Benjamin Ward – Writing Portfolio

ben@donttryrecords.com

07943188773

Contents:
3: Press release for musician Bessie Turner’s second single Words You Say written for my own PR outreach. Led
to features in publications such as Metro, National Student and Line of Best Fit.

4: Live music review written about Canadian rock-duo Japandroids show at The Haunt in Brighton. It was
published by XYZ Magazine online and as well as the June edition of their physical magazine.

5-6: News article written for Sussex's leading regional newspaper The Argus. It was published online and in
print.

7: Review of alternative-rock band The Strokes album Comedown Machine. It was published by XYZ Magazine
online and in the April edition of their physical magazine.

8-9: Music feature about breakthrough indie-rock act Dingus Khan. Published online and print by IP1
Magazine.

10: Live music review written about Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays show at Concord 2 in Brighton.
Published online by music based website It's All Indie.

11: Feature covering Brighton based fashion label Conch. It is to be published in September by soon to be
launched social media app RifTalk.

Press release for Bessie Turners second single ‘Words You Say’.
Examples of successful outreach using this press release can be found here.

Bessie Turner - Words You Say

‘But you didn’t make it easy…'

Bessie Turner hasn't been around for long. Her debut single Big Sleep was released in April 2017 to unexpected acclaim
- within weeks the track had been streamed tens-of-thousands of times, gained the backing of BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6
Music and after a live session for BBC Introducing she was invited to perform at Latitude festival in her native Suffolk.
The reaction to this 23 year olds first piece of recorded music (entirely self-funded and put out on her own label) was
encouraging to say the least.

Words You Say is her second single and the sound of a young artist growing in confidence. Bold, instant and fully
formed, this was a conscious effort to create a guitar driven pop sound with emotional weight at its core. Produced by
George Perks at The Crypt Studios in London and backed by a band made up of members of SuperGlu and Dingus
Khan, it is described by Bessie as a “song about your head bubbling over…the simmering disappointment after relying
on someone who’s let you down. I wrote these personal, confessional lyrics but I wanted the music to sound bigger…I
wanted it to sound happy”. The bright, bounding optimism of the instrumentation is offset by Turners poetic
melancholy: “I’m so pale and you turn me inside out...” sounds like it’s sung with a gigantic smile, a joyousness
entirely contrary to its lyrical content. This juxtaposition is true in her mix of contemporary influences: the songs
opening guitar work and hazy vocals seemingly borrowed from another era trickle from the gramophone before bursting
into alt-rock technicolour. Think Nina Simone tumbling into Courtney Barnet.

Filmed almost entirely within 5 miles of Bessie’s home (a houseboat on the River Orwell in Suffolk, England ) the
music video was produced by Bessie Turners very own Don’t Try Records and directed by co-founder Chris Driver.

Live music review written for XYZ Magazine. Published online + print.

Online version can be found here.

Japandroids, The Haunt, Tuesday July 16

Japandroids are a noisy and overwhelmingly sincere rock duo from British Columbia. Brian King (guitar/vocals) and
David Prowse (drums/vocals) make music that drenches the soul in an earnest longing to escape the drudgery and
heartbreak of modern life, to be surrounded by friends and fun in a never-ending sleepless night. It was unfortunate then
that they were forced to take to the stage at the distressingly early time of 8:30 pm. As both figures emerged, bathed in a
backdrop of white light and smoke, Kings opening speech to the crowd acknowledged that they are not a band that
should be seen when outside the streets are still drenched in broad daylight.

However, as soon as the wall of sound from aptly named opener ‘Adrenaline’ made its way through the three almighty
stacks of amps neatly lined up on stage it was as if the clock struck midnight and for the next hour and a half The Haunt
descended into a sweaty drunken mass of tumbling bodies as two men from Vancouver gave every inch of themselves
to Brighton. The duo ripped through a selection of material taken from their debut album ‘Post-Nothing’ and latest
offering ‘Celebration Rock’ as well as several lesser known numbers from early E.Ps. At times the almost constant
barrage of sound meant it was hard to make out certain melodies that shine through so strongly on these records but
each song had an urgency and atmosphere that lent itself well to the tightly packed venue, while anthems like “Boys
Are Leaving Town” and hit single ‘House That Heaven Built’ were smothered in enough sing-a-long hooks and chants
to keep everyone other than the two overwhelmed mothers standing at the back happy.

