CG: Well it looks like 2004 is going to be your year. Let me start by wishing you a very Happy New Year.
BJ:Thanks. New Years was great! I was down in Miami playing a show. I think 2004 has a good ring to it.
CG: That it does! You opened for Rufus Wainwright at The Delano, correct? What was that experience like?
BJ: Opening for Rufus was great. I'm a big fan of his, so getting to know him a little was fun. He played really well, including a cover of "Allelulah."
CG: You must be excited for March. What is the scheduled release date for Give It All Away?
BJ: I'm not exactly sure. I believe that it's March 30th right now, but it could be moved up. I am really excited. It's been a long process making the album and I've been anticipating the release longer than anyone.
CG: Are there any plans for a tour? Where do you think the Give It All Away tour will take you? Where would you like to go?
BJ:There is a quick promotional tour in February which will be fun, but there'll be a bigger tour during the summer. I assume it will start with the States, but I dream of playing in different countries. I've had great response from foreign family and friends that have heard me play.
CG: I've also heard that you'll be performing on TRL's Breakout Performer's Week. How exciting! So what have you been doing to prepare? Is this your first major performance for the industry?
BJ: Yeah - I'm a little intimidated by TRL. I wonder how many people will be watching that.
CG: I'm sure you'll do fine! Have you decided what you will be performing?
BJ: I still haven't decided whether I'll be performing with my band or solo, but I'm sure it'll be the single "Come On."
CG: So tell us a little about your first CD. How did everything come about?
BJ: The first CD is a pretty eclectic mix of stuff - from raw piano/vocal tracks to much more produced music. I'm happy with it. I'd been sound engineering in the city and making some demos, and the industry attention came all at once, very suddenly when my manager and I sent CDs to various labels.
CG: How did you wind up meeting your manager?
BJ: He approached me about modeling for a Calvin Klein campaign and I gave him my demo instead. I played some songs live in a studio for him and producers and we signed a management deal soon after.
CG: Do you write your own music and lyrics?
BJ: Yes, I write my own music and my own lyrics.
CG: That's very impressive. It's not often that a new artist does so or, even if they did, would be given the approval to have their own music on the debut album. In fact, that brings me to my next question - how was it that you, as a new artist, received the approval and the thumbs up from a major record label to fill your debut album with your own music?
BJ: It's been a little difficult being signed to a major label because there are a lot of opinions that you feel you should listen to, after all, they are the ones funding the whole operation. I made a few compromise as far as co-writing and production style went, but in return got to do a lot of things that I wanted to do. At the end of the day, the tracks picked for singles were all songs that I wrote myself, and I also got to do a cover of Stephen Trask's "Wicked Little Town" that I was really excited about.
CG: Rumor has it that you self-produced some of the songs on your album. Can you tell me which ones?
BJ: Yes, because I had a sound engineering background I really wanted to take a couple of my favorite songs into my own hands. I produced "Falling Down" and "Setting of the Sun" from the ground up. I used several different studios, including my home space, and had a great time! It can be a lot of work though because I'm a perfectionist.
CG: How would you say the self-produced songs differ from the ones that have co-production credits on them?
BJ: I worked with a whole lot of producers on the album. They all have different ways of working and the songs have a different sound?it remains tied together by my voice, playing, and songwriting.
CG: You also play your own instruments, correct? Which ones? Do you have a favorite?
BJ: I started playing the violin when I was 9 years old with classical lessons. I had a few scattered lessons on piano with various people, but really got serious about it when I started writing songs and singing. I picked up the guitar about a year and a half ago and began messing around with new tunings and teaching myself. I love picking up any instrument and trying to figure it out. It's really important to use your ears. I don't really have a favorite - they're all different and great for different things. Next is the banjo and drums...
CG: So where does the inspiration for your music come from? What is it that you draw from when writing?
BJ: I write about a lot of things. Give It All Away has songs based in humanity and truth to first love and breaking up. Usually the music comes to me really quickly and I spend more time thinking about the lyrics. I draw from my own experiences and things that I've seen. That's probably why I love exploring and traveling.
CG: Tell us a little about "Come On" - the first single which also has a video that can currently be seen on your website. What was it like making the video? Did everything turn out the way you expected?
BJ: The video was a lot of fun to make. We shot it on two separate days and even though I was there for all of the shooting, I was thrilled with the final product. It's such a creative, different and fun video.
CG: From what I've heard so far of your music, all of your songs seem to have a yearning voice, filled with bittersweet melancholy combined with a tinge of hope for things to come. That would be my input. Now it's your turn - using your own words, describe your music?
BJ: As far as describing my music - it's just me. It's honest and real. It's melodic and passionate.
CG: Do you have a favorite song on your album?
BJ: I like "Falling Down" a lot. It's really personal and heartfelt, and I was able to record it just the way I wanted to?and ended up happy. I'm usually into the most mellow tracks on any album.
CG: Who are your biggest influences? Do you find that you draw from other artists for inspiration when writing music?
BJ: My biggest influences are usually bands. I love U2, the Beatles, and Fleetwood Mac. I'm also really into Sarah Mclachlan, Massive Attack, Billie Holliday - there's so much music that I love and am affected by.
