aaamusic | On 27, Jan 2011

Site favourite Benjamin Francis Leftwich is just about to head out on tour so before we lose him to the big time we decided to catch up for a chat.

AAAMusic: Hiya Ben, last year was pretty hectic for you; how would you describe it?

Benjamin Francis Leftwich: Last year was amazing. It all got really intense really quickly but I had a great time touring and playing shows. It was cool to finally release the record and get to see lots of new places!

AAAMusic: Can you tell our readers a little about how you got to this point?

BFL: I guess I don’t really know. I signed to Dirty Hit half way through 2010 and I made and released the record in a really D.I.Y organic way and it had a great response…

AAAMusic: You have been compared to Iron & Wine and Jose Gonzalez; Are these references that you find complimentary and do you think they are accurate?

BFL: It’s always nice to be compared to great artists but I really feel that I have my own thing going on. I think because of the acoustic guitar focus on my records I get compared to other singer/songwriters a lot. It’s great but sometimes I find the comparisons a bit random!

AAAMusic: Do you still get a buzz hearing people like Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe playing your songs?

BFL: It’s always cool when one of my songs comes on the radio. I don’t think that feeling of “what the hell am I doing on the radio!?!” will ever get old.

AAAMusic: You’ve got a long tour schedule coming up; is touring something that you enjoy?

BFL: I love touring, it’s always nice to see new places and meet new people. I love the chilled lifestyle and vibe of being on the road.

AAAMusic: What can fans expect from a live show that they won’t get from your album?

BFL: I guess I always play my songs differently depending on the mood of a show. Sometimes I feel like playing a song really softly and other times I want to give it a bit more. My friends, The Sorry Kisses are coming on my February/March U.K tour with me so I’m looking forward to playing some of my songs with them and a bit more of an arrangement.

AAAMusic: Your last EP received rave reviews, how is ‘Pictures’ coming along?

BFL: It’s gone down really well so far which is great. We’ve had some good radio play, the first play being when Zane Lowe made it his ‘hottest Record in the World’, and the video is something I am very proud of. I’m looking forward to releasing it!

AAAMusic: How was working with Ian Grimble?

BFL: Ian is an amazing producer. It’s always a pleasure working with him, he never lets me slip up or be lazy. It’s cool to have someone who cares so much about music working on a record with me and he always has great creative ideas in the studio.

AAAMusic: Do you have any plans for a full length soon?

BFL: Yeah, I’m releasing my first full length album in the summer.

AAAMusic: Are you looking forward to going to American and how do you think your shows there will differ from those that you have played already?

BFL: It will be amazing to go to America. I think the shows will be great. In a way I think it will be cool to be so far from home and so far out of my comfort zone. I think it will give me a real sense of freshness and creative freedom. It’s going to be a lot of fun…

AAAMusic: Are there any artists you find particularly interesting at the moment?

BFL: I really love Arcade Fire, I love all their albums and I think The Suburbs is great. I also loved the new National record. There’s a great acoustic artist from Ireland called Foy Vance as well who is amazing, he’s been around for years and has a pretty big underground following. His songs are really great.

AAAMusic: What are you most looking forward to about this year?

BFL: I’m really looking forward to releasing the new E.P and the album and generally really excited to keep playing shows and writing more…

It should be a great year…

Catch Ben on his UK tour:

Tuesday 8th Feb – HMV Next Big Thing @ Upstairs at The Garage, London
Wednesday 23rd Feb – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Thursday 24th Feb – An Outlet, Manchester
Friday 25th Feb – The Arches, Glasgow
Saturday 26th Feb – Eden Court, Inverness
Sunday 27th Feb – The Cluny, Newcastle
Monday 28th Feb – The Duchess, York
Tuesday 1st March – Fruit, Hull
Wednesday 2nd March – TheYardbird Jazz Café, Birmingham
Thursday 3rd March – Bodega, Nottingham
Friday 4th March – Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
Saturday 5th March – The Louisiana, Bristol
Monday 7th March – The Albert,  Brighton
Tuesday 8th March – Joiners, Southampton
Wednesday 9th March – Jericho Tavern, Oxford
Thursday 10th March – Borderline, London
Friday 11th March – Marquee, Norwich
Saturday 12th March – Cornerhouse, Cambridge
Monday March 14th – Academy 2, Dublin

Author: Josie Payne