An Interview With Benny Fisher
A new single release from Benny Fisher brings out a classic rock aesthetic and hits all the sweet spots that you could possibly want from a track of its nature from the guitar tone to the floating vocals and ambient vibe, this track brings out the soundscape of '60s and early 70s rock music.
Lovers Rock boasts everything from classic keyboard sounds to a trippy and experimental psychedelic tonality that makes the aesthetic of the song pitch perfect to the point where you feel like this is the type of track you could have been listening to for decades now on the radio.
There's a wondrous and almost dreamy aspect to this track and that again has to do with that ambient undertone that breathes that extra life into the track and adds to the already glowing approach.
You can hear those influences from classic rock bands of the past feeding into this song and Benny has an amazing way of taking those influences and creating something that's refreshing but still keeps that vintage feeling.
A lot of this has to do with how the song was built, arranged, and mixed because there's actually a lot going on in the song from the guitars to the keys and vocals, there's a lush soundscape happening here and be able to mix that in a way that it still feels authentic is really a difficult thing to do.
The vocals are dreamy and the whole thing has an atmosphere of its own that lets you sort of get washed away with it but one of the things I like most is that it's a sort of escape in a way.
This track takes you out of your space and puts you into another one for a moment in time and when the song is over you have to shake it off a little bit just to come back to reality again and that is something I've missed in music for quite some time.
This was beautifully done and the performances are all sort of graceful in their own right.
The dynamic balance of the textures between the guitars, keys, vocals, bass, and drums are all a part of making this song sound the way it does and you can tell that there was a lot of time and attention to detail that went into this track but it never loses that sort of soul that it had in the first place.
Now, I love your average indie rock band and how they can be influenced by classic rock but this is different.
This is not a copy of a copy of a copy.
This is influenced by real genuine classic rock from the '60s and '70s and you can tell that just by listening to it.
It's something that sets it apart from the rest and makes it feel incredibly genuine.
This track boasts a ton of character and persona and when you listen to it you can almost see yourself back in the day with long hair lighting up a joint and kicking back to this song.
It is actually very catchy. It has a very pop-oriented style to it but it's also soft and subtle in its own way.
This had just the right balance of color and tone to be able to be pulled off with such perfection and I think that there's a lot more that goes into a song like this then people think right off the bat.
The songwriting is very strong and that hook and chorus end up floating around in your brain for hours after the song has ended and the only way to really satiate that is to play the song again which in my opinion is smart songwriting.
The track is accompanied by another called "London Town" which reaches into a little bit of a different area for the artist in terms of that rock approach as the song bears a more updated vibe per se and comes along with an amazing music video as well.
"London Town" also gives off a little bit more of a personal feel and the music video itself also brings up a little bit of nostalgia for me so it's very possible that for Benny, this was a big part of the song's creation.
This is clearly an absolute passion project and Benny has a brilliant way of letting this be a kind of love letter to his influences and rock music.
With such wonderfully woven singles we wanted to have a sit down with Benny Fisher to talk about how the song actually came to be and what might be coming up next for the project.
Here's what happened.
TSWS: How did this all start for you as an artist?
I had some piano lessons around the age of 10 and joined a 1960s-style mod band at school as a rhythm guitarist. I have two brothers and we are all music nuts. We are completely mad-for-it.
TSWS: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
It’s important to be in a good place mentally, to feel good and be open to inspiration. Then the songs come. Lockdowns were terrible for that, and I also had some money worries, so I very rarely picked up a guitar or sat down at the piano during those times. When things got better and the music started coming back into my head, it felt like starting afresh.
TSWS: Your new single Lovers Rock has some great approaches to it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
I was aiming for a snappy pop song with hooks. I listened to The Beatles Please Please Me for the first time in a long while, and I found Zombies At The BBC in the local library, which not only has incredible songs like Tell Her No, but also radio interviews with the band. It’s a pure joy.
One reviewer of Lovers Rock said it’s got a strong 1960s vibe, which made me happy. Others said it reminded them of Tame Impala, Flaming Lips, David Bowie and The Byrds. One of the nicest comments was: “This is one of those songs that, if you listen to it in a vulnerable moment, can send shivers down your spine.”
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I’m a journalist, so writing and talking to people. Having deep and stimulating conversations with my wife too. Family life. Cooking, cleaning, and taking our boy to football practice.
TSWS: Who's in your headphones right now?
American soul band Durand Jones & The Indications. I love all their records.
I sometimes get obsessed with one song that I play for months. Lose My Way by UK band Toy is one of these. A very cool Jesus & Mary Chain-style indie song with this amazing production – murky with fairground sounds.
Long Hot Summer by The Style Council. It actually sounds like a long hot summer. When you hear those bubbling synths, you can see the heat haze hovering over the road.
I Read A Lot by Nick Lowe, similarly, sounds exactly like what it’s about: loneliness. When that trumpet comes in half-way through… oh my goodness! The drollness and the wit of the words are what save the song from being unbearably sad.
2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) by Lizzo is a great pop song. When the chorus goes up and she hits those high notes, it really affects me. I dunno why, it brings tears to my eyes. So powerful.
TSWS: Are you doing any live performances right now?
Not right now, but I’d like other people to sing my songs. I pitched a couple (Chemistry; Teardrop Caravan) to Liam Gallagher’s management before his solo career took off. I told them I’d met him when I worked in the menswear department of Peter Jones on the Kings Road. I sold Liam a pair of really baggy trousers. They replied, but it didn’t go anywhere. I suppose it’s not the most professional way to go about it. I need a publisher. C’mon! Please listen to my back catalogue.
Teardrop Caravan is waiting for you, Liam. A dark, edgy, football hooligan theme with a soaraway chorus the size of Wembley.
TSWS: Do you record at a big studio, or do you have a home studio set-up?
I’m a bedroom musician, a balladeer of the boudoir and when I don’t have a microphone I sing into a hairbrush. I have an 8-track digital Tascam recorder, a Yamaha keyboard, a Martin acoustic, an AKG condenser mic and that’s it. I put the keyboard through guitar pedals. By modern standards, it’s very limited, but I think these limitations have helped me find a sound.
TSWS: Okay, let's move onto London Town! This track felt genuine and honest with this nostalgic undertone! How did this release come about?
Thanks. London Town is on my second album Find Another Sky. My friend Sergio Carlini plays some mesmerising lead guitar and there’s a video by Peter Spence, the award-winning filmmaker, who I went to school with.
Interestingly, Peter directed Christmas in Huddersfield, the story of a children’s party given by the Sex Pistols on Christmas Day 1977. Crucially, and this is typical of Peter’s gifts as a storyteller, his film does not focus on the band but on the people who attended the party as children.
I pitched London Town to Hollie Cook, the daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. See what I did there? I thought if she sang it, it would take the song into a whole new dimension. She replied and was very gracious but said she was concentrating on her own material.
I also sent it to the legendary dub producer The Mad Professor and asked if he’d remix it. He said yes. So, you know, if you don’t ask you don’t get. I was blown away by what he did with the song. You can hear both versions on Bandcamp.
TSWS: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
I’m having a run of singles – Try, Oh Yeah, Teenage Dream, Lovers Rock – so it’s really about keeping up the momentum and creating interest. I’m just gonna try and get better with each release.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thanks for your support and may all your lives be blessed with love and kindness.
