Hackney, London-based singer-songwriter Benjamin David recently came out with his debut single, “Temporary Lovers”. Inspired by artists such as David Bowie, Prince, Kate Bush and Kendrick Lamar, the artist incorporates a number of styles/genres in his music. He blends rock, hip-hop, pop and ballad music in his latest release in a very tasteful way. Benjamin started recording 4-track demos at the age of 11 and grew up in a family of musicians. Having performed regularly in London clubs, the artist is known for telling stories through the voice of other-worldly characters.
The story of “Temporary Lovers” is about losing someone and moving on without them. Benjamin introduces the track with a piano melody over which he sings an emotive melody. As the title suggests, the song explores the sense of loss people who are living temporary lives feel. – “But you’re never there / I’ve gotta find my peace / With the changing tides / ‘Cause we’re temporary lovers”. In addition to electric guitars, percussions, and a soft bass, Benjamin is well-served by the vibrant instrumentation throughout the track, and his vocals remain a distinct highlight.
“If you come back to me / Then I’m gonna spend my life in love with you / ‘Cause love it never dies”
Benjamin’s debut release shows his audience his unique composition style that’s both fresh, and relatable. There’s no doubt that he’s an amazing songwriter, owing to the way he captures emotions so transparently through his intricately written lyrics.
“Temporary Lovers” is part of a series of singles created in collaboration with up-and-coming producers and video artists; the first from the collection.
- Interview
Q– What was the process behind releasing your debut single? What inspired you to do so?
It all started when the pandemic hit. I’d recently lost my father and I found myself writing ‘Temporary Lovers’. I wrote the song through my mother’s eyes and tried to empathise with her, to imagine what it would be like to lose a life partner. I like to write lyrics from another person’s perspective. It helps me to understand the world better.
I think there were two main driving forces that made me release ‘Temporary Lovers’ at this time. Firstly I wanted to put it out in the week of my father’s birthday. He would have been 72. Secondly, having seen COVID-19 send shockwaves through so many people’s lives, I wanted to release a song for all of us who have lost someone.
I think sorrowful songs are very important. They can act as a validation of feelings that we might otherwise bury, and they make us feel less alone.
Q– The emotive vocal performance in “Temporary Lovers” is very powerful and appealing. What would you like listeners to take away from the song?
The main message of the song, despite showing the unhappiness of loss in a raw way, is a positive one, revealed in the line “love it never dies”. It’s about the power of love and how it transcends everything, even life and death. I think a lot of life is about sitting with and wrestling with duality. I like my work to represent that and as a result, my songs are rarely just saying one thing.
Q– If you had the chance to perform with any artist in the world on an alternate version of the track, who would you choose and why?
I had to think quite hard about this one because there are so many artists I’d love to work with. I think a collaboration between Adele and ‘The Killing’ soundtrack composer Frans Bak would sound epic! I think Adele can really carry a mournful song whilst making you feel as if you could take on the world! Frans Bak creates these beautiful, dark and wintery soundscapes.
Incidentally, I took a lot of influence from Scandinavian film/TV music when I started arranging Temporary Lovers, partly inspired by my father’s love for travelling in Sweden. I even called the logic session ‘Temporary Lovers – Theme for a Scandinavian Noire’. The final song became something quite different, but that was where the idea started.
Q– “Temporary Lovers” is a very dynamic track with a great mix of instruments. When you write music, what comes first, the lyrics or the music?
I nearly always start with the music. I usually record a whole arrangement on my laptop and hum a vocal melody on top with nothing else decided except the main hook and the song title. Then I’ll put the mp3 on my phone and listen to it on repeat.
The lyrics take me a lot longer because I really want them to convey the right meaning. I care a lot about the lyrics, to the point where they sometimes drive me a bit mad!
Q– With an intense outro, the song becomes all the more energetic and exciting! Which artists inspired your songwriting style here?
Definitely Prince! He was amazing at making the music go through gearshifts. Just when you thought he’d said all that needed to be said he’d put the clutch down, shift up a gear and play a massive guitar solo. I love the ending on his song ‘Gold’ and I definitely had that blueprint in my head when I was working on the outro.
Listen to “Temporary Lovers” on Spotify!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