The heartfelt performance and impressively tight musicianship cemented a fantastic show. I left fulfilled by an extra
level of intensity that their studio recordings strive for.

News Article written for The Argus newspaper. Published online + print.

Online version can be found here.

Restoration of tower begins at Engineerium in Hove

Work has begun on the iconic tower at The British Engineerium in Hove. For the first time in more than 30 years
scaffolding has gone up around the 150ft tall tower, part of the Grade II listed Victorian-Gothic structure.
Workers will be doing any restoration work needed to be done to ensure the structure is in good condition.

Businessman and philanthropist Mike Holland said: “It’s having a proper service now.

“What we have to do, every so many years, is scaffold the tower and make sure that we re-point and do any restoration
work that needs doing, otherwise eventually it will fall down.

“This was last done by the same people in about 1980.”

The former pumping house is set to re-open in 2015 as a steam museum and exhibit of mechanical antiquities.

Monthly open days have stopped for restoration work, which is due to be completed in 2014 before the building is re-
fitted.

The 147-year-old building looked set to be sold off and demolished, but was saved by Mr Holland.

The main theme of the museum will be steam power, so as well as restoration of classic exhibits such as the 19th
century Corliss steam engine, a second boiler has also been commissioned. Mr Holland has brought a 1900 loco-mobile
steam car that will sit alongside the other marvels of industrial revolution and late Victorian Britain.

He said: “The British Enginerrium is about celebrating engineering through the ages.

“While the focal point is on engineering in general, with a particular regard to British engineering, we are really
focusing on local developments both past and present.

“The present is extremely important because it will become the history of tomorrow.”

A second set of plans have been submitted to build an ice-rink on the site, after the original plans were rejected by
Brighton and Hove City Council in May.

The whole renovation process has been funded by Mr Holland.

When it opens its doors – after nearly a decade of work – it is hoped to become one of Brighton and Hove’s premiere
attractions.

Music single review written for XYZ Magazine. Published online + print.

Online version can be found here

The Strokes – Come Down Machine - Album - Out Now

The Strokes will always be considered an important band. 2001′s ‘Is this it’ can at least in part be credited for pointing
the mainstream musical compass of this millenniums first decade away from overproduction and back towards credible
guitar bands that were quintessentially Rock and Roll. Wearing their influences quite literally on their leather and denim
clad sleeves Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond, Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti looked and
sounded like they were from 1970′s New York. It was a powerful post-modern and post-punk reinterpretation of of their
native city’s rich musical heritage that managed to be unquestionably relevant and strikingly original.
Come Down Machine comes more than a decade after this initial hype as a follow up to 2012′s “Angles”, an album that
was met with a mixed critical reaction as the band were both praised and mauled for softening their rougher edges for
pop sensibilities. Like Angles ‘…Machine’ is produced by Gus Oberg and the scrappy sound has been expanded further
than ever before with varying degrees of success. Opening track Tap Out begins with a feedback laded squeal before
dropping into a very neat 80′s tinged dream-pop gem as Casablancas’s high pitched and strained vocals and Albert
Hammond Jrs. intricate yet subtle guitar work bounce from Verse to Chorus at a happy pace. Along with first official
single ‘All the Time’ it is an album highlight. The title track 80′s Comedown Machine sees the bands furthest push
down the road of experimentation in a gorgeous tremolo heavy mix of slow paced melody and vocal harmony as
Casablancas gently pleads “So Please, Run Away”.

In moments such as these the choice to move away from the two dimensional broken radio sound is credible, yet other
than the dire Erasure flavoured One Way Trigger it is not so much production rather than average material that lets
them down. There are songs that comfortably chug along with little impact like the classic rock tinged 50/50 or vaguely
tropical ‘Slow Animals’. This is especially unfortunate as Casablancas often less than impressive vocals now seem so
easily prone to become a raspy rambling if there are is not a distinct melody for them to compliment.

This band may not have a place within pop culture like it once did but despite a slight identity crisis this is an overall
enjoyable album that often hits the mark; next time round we just need a little less synth and a little more Strokes.

7/10, Out Now, Benjamin Ward

Music feature about indie breakthrough act 'Dingus Khan' written for IP1 Magazine. Published online + print.

