Interview with Alec Benjamin.
Interviewed by: Maggie Heneghan & April Bredael
Shot by: April Bredael
April Bredael
“I didn’t really have anything that I felt defined me,” Alec Benjamin said of his former high school years. In 2022? Benjamin’s story has since changed.
It’s no secret that Elektra Records signed singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin is one of the best in the game at storytelling throughout his work. Now on his third full length record, (Un)Commentary, the rising artist shows no sign of stopping. This Fall, Benjamin hit the road for his worldwide (Un)Commentary Tour featuring direct support Claire Rosinkranz.
Growing up, many factors played into Benjamin picking up a guitar for the first time. His interest began early on, as music came to him through friends, summer camp, and school. In high school however, he really began to focus on his craft. Benjamin shared that he felt he didn’t have much that “defined” him, and that music was the one thing that allowed for self expression.
Benjamin even had a teacher who’d suggested that he might want to pursue music professionally one day, a suggestion to which he’d immediately turned down. However, as his lyrics matured alongside him, so did his dreams.
Around the age of 18, Alec Benjamin decided to wholeheartedly pursue music as a career. With a growing fanbase throughout the globe and a plethora of stories developed into songs, he took the leap into becoming a full time musician and hasn’t slowed down since.
April Bredael
“I found my voice,” he concluded when asked how he’d define his personal artistic style. Going on to explain further, Benjamin shared that his voice is unique from other male pop artists, and allows him a wider range of melodies to explore. From hit singles “Let Me Down Slowly” to “Water Fountain” and more, each song is carefully crafted as one of his own - reflecting his unique artistic brand that cannot be captured within words.
Despite the millions (and for some tracks billions) of streams, Benjamin revealed that his favorite released track to date is “Mind Is A Prison” off of his sophomore record These Two Windows. Hovering around 98 million Spotify streams, it’s a clear fan favorite as well. “That song captured exactly what I was feeling in that moment of time, and being able to release it was kind of cathartic,” Benjamin shares on the track. He also revealed that his favorite part about his career as a singer-songwriter is expressing himself and having others listen and relate to the messages he writes about.
“Getting to express myself. And getting to express the way that I feel. And having people that listen to what I have to say.” – Alec Benjamin
April Bredael
Perhaps one of the most full circle moments for Alec Benjamin is seeing fans continuous support from the beginning of his career until now. Often seeing and recognizing the same faces in line at M&G or seeing unique references and inside jokes on posters, Alec Benjamin fans have demonstrated time and time again that they’re in it for the long run.
“I just want to thank them for being here,” Benjamin concludes.