Ben Strange is a singer, songwriter and producer from the town of Malvern in the UK. The 24 year-old aspiring musician recently completed his studies in Music and Sound Recording at the University of York. Now, armed with the lessons he learned in and out the classroom, Ben has launched his career as a solo recording artist.
“Single Late Happy People” is the debut single from Ben Strange, released worldwide to all major streaming services on January 17, 2021. The song finds the singer ruminating on the passing of time and the ever changing dynamics of romantic love. At its core the track is a bit of acoustic Dark Pop Indie Folk. Ben and his guitar sit at the heart of the mix as he sings wistfully of a relationship that is coming to an end. He recalls the early days when things were less complicated, when he and his love daydreamed about their future together.
But that was then. Now they are saying goodbye as life and love have fallen to confusion. The lyric is packed with clever, poetic lines. He sings, “Loving you is like chasing steeples,” a reference to a steeplechase, which is a horse or foot race littered with manmade and natural obstacles. It’s smart stuff and infinitely relatable.
Musically, the track opens with the unadorned strum of Ben’s acoustic guitar. Shortly, the singer enters the mix along with the bass guitar and a light pad of ambient synths. As the song progresses into the chorus, additional layers of vocal harmony and ethereal keys broaden the horizon. It all comes to an emotional and musical crescendo in the bridge. Ben kicks on the distortion pedal as electronic percussive and melodic elements launch the sound into an entirely new headspace. In the end, he brings us back to where we started, to the quiet melancholy of a singer and his guitar. It’s a great sound, made all the more impressive by the artist’s stripped down recording process.
Recorded with nothing more than a laptop and an SM57, this track is a testament to the ability of modern musicians to make great-sounding records on a small budget.
Ben Strange
Listen to “Single Late Happy People,” below or on the Deep Indie Dive. Ben Strange’s second single “Lean On Me Baby” can be found on the new Deep Indie Songwriters playlist. Follow the links below to connect with the artist and get in the loop on all of his current and future projects.
Connect:
Ben Strange on the Deep Indie playlists