Online version can be found here.

Dingus Khan
Dingus Khan are like nothing else and that is why you should love them. They challenge the conventions of what makes
a modern rock band and manage to pull it all off in an entirely unpretentious fashion whilst wearing uniforms and
performing dance routines. It is an incredible and often hilarious feat that is cemented by a mixture of fantastic
musicianship, an ear for a good melody and sheer spectacle:

For a start they have 8 members: 3 drummers (Nick Daldry, Paul Miller, Gareth Burney), 3 bass players (Tom
Armstrong, Adam Toms, Alex Dunne) and an 'electric ukulele wizard' (Josh Court) are led by guitarist/singer Ben
Brown in orchestrating a sweaty, crazed blur of an epic alternative punk rock act. It is genuinely breathtaking watching
7 men in boiler suits and one man in some kind of NBA endorsed flannel rag dress thing thrash out a subtle blend of
bone-crushingly heavy yet heart-wrenchingly melodic rock n’ roll that could quite accurately be compared to both
Arcade Fire and The Pixies. Khan join the dots between many different influences and still manage to write poetic,
timeless and often downright nonsensical anthems.

Take their debut single Knifey Spoony for an example. The title and main hook may come from an obscure throwaway
reference to that Simpsons episode where they go to Australia, yet it is still a sprawling masterpiece worthy of their
more conventional peers best efforts. When Brown screeches ‘I’m 21 going on 93’ I feel like punching myself in the
face with agreement and mutual self loathing; these guys are fucking losers who are scared of nightclubs and girls just
like me but they have their own brand of swagger that is not an act of imitation or pretensive crafting.

I ask the singer whether his lyrics can be placed within a deeper context: "quite a few times in my life I’ve misheard
lyrics" he responds, "and, in turn, interpreted a completely different meaning to the song. I’m going to ask to give this
question the slip. For the fear of ruining the song s for the couple of people listening out there."

Its a lyrical mix of ridiculous imagery with real insecurities distilled into simple chant along choruses. The whistle
ridden second single 'Made A List' is Brown at his most exposed as he laments wasted youth and prospective love lost
through his own cowardice, in an effort that XFMs Mary Ann Hobbs has labeled a 'game changer'. Both were released
on vinyl earlier this year by the legendary Fierce Panda Records , a treatment that their debut album ‘Support Mistley
Swans’ is also receiving. Early reviews are describing the LP as "an eclectic cocktail of infectious off-kilter guitar
hooks and thick, sludgy riffs, underpinned by vocals that veer from fractured delicate beauty to rowdy mob chanting in
the blink of an eye. " (Echos and Dust).

Brown really is a prolific songwriter, the longer you hang out with him the more you begin to understand that his guitar
is just another appendage. “You hit a golden chord, one that fits when you shift it up or down a string” He explains. “Its
so simple it's nearly confusing…Often the best songs are the ones which come instantly, falling out of your head before
you have a chance to think. That's how most of the songs happen...”. The end results are executed against a backdrop of
crash cymbals, deafening feedback and the ever expanding catalogue of onstage antics performed by 8 drunk men.

Each member of this octuplet is crucial in its overall function, both in performance and creativity. "What makes Dingus
Khan special is the way that ideas are interoperated by each individual in the band." says Ben. "Everyone brings their
personality to the table. Together we set about taking these songs, and sculpting roller coaster rides out of them." Its
true, the album has so many dynamic shifts that you feel bit like you have been kicked in the back of the head. Thats the
point.

They are understandably excited for the future but I turned Browns attention back to the past year and what his
highlights so far have been, as he quite rightly points out “It’s going to have to be highlights”.

“The Maida Vale session for Steve Lamacq and never ending support from the BBC” are high on the list, as are their
slots at gigantic festivals like Reading & Leeds, Bestival, Latitude and The Camden Crawl this summer. Their Latitude
set was described by BBC Suffolk's Richard Haugh as "a masterclass in how to perform at a festival". Its impressive
stuff and the band are touchingly thankful; "This has been the year of our dreams. I still can’t believe some of the shit
we’ve got up too" enthuses Brown. Its all culminated in them hitting the road this month in their first UK tour; an
endeavour that may potentially kill them.