CG: If there was one artist or group you would like to collaborate with in the future, who would it be?
BJ: Not sure with who, but I'd love to get on my violin and jam out with someone I love listening to. Collaborating with Alanis Morisette would be pretty amazing.
CG: If you weren't performing and writing music where do you think you'd be right now?
BJ: It would probably be between staying on in the music industry as a producer/engineer, there's still so much to explore and learn. Or get back onto a science track. Start with research - perhaps the environment or alternate energy.
CG: Where would you like to be in 10 years?
BJ: In Chile. In the mountains. Listening to one of those Andes pan pipe groups.
CG: What have you learned and discovered thus far? Is there anything that you never would have expected? Anything surprising or perhaps that you would change?
BJ: I've learned a lot since being signed. I've had a crash course in learning how to deal with the music industry and the people involved. I've worked with top engineers and producers and I'm the type that sits absorbing everything that's going on. It's an amazing way to see how different people work and watch them do what they do. Though I would do a second album differently - more cohesively - I'm happy with the first and wouldn't change a thing.
CG: What would you say, from your experience, has best prepared you for the upcoming journey upon which you are about to embark?
BJ: I moved and traveled a lot with my family as I was growing up. I saw different people and cultures and needed to adjust a lot. That has helped me a lot in my later life, and I think it will continue to do so throughout this.
CG: Did you ever see this happening?
BJ: I always hoped to be able to make a career out of music or studio work. The opportunities now are above and beyond what I saw happening though.
CG: It sounds to me like this has all been a whirlwind experience for you. What has been the most exciting thing that has occurred over the last year?
BJ: The most exciting experience so far was recording some of the first tracks - I've been used to the big studio environment for a long time, but switching to the other side of the glass and being the artist was a great experience for me. I remember when there was a whole string section playing along to "Come On." That was definitely a special moment.
Trl Interview done on January 14 2004
Damien:Welcome to TRL... hey come come to the window here....you're a newbie so you get a little window love
Ben:Wow!
Damien:You got some Ben fans out there.
Ben:That's great...it's cold out there.
Damien:Look it's a sign made out of bumper stickers cool right?
Ben:Very cool.
Damien:So like I said...your first time on television...you know not just trl...is it weird to like see all those fans outside and stuff and people with the signs?
Ben:It's cold out there.
Damien:It's freezing out there.
Ben:They're brave!
Damien:They are very brave people. What's the...um...what's the best piece of advice that someone has given you about performing in front of a crowd?
Ben:There has been a lot of advice.
Damien:When nervous and stuff.
Ben:just be yourself...
Damien:Be yourself.
Ben:...if you mess up it's human.
Damien:Exactly...that's all it is. Uh...you got your debut album, of course, we mentioned that "Give It All Away" coming out in March. Now...
Ben:March..March 30.
Damien:...March 30, You're no stranger,though, to the recording studio. You were actually involved...uh...when you were 18 in a little studio work...how did this all get started?
Ben:I first got into it when I was uh....
Damien:A Baby really.
Ben:...a baby.
Damien:18 years old.
Ben:I was making tea though, I wasn't doing much..it was an intership.
Damien:Really?
Ben:Yea.
Damien:And then you started producing uh people's....
Ben:You know you move up.
Damien:Give yourself some credit whose albums did you work on?
Ben:I worked on Will Ford's single, TRL's single...
Damien:Give yourself some credit whose albums did you work on?
Ben:I worked on Will Ford's single, TRL's single...
Damien:Sure.
Ben:I did Heather Nova, whose's an awesome artist too.
Damien:Yea, sure, course, and I heard "Give it All Away" your single...it's about a girl/
Ben:"Come On" is the single.
Damien:Oh.
Ben:It is about a girl.
Damien:But the "Give It All Away" song.
Ben:That's also about a girl, same girl actually, infact the whole album is about the same girl.
Damien:Oh it is? Who is she?
Ben:Well the love songs atleast.....uh Isabelle..she's in England and she's not romantically involved right now.
Damien:But she has.... she has your heart?
Ben:Yea I still care about her.
Damien:You still care about her, you still talk to her on the phone and stuff?
Ben:Sure.
Damien:And the first video from your album, that's what you mentioned, it's called "Come On" that's the first video. Which is basically you stitting at your piano and all this crazy stuff happens like fireworks come out of the piano and like people come out of it. What was that like shooting? Was it crazy?
Ben:It was crazy. It was all real, so everthing you see is real. And there were real fireworks strapped to the piano blowing up, and you know they were like if anything goes wrong just dive that way.
Damien:I'm not, I'm not the smartest guy in the world but I am pretty sure that fireworks and a piano. Pianos are not flame retardent.
Ben:The fire marshalls were like freaking out.
Damien:What did they say? Did they give you any advice?
Ben:They were just freaking out in the corner and being shut up while fireworks were being blown up.
Damien:Really? They said just walk away from the piano and put out the fire. That would of been one hell of a video shoot.
Ben:It was fun.
Damien:Ok, we are glad to have you here. Big round of applause. Ben Jelen.
