Benjamin Francis Leftwich Interview - October 2011
by Jodie Humphries
Benjamin Francis Leftwich wasn’t worried before his gig in Bristol; he knew that people were going to be there, and that had left him very much at ease before the show. As I left Ben after doing the interview in fact, people were waiting outside the doors of the Fleece well before they opened, which shows that people were eager to get a glimpse of the artist up close and personal while they still can. Chatting to Live-Music-Scene after he finished sound checking, Ben was relaxed as he showed me to the backstage area of the Fleece, even apologising for the mess as he offered me a drink from the fridge.
Sitting down, I ask Ben how the tour has been so far; “Great thanks, the shows have been good and people have been turning up – I’ve been enjoying it. It’s been a long old one, but it’s been cool. I tour with friends, my sound guy and the guy that does the merch – we’re all really good mates, so there’s quite a family vibe.” As well as taking his friends out on the road with him, Ben says “I’ve got a couple of lucky charms and stuff, but nothing too serious. I’ve got a couple of necklaces and stuff like that.”
Chatting about being on stage, Ben says he doesn’t get nervous; “Not nervous no, I just always want to play to the best of my ability you know.” While if Ben could share the stage with anyone, it would be “Bruce Springsteen – he’s a big influence, I love the way he writes – he’s an amazing songwriter,” he tells me. “He’s the one person I think I’d actually be star struck by.” It would be Bruce Springfield he would share a stage with, but if he could play any venue in the world, Ben would choose to play “Sydney Opera House.”
On the subject of life on the road, Ben says he sometime writes; “It’s kind of hard to write on the road because you’re tired and it’s not always the right time, but I do write a bit.” Talking of writing, Ben says, “I haven’t really thought about the next album, but it will be a continuous process.” Along the way, Ben meets many people and visits many places; “Sometime I pick things up, like I got a necklace in Edinburgh, and I tend to buy nice clothes if they’re specific to a place. Nothing too serious, but if I see something I like I’ll pick it up,” Ben says when I ask him if he picks up any momentos on his travels. Despite the hectic days, Ben does try and get out and see the cities he plays. “I saw Edinburgh for the first time the other day and that was amazing – I usually try and see places.” And when it comes to fans, Ben has ended up with a few gifts that lets say are on the other side of bizarre. “I’ve been given sandwiches that are made to look like hands, I’ve been given lollypops with scorpion eggs inside them – yeah I’ve been given that sort of stuff – it’s pretty weird.”
The release of ‘Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm’ – Ben’s debut album saw the singer songwriter thrust further into the public eye and receive many rave reviews. On the subject of the album and the responses received, Ben says, “I was really pleased, it did better than I expected, so I’m over the moon. I’m really proud of the record. We spent a lot of time recording it, and some of the songs cover a four year span; it was a really nice moment when it finally came out.” Asking Ben what he would do if we wasn’t making music, he says, “I don’t know – working in a music venue. I like being involved in music.”
Random fact time involved a bit of a debate between Ben and myself as I couldn’t believe what he tells me: “There was a time when I became addicted to pickled eggs – they’re really good.” It was at this point that I was that shocked that ben asks me “Do you not like them?” as I reply no, Ben says, “No one likes them, it’s so weird.” Ben goes on to tell me that you can get addicted to them, despite my disbelieve.
At the this point, I don’t want to hold Ben up too long, so I finish off asking him how he wants his career to progress. “For me, I just want to keep writing and keep recording; keep playing live and touring. If it gets bigger, then great, but I’m really happy doing what I’m doing at the moment. I am really ambitious and want to keep pushing myself and playing bigger shows and keep writing.” Ben was a lovely guy to chat too and I even had the pleasure of hearing him sound check; although it was Vicky that went along to do the live review of Benjamin Francis Leftwich.
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