If you’re looking for which artist is going to be the talk of the town before too long, look no further than Benjamin Steer! Benjamin Steer has just released his EP Figuring It Out, which showed us, clear as day, that we were looking at an artist who is going to have a long and prosperous career! We were lucky enough to chat with Benjamin all about the EP and so much more!
Stream Figuring It Out here!
Hello Benjamin! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, how would you describe your music to someone who is tuning in for the first time?
It’s a pleasure, thank you! I would say my music is sort of a soundtrack to confusion in your 20s, a soundtrack to love, to heartbreak, and to figuring things out. I’d like to think it’s pretty cinematic but has some energy in it too!
Figuring It Out is your debut EP! What feelings accumulate as you get ready to put your first collection of songs out?
It is weird. I always feel a bit of anxiety before release days, but then as soon as the project is out, the anxiety disappears. I don’t hold emotional attachment to the songs once they are out. It then becomes a case of how many people can get their ears on it. But certainly, I am really proud of these songs. I feel like it sort of marks the end of my first chapter in the music world. I feel like each song serves a different purpose; the whole thing feels pretty dynamic.
You described this record as “a hopeless romantic’s dream and downfall.” What is one lyric throughout the project that best represents the dream aspect, and on the other hand, what lyric would you say best represents the downfall?
I think the dreamer line is definitely the chorus of ‘No One Wants To Die Alone,’ “Live Big Love Fast and not Die Alone.” It is sort of the payoff line in a song that lyrically is frustrated in many senses, and encapsulates the sort of desire of the EP. There are many downfall lines in the EP, so I’ll give you three: ‘Oh Darling,’ “Many nights I try to find you in other eyes… Am I blind to all that makes you you?” ’5%,’ “It’s the 5% that is in the spotlight and the 95 that hides behind my eyes – So I’ll keep it out of mind and out of sight.” ‘Sweat Off Our History,’ “I’ll thread the needle between who I am and what you want from me.” I think all of these lines sort of summarize the pressure that you have to appear complete and confident and put together… But in reality, you are still figuring things out – trying to find a purpose. And you often hide these insecurities and fears in actions and facades that are not favorable to yourself – just to appease others or numb yourself to vulnerability.
As we are writing this, the EP is officially out! What has the reaction to the record been like over the last few days? How are you feeling post-release?
Honestly, I think it went as well as I had hoped. I think these things take a journey themselves when they are out. I think hopefully it has legs to continue to connect with people and make an impact. People have been so supportive and kind, and I feel very unworthy. I always say this, and it is very cliche, but I am just a dude who writes about life and love in his bedroom, so it’s surreal that it is connecting so well!
When you released ‘No One Wants To Die Alone’ last year, did you already know this track was going to be everyone’s first taste of this EP? Or was it added in as the creation of the EP went forward?
No Idea. ‘NOWTDA’ always felt special. It was the first song that I wrote, and I was like, if this doesn’t become the biggest song, then I am not sure what will. It felt so right and felt so me. The EP was certainly not a manufactured Idea. It was sort of the collection of the best things I had written in the last 8 months, and it all felt rather cohesive. I think if I were to sit down with the intention of writing an ep, and with a certain goal and message, it would have almost felt like I wasn’t being authentic. That being said, ‘No One Wants To Die Alone’ was probably the first song I wrote out of the ones that made it on to the EP, so maybe in some way it did guide the sonic and messaging of the rest!
Hailing six songs, half of the record was previously released, and half of the songs were saved for release day. How do you go about deciding which songs you want to hold onto and let fans discover all at once?
I think there is a feeling that you get when you have a single, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the non-single tracks are missing something. I feel like putting out a bigger body of work allows you to release songs that may never come out as a single, but you still want people to hear them. I think ‘Sweat off our History’ is a good example; this would never be a single, but that does not mean that it isn’t good. So I am glad I had the opportunity to release it.
We want to go back a bit and talk about ‘Muted Colors,’ This track changed a lot for you! When you look back, what does your relationship with that song look like now vs two years ago when it was released?
I think ‘Muted Colors’ was the unexpectedly perfect first song to put out. It served its purpose in the time that it was written for me personally, but also to show an audience the type of music and messaging I wanted to pursue. I look back positively on it now for sure. It was the first stepping stone in a long journey to cross the river, and I’m so grateful that I could have even had the chance to start or embark on that journey. I think it worked because I was just honest, it was one of the first songs I had ever written and I did not really have a reference point as to what was ok and what was not. I think I do naturally cringe a little bit looking back to it now because I think my style and tone have changed a bit, but it certainly was a fantastic first step!
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, is there anything coming up that fans can look forward to? Any live shows?
Hopefully got a lot of exciting stuff coming up! Going to hopefully do another London headline before the end of the year, and then a bit more of a fuller tour in early 2026! I’m also really excited to open for Arthur Hill on his UK tour in September!
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