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QUESTIONS WANTED! BEN HOWARD (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-15 13:35:10
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

We’re interviewing the awesome Ben Howard tomorrow - if you want to ask him any questions about how he makes his music then head over to Discord and fire away! If you’re not on Discord ask away in the comments below!

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Comments

Christian Herald

Hi John (and team), aside from Jon Richardson on 6Music, you're the warmest voice that's been on radio in my memory, so thanks for what you do in your various radio-esque endeavors. Jamie T episode was great. Ben is a lovely man (if one chooses to seem him for it), his sometimes-difficult nature or atmosphere, more of late than in past, appreciable in light of what his voice reveals, an integrity and measured-innocence, sometimes defensiveness/shyness/agitation, stemming from some degree of vulnerability, hurt, the odd bit of drifting. "Are You Ready" is really some great poetry. Ben's voice is very important, the words, the tonal qualities, it's expression (to be heard at the forefront of the track, not lost in the mix) and his voice is a gift from his existence to benefit the world, to be had on recordings through every stage of his still young life, but amid Ben's struggle to evolve/cope with the pressures of the public lens during his quick rise to prominence (and audiences that wanted more of the same "Keep Your Head Up" drivel, no room to grow as an artist), his shy/quiet drift back towards the recesses of the arrangements threatens to sacrifice something humanity can never recover once Ben dies one day; his voice. I know the music is expressive itself, but voice is so important. Does Ben understand we need his voice in full effect, not lost in the background of every track? When he is gone one day, we need to be able to hear on tape the full expression of his life and voice throughout the years. How does Ben reconcile the expressiveness we can only get from his voice, that no other man can provide what he can, and what will become lost to time if not spoken at the forefront; how does he reconcile that against elements of his persona and nature that are pulling him somewhat into the shadows of the arrangements? Edit: sorry to be carrying on about this, but: it is critical that Ben understand the question isn't simply about the vocal balance of the mix, but about what elements of character and expression, what musical and storytelling tools are put to use when and how, against what emotional force/artistic undercurrent of the moment. This, in light, critically, of the time sensitive opportunites of, well, human life, opportunity cost. He can't tell, through music, the same story of his life right now at 36, after some years have past. He won't be able to speak of the now, when he is 70 in the same manner (some skills will be gained, some intensity lost), so what of the story gets lost if he fails to speak now. In light of rising dementia, etc, the story might even become lost to him, those close to him. There may be things he might want to say now but be emotionally distanced from publically expressing, but this music is his record of life, for all of us, but also for himself, and he should be pressed to bring his voice to the forefront, made aware/affirmed of the value of his voice and life, before the emotion is lost. Make sure Ben knows, it's not about the lyrics, it's about if you believe him (if you, the listener believe, through the integrity of voice, that he believes himself; any man and a guitar). I believe Ben, for the qualities of his voice, they speak apart from the words themselves, they endear him to me, against any currents of life. As a radio man, and a voice that becomes a part of our homes and most quiet moments of life, John Kennedy will know, voice tells us everything, and while some can fake it for a moment, honesty can still generally be discerned if you're listening carefully to the voice, and we can't afford to lose that signal in the noise, or let a good man lose his own voice under the weight of the onlooking world.

Christian Herald

Also, if you could, there was a clip of him in a German/French TV show many years back, the godless narrator of the programme hadn't the sense to understand that when Ben is playing something, you don't speak over it (as it may be the only clip of it that ever comes to exist). There was a song, or some rumblings of a song, "Maybe you were right. Things are better without you, darling, brand new dawn..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAQyNwl_8B8 It won't fit with his current mood of musical expression, but if you could perhaps find out more about this, it would be a treat. Damn that narrator. Someone somewhere does have software that could perhaps do wonders with this clip.

Samuel

soo cool! I really would like to know how his songwriting process is. Is it different than it was? How much improvisation is involved, is it all just written on guitar or also computer/DAWs? To me it sounds sometimes like very good jams where every bandmember has possibilities to play as they like (especially Noonday Dream Album). Does he write with them together? Also where and how does he get inspiration? What’s according to him the perfect state of mind to work on music… looking forward to hear/see this episode✌🏽