Ben Lee Talks Touring, Streaming and Creating Your Own Culture

Currently in the middle of a massive Australian tour in support of his forthcoming album, This One’s for the Old Headz, Ben Lee chats with The Note about how the tour is going and the recording of his new album.

Words by Tobias Handke

Image via @benleemusic (Facebook)

Hey Ben. Thanks for taking the time to have a chat. You’re smack bang in the middle of a national tour. How’s it all going?

Yeah, it's absolutely incredible. It's been kind of a revelation to tour this extensively in Australia, which I've never done, and I'm just feeling really grateful that there's an audience there. I always say, after three decades of performing, the idea that people still want to hear me sing my songs and go with me on a little journey, I'm genuinely grateful. It's amazing. 

When most artists announce a tour, they play the big cities and that’s it. You seem to be playing everywhere and anywhere. Is there a reason behind this and is it something more artists should embrace?

Well, it's multiple things. I've always believed in shaping my decisions based on opportunity. Going to parties I'm invited to, going to play places that want me there, and it just it's kind of built on itself. We announced a little run of regionals and I think a lot of other regional pubs and clubs got excited and started making offers, so it sort of snowballed from there. Crowds also started getting excited about coming out to these regional shows. So again, it was this snowballing effect. You never really know when the opportunity is going to appear and when it's going to open up and I always believe you got to seize it.

Any takeaways from the tour so far, particularly if you have any thoughts on the current live music scene or how to attract more young fans to get off the couch and support local acts? 

That's really hard for me to say. Careers are such personal things and you have to live them out in your own way. It's a lot of experimentation. I would never say artists should do this or do that, but I do think that opening your mind up as a young artist and not feeling like the only way to do it is the way that you see it being modelled by others. If you're with a label or have management, they try and tell you there's one way and I think opening your mind up and finding your own unique expression of creativity and how you can connect with audiences is really important.

As for the current live music scene, I'm just trying to focus on having lots of interesting up-and-coming opening acts. You realise in the beginning stages of a new artist's career these shows are really big milestones. So I'm trying to take that opportunity a bit more seriously and give lots of artists a chance and encourage the audience this is the best way to support Australian music.

If you like them, stream their music, buy some merch, go to a show and follow them on Instagram. It's not an easy time to be a musician in Australia. I want to encourage the audience to take one or two proactive steps. I don't want anyone supporting Australian music out of sympathy. It should be because they're genuinely moved and they like the artist and want to get behind them. 

The tour coincides with the upcoming release of your new album, This One’s for the Old Headz. Before we dive into that, you’ve released 15 albums in a career spanning over 30 years, which is quite remarkable. What keeps you motivated and engages your creative spark to keep making music?

I don't really know the answer to that. It's like you feel this inexplicable need to be understood or appreciated or make money. We each have our own ambitions but beyond that, creativity kind of has its own flow.

I know there's a lot of musicians who make a record or two, do a bit of touring and they feel like they've said their piece and it's done. But it's never been like that for me. If I feel satiated, it later becomes like a fire that burns again, so it's a real mystery to me why we feel inspired. But it feels natural to me. I still love it. My musical community and my peers are something I still really care about. 

You’ve seen the music industry change and evolve over the years. What are the best and worst changes you’ve seen?

I think they would both be summed up by the transition to streaming, which to me is the best thing that has happened for music. I was an obsessive music fan, always wanting to follow threads and discover new things and it was really hard to do. There were so many gatekeepers. It was financially prohibitive to just buy as many albums as you wanted and streaming has gotten rid of the gatekeepers. I look at young kids and their tastes are so varied and the music they're making is so varied.

On the downside, that's affected the ability of musicians to make a living through their recorded music. So that's been the trade-off. 

Back to your new album. You recorded it in three days. Was there a reason behind this or do you normally record at such a rapid rate? 

It was just a blistering indie rock guitar record and that's how you make those records. Everyone learns the songs and you go in and you bang them out and record it. It's not as radical as it may seem now in comparison to how other artists make their records, but that's sort of how it was traditionally done. You just learned the songs and then played them. 

You worked with The Mountain Goats bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster. Why did you pick these guys to record with? What did they bring to the table and what was it like recording the album with them? 

I picked those guys because I wanted to make this power pop record and they're the best in the biz. I love the idea as a solo artist of playing with a rhythm section that has played together. It just brings songs to life so instantly because they have this unspoken understanding and chemistry that you can't necessarily get from people who don't play together all the time. It was amazing. I don't think we talked once about the direction of the songs. I sent them the songs and they just went in and played them perfectly. It was cool. 

In press material, you’ve mentioned This One’s for the Old Headz will appeal to both old and new fans. Do you feel the need to strike a balance between nostalgia and current trends in music to appeal to listeners of all ages, or is it just about making great music you vibe with and hoping it strikes a chord with audiences? 

I don't feel pressure to strike a balance between new fans and old fans, but I see it as an opportunity. I consider myself an artist three decades into my career in my mid-40s who is very lucky to have the chance to talk to different audiences at once. I don't just have this heritage audience coming for the greatest hits. I have an audience that's interested in the ways I'm hopefully continuing to innovate.

Is there a track on the album you’re super proud of or one you think will resonate with listeners? 

There's a song called ‘Don't Stop Loving Too Much’, which I'm just proud of because it sounds like Teenage Fan Club. So that's all. 

As we wrap things up, you’ve recently started a thread on X hyping up-and-coming Aussie acts. Do you think there is a lack of representation when it comes to new bands being heard, and to piggyback off that, do you feel any responsibility as an elder statesman in the scene to help grow and nurture new artists? Or is it just as simple as sharing new music you like? 

It’s a responsibility in the sense that I do think the more you receive the more you have to give back. I see it as kind of like my duty. The Australian music [scene] and my audience have given so much to me. It is my duty to make sure it doesn't end with our generation.

When triple j was playing all Aussie stuff you got a clear picture of the vibrancy of Australian music. Nowadays some people might think there isn't good Australian music because they're not hearing it as readily. I just want to remind people there are all these amazing acts, they're just not getting the exposure.

I listened to lots of different styles of music and what I usually love about artists is almost more their attitude and their energy, the aesthetics and the genre. I'm really open with that. I like things that are a little bit rough around the edges or have a bit of edge to them, but it’s their attitude that I fall in love with. 

Thanks for the chat, Ben. Any last words, promotion or advice you’d like to impart to The Note’s music-loving audience? 

I think a lot of people see culture as something that is created from above and that we have to fight our way into. But culture is something we create and the corporate entities are free to capitalize on that and market it and sell it. It's what they're always trying to do. Major labels and indie labels, they’re all trying to find things that are happening organically and then throw fuel on the fire. I would encourage people, especially young artists, to cultivate their own vibes, their own scenes and create the culture that they want to be in. Don't wait for it to happen to them. 

This One’s for the Old Headz is set for release on Friday, September 20. You can pre-order the album here and purchase tickets for his two SA shows in Adelaide and Aldinga here.

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