BENEDICT CORK

I was born in Essex and grew up on the border of Hartfordshire until I was 18. Then when I left school, I moved down to London. I just started playing hotels, restaurants in the evenings. During the daytime I’d be going to studios and writing songs, going to watch gigs and stuff, and kind of immersing myself in music. I was in a couple of bands as well for a few years with some friends. I started releasing stuff about three years ago. Then I started playing my own shows, supporting other artists, writing for myself and other people. Just slowly building it up from there.

I’m the youngest of four, and all my siblings are musical as well. So it’s just been in the house. We weren’t a sporty family, that’s what we did. So, because I’m the baby, I would just follow suit.

I loved practical art in school, and I did a bit of art history. So I think I would have loved to have explored that a little bit more. But that’s such an allencompassing thing. That would definitely now be a hobby. But yeah, probably something arty

When I was growing up, my dad had a Motown ‘60s CD. It was filled with all the classics, I remember studying for my GCSE’s and I used to play it from back to front on repeat, all day every day in the background. That made me fall in love with like Stevie Wonder and The Supremes. Then, when I started writing songs, Elton John, Adele, Sia, Billy Joel and stuff. They’re all just like amazing songwriters. I think the song comes first, then the artistry around it is centred

on that. What made me fall in love with those people was their songs.

Alive it has to be Alicia Keys. I love her. I’d love to sit down with a bottle of wine at a piano and play all night with her. I think it’d be so fun. Then in terms of artists who are no longer with us, there are quite a few people actually. I’d love to work with Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin as well. It’d be wild, I think it’d be a really fun thing. Anyone who I could jam with at the piano would be fab.

We’ve never met in real life. One of my really good friends knows him quite well, and he sent him a video message of the first song that I released in 2018 saying this is my friend Benedict and I think you’ll really like this. Then a couple of weeks later he was doing his Beats 1 radio show, and played it and said some really nice stuff. I’m forever indebted to both him and also to my friend who sent it. What’s amazing about Elton is he’s such a fan of music, and that’s what I think people really respect. He’s also so willing to help out new people. In his radio show he’s always playing new stuff, it’s really cool.

Yeah, I think it’s definitely getting better. Each year, it seems to improve. It’s really encouraging. Seeing Lil Nas X, how warmly he’s been embraced by so many people this year, it’s awesome. And the same with other artists from previous years, like Sam Smith, Years & Years, Troy Sivan etc it’s wicked but there’s obviously still a long way to go. It’s really encouraging, also I remember when I started writing songs professionally with established writers there were people in the industry saying “don’t use the word boy, man or he in your songs because they’ll never get played, you’ll never get them on the radio” that was such a weird thing to hear when you are 18 years old and you are trying to write from experience though I do feel things are changing now, Years & Years for example say he, man etc in lots of songs or whatever it is and people don’t bat an eyelid, it’s accepted which is really cool. Things are definitely improving for the better

I think it’s really cool, I know some people have an issue with it, but I really don’t. I’m all for anyone challenging the quote-on-quote norm, and experimenting is really cool. You don’t necessarily have to label everything and put yourself in a box to be accepted in what you’re doing. Being on the front cover of Vogue in a dress is pretty cool, there are going to be little kids who see that and think it’s O.K. when they may have been told it wasn’t before. I’m all for it!

In the past, some of those piano bar set gigs were like five hours long. So it teaches you a bit of resilience and stamina. But then when I started doing proper shows I’d get a bit of help, a bit of training. The other day, we did a set and it was an hour and a half long, probably the longest headline that I’ve done. I definitely got a bit of help with that. I think it’s important. I’ve got so much respect for people that do it like eight or 10 times a week or stuff. They’ve got two shows a day, sometimes singing like five, six hours. Really intense stuff. It’s amazing.

Yeah, a couple of times, which is obviously wicked. I did “Wildest Moments” a couple years ago and Jessie Ware was like, “That was awesome.” And Mark Ronson messaged like, “Go on boy, do your thing!”. When it’s artists like that, who you really respect, it’s a really nice pat on the back.

Sometimes I will start with a concept. I love having a title or story that the song is going to be about. I think that’s really important. But sometimes I’ll just start jamming some melodies, and then words over the melody. It depends on what kind of mood I’m in, what I want to talk about. I know there’s some people who are really formulaic and it works, but I need to be a little bit more fluid.

Again, a bit of both. I’ve got a lot of phone notes that I’ll constantly send to myself. Just ideas and little snippets. I love co-writing. Being in the studio with people. But last year that wasn’t possible as much. Obviously, you want to write a song when you feel inspired. But also write a song when you’re not inspired. It’s like a little muscle. The more you do it the more you flex that muscle and good stuff comes out. So I’ve just started forcing myself every now and then to just sit down and write. Sometimes it’s awful, but once in a while a little gem comes out.

I spent the summer recording a new project. And it’s all finished. So I think the first one will

different to the older stuff. I realised, especially in the lockdown last year, that I don’t always want to be stuck behind a piano singing sad songs. So some of the new stuff, it’s got a little bit more positivity to it. It sounds a little bit more experimental as well, a little bit more electronic.

I actually love exercising for my brain. It just makes me feel good. I learned that I’d feel so nice afterwards. So now it’s just like a nonnegotiable, I just build into my week. Even if it’s only a couple of times a week. But then the benefits are, obviously, if I’ve done a little workout I feel like I can eat whatever I want. So yeah, I just try and balance it out. I do enjoy being healthy. I like putting good stuff into my body.

Both. I’m not too religious. Otherwise, it takes the fun out of it I think.

I’d love to, yeah. I’ve done an EP every year for the past three, four years now. Which I’ve loved, because you can sort of play around with different styles. So that process has been really fun. But I think it’s probably time that I knuckle down and actually make a full album. I’d love to at some point.

I’m going to the Netherlands in a couple of weeks to play my first ever headline shows outside of the UK. Definitely looking at some touring stuff for early next year. I’d love to come to Ireland. I’ve heard that shows get quite raucous there. Like, people really get into it. There’s something called the Ruby Sessions in Dublin. I think that sounds really cool.

I am happily a single Pringle. Especially after last year where everything was just a bit shit for everybody. I’m just going to take it as it comes now. Like, I’m not going to force myself into a relationship. Take each day.

family. I properly like zoning out at Christmas and try and just eat everything... yeah.

I actually stopped making like New Year’s resolutions and goals and stuff a few years ago, because you kind of always set yourself up to fail. Then you sort of feel like you let yourself down. So my general goals are just sort of day-

to-day happiness. As long as I can keep paying my rent, playing music, putting food on the table, my family safe and healthy and I’ve got nice friends around, then I’m pretty chuffed. So yeah, I guess my goal would just be to continue hopefully doing that.

I’ll just say to do it when whenever you feel ready. There’s no rush. My personal experience actually was really positive. It took a while for me to get there, figuring out when I was ready to do it. I was very lucky. My family and friends and everybody were just really really cool about it. I’m really lucky that that happened, ‘cause I’ve learned that that’s not always the case. I’m super-grateful for that.

What a humbling answer, thanks so much for taking the time with me today, Benedict, it has been a pleasure. Be sure to check him out www. benedictcork.com, you’ll also find all his social links here

Thanks Daniel May