, while his productions are laced with organic embellishments and earthy sounds, making for an auditory result that’s hard to forget. Following his debut single “Tunnel Vision,” as well as collaborations with the likes of Devincy, DSML, DEON, and Tomatow, sleepy benjamin is only going up at this point. We had the chance to sit down with the talented artist and find out more about his creative process, his future plans and more.
Hey sleepy benjamin! Where are you right now and how are you feeling today?
Hey! I’m great thanks, currently coming to you from my home studio in Toowoomba Australia, however I’ll be in Brisbane tonight to catch my friend Airports’ headline show. I’m feeling pumped!
You are a seasoned artist and industry professional, with years and years of experience under your belt. What made you decide to start releasing music as sleepy benjamin this year?
Wow, thank you for lovely words. This year I wanted to take full creative autonomy of a project that I felt really represented and encapsulated me as an artist – which isn’t something I don’t thing I’ve fully done before. I wanted to create a vessel that would allow me to write without constraints and also share my personal experiences, including mental health struggles, in the hope that it might help some people with similar experiences.
What fuels your creative output? How does a typical songwriting session look like for you?
Inspiration can strike from anywhere to be honest. Usually a lot of song ideas come to me late at night, around 1-3am, since I’m a bit of a night owl. In terms of writing with other people, the beauty of collaboration is that there really are no rules. Normally these days I’ll start with a concept, then move to a chord progression and slowly start simultaneously assembling lyrics and melodies over the top. But sometimes someone will already have a strong vision in mind and my job is to just to fill in the blanks! Everyone’s process is always a little different and for me the main joy of in-person sessions is that you never know what’s going to happen!
We heard that you have a new single coming out in November. Are there any details you could reveal to us about that?
The song was written for my now fiancé and is incredibly special to us. Out of all the songs I’ve written, this one definitely signifies the most important chapter of my life so far.
Who is your favorite artist right now?
Hands down Labrinth. Everything he touches becomes gold in my opinion.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would that be?
Oh boy, I think myself and most artists could probably write an extensive essay on things that would be nice to change about the music industry. The main one that comes to mind at the moment is how content-driven the industry is. Everything hinges on volume and quantity and a song’s shelf life has never been shorter. This can be pretty challenging, especially when the advice given to artists by labels and executives is usually just: do more. Make more. Always more. The only other thing I’m prepared to say is that I’ve never been a fan of Monopolies; companies that have all the power and control and essentially gate-keep the discovery of up-and-comers and emerging artists. There’s still a lot of that around at the moment but we’ve been moving in the right direction over the last few years and I think are on the right path!
What are your long term plans for the sleepy benjamin project moving into 2023 and beyond?
I’m looking forward to getting some shows happening! I’d very much like to visit Asia in 2023, especially Japan. In the mean time, there will hopefully be a local show or 2 on the near horizon. Beyond that, more writing with more incredibly talented artists who I can learn from and grow with!
