canciones me salen de una forma bastante orgánica. No pienso el estilo en que quiero hacer una canción: sale como quiere salir. Quizás la etiqueta que más me pega es la de ‘singer-songwriter’ (aunque no es un término muy de moda ahora mismo) porque al final es lo que soy: un compositor y cantante de canciones. El ambiente cálido que envuelve tus temas hace que parezcan animadas hasta cuando dices cosas tales como “Tírame al mar nena, es lo mejor para los dos”. ¿Se trata de quitar dramatismo a las cosas? Podría ser. Prefiero tratar temas dramáticos con toques de dulzura y humor en mis canciones. Así puedo dorar la píldora, o ‘sweeten the pill’ como diríamos en inglés. También es una manera de evitar el cliché: meter un poco de humor o surrealismo en mis letras me ayuda a hablar de algo típico (el amor y el desamor) de una manera diferente. Por último, diría que veo el mundo desde una perspectiva agridulce. Soy capaz de distinguir alegría en las situaciones tristes, y tristeza en las situaciones alegres. Una ruptura es obviamente dolorosa, pero también puede ser que, cuando haya pasado un poco de tiempo, las dos personas sean más felices por haberse separado. Creo que la metáfora del mar funciona en esta canción porque el océano es algo a la vez prometedor y peligroso: te puede llevar a nuevos horizontes o puedes hundirte en ello. En este sentido es un poco como separarse de una pareja.
Be Brave Benjamin, is that a motto or a personal reminder? When I started playing my songs live I was very shy, it was a big challenge for me to stand in front of the audience. In fact, the first time I played I had to do it giving my back to the public, I almost throw up due to the nervousness. Nevertheless, I love to compose songs and share them, so I decided to be brave and keep on playing on stage. I picked that name to help me be stronger and do what I wanted so much, so yes; we can call it a personal reminder. How did Barcelona snag you away from your homeland? At the beginning it was a girl (laughs), but then I fell in love with the city, its culture, energy and vitality. And its weather, I can’t deny. After a couple of years living here, I had met amazing people and built a life I loved. Have you or your music changed since you arrived to Barcelona? Before coming I had only made instrumental songs, with samplers, guitars and keyboards. It was in Barcelona that I began to sing. Maybe living in a different country gave me the freedom needed to take risks, despite not having a technically perfect voice. Or maybe it was feeling the sun on my face or hearing the birds sing in the morning. Mr. Precarious, the single, talks about someone that can’t find its place. After living in Cardiff and Barcelona, you moved to Mexico, do you think you have found your place or is that song autobiographical? Sometimes I feel like Mr. Precarious, like if everything in my life could collapse at any time; so we could say it is autobiographical. But I don’t feel like that all the time. Talking to people I’ve noticed I’m not the only one that suffers from time to time. Feeling insecure is pretty common, especially in these times. From our personal lives, our relationships, finances, health, physical and mental, to the global issues like the economy and environment, insecurity is felt everywhere, specially in the people that don’t have the security and faith that religion provides. Your music rumbles between pop, folk and country, how do you like to call it? It’s always hard to talk about my music in this way. The way I compose songs is very organic. I don’t think in which style I want to write the song: it comes out as it must. Maybe the label
Alas de mentira y de verdad, parejas que sólo se aman dormidos, leones y gacelas, dedos de madera, una salvadora con nombre de mujer... Explícanos un poco de qué y de quién habla este álbum. Pues hay canciones del amor, como Beard and Belly o My Saving Grace, que son bastante autobiográficas y hablan de una chica muy especial en mi vida. Luego, en Real Wings, Man or Mouse, Lion and Gazelle y Wooden Fingers exploro temas filosóficos o busco respuestas a problemas que me inquietan. En general, podría decir que en este disco hablo de mis pensamientos y de ideas, imágenes o situaciones que me inspiran. Finalmente, en la vida real, ¿dónde veremos actuar próximamente a Be Brave Benjamin? En un par de semanas presentaré el disco en mi ciudad natal de Cardiff en Gales, en la tienda de discos más antigua del mundo: Spillers Records. Luego volveré a México para grabar un EP. A finales de agosto me han invitado a tocar en un festival de Bogotá, Colombia que se llama Hermoso Ruido. En septiembre tomaré un descanso para poder trabajar en el siguiente disco. Ya he empezado a componer canciones, pero necesito dedicarles más tiempo. En realidad, componer es lo que más me gusta de todo el proceso, así que tengo ganas de estar solo con una guitarra y una libreta creando cosas nuevas.
that works for me the best is “singer-songwriter” (though is not a very fashionable term nowadays), because, at the end of the day, that’s what I am. The warmth that encloses your songs makes them sound cheerful, even when they say things like “Push me out to sea, baby, is the best thing for us both”. Is your music about taking the drama out of the situations? It could be. I rather sing about dramatic events with comedic and sweet apices. That way I can sweeten the pill. As well, it’s a way to avoid what’s cliché: having some humor and surrealism in my lyrics helps me talk about something common (love or heartbreak) in a different way. For last, I would say I see the world from a bittersweet perspective. I’m capable of distinguishing happiness in sad situations, and sadness in happy ones. A breakup is obviously painful, but it also could be that, after some time has passed, the two will be better off separately. I believe the sea metaphor works in this song because the ocean is at the same time promising and dangerous: it can take you to new horizons or you can drown in it. In that way is like breaking up with someone. Real and fake wings, couples that only love themselves asleep, lions and gazelles, a savior with a woman’s name… Explain to us apropos what and whom is this album about. There are love songs, like Beard and Belly or My Saving Grace, which are pretty autobiographical and talk about a special lady in my life. Then, in Real Wings, Man or Mouse, Lion and Gazelle and Wooden Fingers I explore philosophical subjects, or I seek an answer for diverse problems that concern me. In general, I could say that in this album I talk about my thoughts and ideas, images or situations that inspire me. Finally, will we see Be Brave Benjamin performing anytime soon? In a couple of weeks I’ll be presenting the album in my hometown, Cardiff, Wales, in the oldest record shop in the world: Spillers Records. Then I’m flying back to Mexico to record an EP. By the end of August I’ve been invited to a festival in Bogotá, Colombia, called Hermoso Ruido (Beautiful Noise). On September I’m taking a break to work on a new album. I already started writing some songs, but I need more time. Songwriting is what I like the most of this whole process, so I’m really looking forward being by myself with a guitar and a notepad creating new stuff.
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