Benedict Cork
Photo credit: Leo Chang
Benedict Cork. What an artist. I only recently heard of him but I’m pretty sure I will follow him and his career for a long time.
Today he dropped his new project titled Piano Tapes, Vol. 2, and it’s one of the best music I heard in a while. This project is made of beautiful “imperfections”, and if you heard it, you will know what I mean by that. Everything is all so polished and almost perfect in music lately, which is a great thing, but there's a lack of emotion, authenticity and vulnerability. But Cork is bringing all the things I’ve been looking for in his new project.
Piano Tapes, Vol. 2 reminds me why I love music so much. I’ve always been a fan of these heartfelt piano records with these soulful vocals - those are some of the best songs in my opinion. This EP has all that. Listening to it also took me back to those live intimate shows I would go to every time I’m in Los Angeles. It is beautiful, honest, emotional and real.
"Choices" is the song I’ve been listening to on repeat. I can’t tell you how many times I already played this record. I can’t seem to get enough of it. It is by far one of the best songs I heard in a long time and I hope to hear this one live very soon.
Now, go stream Piano Tapes, Vol.2. It is the perfect EP for this season :)
Photo credit: Gabriel Mokake
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey, I’m Benedict and I’m a singer-songwriter from the UK. I grew up in a little town just outside of London and moved down to the big city when I was 18 to start making music.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I actually started writing film music first. I fell in love with the soundtrack for the ‘Series Of Unfortunate Events’ movie and started writing little instrumental songs inspired by that on the computer when I was maybe 12 or 13. It was only when I started really going through things and experiencing life as a teenager that I felt compelled to start writing lyrics.
When did you know you could sing?
I grew up in a super musical household. All my siblings sang around the house and in bands and choirs, so it sort of just became the done thing. But the idea of turning it into a job was never really on my mind until I left school and started playing anywhere and everywhere that would have me.
When did you know you had to become an artist and release your original music?
It was a bit of a longer road to releasing my own music. I was in a couple of bands with some of my best friends when I was younger, which was so much fun. After we went our separate ways, I moved away to Stockholm, started writing music on my own again and realised how much of a release it can be, and how therapeutic it is.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
Ahh definitely my parents. I’m really lucky to have super chilled, supportive parents who don’t really care what we do, so long as we’re happy doing it.
How would you define Benedict Cork, the artist?
Oooof, big question. I’d say soulful piano-led songs with a pretty personal edge.
Piano Tapes - Volume II is your latest project - what's the inspiration behind this project?
I released my first Piano Tapes EP back in 2018, which was a live session recorded at a studio in LA called Red Gate Recorders. I wanted Volume II to be a continuation of that project, but with a bit more experimentation in the sound. So the crux of it is still really simple live recordings for piano and voice, but with more layers of choirs, organs, synths, percussion and production.
Who helped you create this project?
One of my favourite people to work with, Paul Stanborough. We started laying down the bare bones of the record last December, fleshed it out during the first few months of this year, and then put the finishing touches to it just before lockdown hit in March which was so lucky. It’s been really nice to have this project to release and put energy into during this weird ass time in our lives.
What did you feel when writing ‘Choices’?
Ooof I was pretty let down. It’s a long story of a friendship, and that unfortunately sometimes people drift apart which is really sad. It’s not actually about a relationship I had, it’s about a different situation and this was my way of working through that.
What’s the story behind ‘Wild One’?
‘Wild One’ is about accepting that sometimes the most beautiful people are worth setting free. It started off as a really small, gentle guitar song, and finished as this quite epic piano ballad, which I kind of love.
What do you like the most about this project?
I think I like how messy it is. A lot of the instrumentation and vocals were recorded live, which means the piano’s constantly creaking, and you can hear my voice bounce around between the microphones in the room. There’s also a couple of moments where I’m literally chatting to Paul after a take saying, ‘was that alright?’ that we’ve kept in because it felt authentic.
What did you learn about yourself after finishing this EP?
This whole project was so just easy and chilled to put together. I’d love to remember that this is exactly how music should be made. There were no pressured studio sessions where someone’s warned you that you have to create a banging record in a couple of hours. We sort of just played around with sounds for each song and landed on the ones that felt the most magical.
As an artist, what do you want to accomplish?
I’d love to just keep making music and playing shows. It’s all I ever really want to do. I’d love the rooms to get gradually bigger, and I’d love the really lovely loyal bunch of people waiting to listen to grow a little bigger each time. But I’m honestly pretty happy in this moment just making music and releasing it for whoever fancies tuning in.
What’s the hardest part about being an artist? And what is the best part?
Well right now, we’re all missing live shows, for sure. The hardest part of this year for me has been missing that buzz, and that connection that you can’t really get anywhere else. But the best part has been the internet; it’s been a saving grace this year. I’m so lucky that I can livestream a set from my bedroom for people around the world, and get instant feedback and connection with anyone who fancies listening. We’re really lucky to have that.
What advice would you give to young musicians?
Patience. I was, and still am, so impatient. But good things definitely come to people who persevere and keeping working on their craft, in their own time, without looking to other people for comparison or jealousy. Just keep at it and enjoy the ride!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Just kindness. I think we could all use a little more of that, any time, all the time.
What message do you want to give to the world?
Oh wow, just that I think at the end of the day, all of us only really ever want to be happy. If we could remember that, I feel like we’d all stop sweating the small stuff and focus on the stuff that really matters.
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