Its almost like these 8 friends couldn't help but form a band because they love music and each other above all else.
Brown explains: "Dingus Khan didn’t come to be, it already was. It just took a few people a little while to realise that
what they needed, was right beside them all along. Since the age of 14 I have had a master plan, one which relied on
foolhardy belief, hope, and unflinching, outrageous promises."

On one level I know he is being ironic, playing up to the utterly bizarre caricature of the band he leads, so unique and
incomprehensible that they may as well be fictional. Yet the statement really couldn’t be any truer; what comes across
as anything less than serious is just part of his modesty, in reality he has been working towards this his whole life; I
know first hand because I watched the boy ditch his A Level exams because he just wanted to play rock and roll with
his first band, Elfred and The Uber Peas, who also featured Dingus's Adam Toms.

I genuinely believe that Dingus are a homegrown band with the potential to win the hearts and minds of anyone who is
even slightly weary of what they have laid out before them in terms of mainstream musical entertainment. Perhaps they
can shift the tide of Lil Wayne endorsed pop bile back to real music in a way that bands like The Strokes did in the early
2000’s heyday of boy-bands, by offering people an alternative that is impossible to ignore. If you think this is an
overstatement then go see them live.

Khan remind us that there is more to popular culture than the skilfully marketed consumerism that what remains of the
music industry has seemed to tie so seamlessly and profitably into what counts as ‘chart music’. So while Tine Temper
has his own rubbish headphones and Justin Bieber can now be purchased as a fragrance, Dingus Khan claim to be part
of a Pyramid scheme operated by a profit hungry and entirely fictional company called Wilbur Alan LTD.
Just this in itself could be interpreted as a brilliantly thought out metaphor for a bleak society made up of exploitative
consumer culture, ultimately bringing the bands artistic output into the realms of satire and makes Khan an overarching
and all encompassing conceptual performance that boarders on genius. Yet it is just as likely to be nothing more than a
ridiculous in-joke that manifested itself after an especially greedily packed bong; they are fucking around, it means
absolutely nothing and has simply gone way too far. The fact that you can’t really ever tell probably mean they are
smart enough to have considered both.

Live music review written for online music publication It's All Indie.

Online version can be found here.

Alvvays, Concord 2, Brighton, 7th September.

Singer Molly Rankin pauses between songs and similes as she addresses the crowd; “Brighton is our favourite city in
England ...its where we played our first UK show...its where we made our best friends”. A cheer makes its way through
the packed venue. The Indie-Pop five-piece certainly seem to have a whole lot of the latter, and based on their
performance it's easy to see why. Soaring melodies, rich textures and blisteringly tight musicianship are all woven into
deceptively simplistic and subtle arrangements. The songs are beautiful and Alvvays were effortlessly brilliant in their
delivery.

The band formed in 2012 as an extension of Rankin's solo efforts. Working alongside producers John Agnello, fellow
Canadian Chad VanGaalen and Holy Fuck's Graham Walsh, they released their lavishly dreamy self titled debut record
last year. It was met with critical acclaim, described by Simon Vozick-Levinson in Rolling Stone as an "Indie-Pop
wonder", reaching #1 on the US College Charts and winning a nomination for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. Traveling
via 90's DIY-Indie (Rankin cites Pavement, The Cranberries and Teenage Fanclub as major influences – tonight they
even play a well worked cover of Kristy MacColl’s 1998 hit ‘He’s On The Beach), the albums production manages to
sit between lo-fi and lavish. Garage-Rock turned sugar sweet.

This is undeniably engrained into the bands overall sound, so I was hesitant as to how it would translate into a live
performance. However, upon upbeat opener ‘Next of Kin’, it was easy to hear the band clearly had no problems in
making it all work. As the charm remained and grew, it soon became apparent that this was a live band that had
translated well onto record, not the other way round. Each element washed across the crowd, Rankin's voice swelling
with an angelic tranquility that lifted to impressive heights when called upon, yet retaining a consistent element of fun
that is as equally suited to high ceilings as small sweaty clubs. Enchanting instrumentation that constantly built but
never reached overkill; every chord, beat and note meticulously picked for an effective reason. Another dynamic shone
just as bright: how much each band member was enjoying themselves. These guys have been friends since high school,
they are riding a wave and having a great time doing it - this came across in every upbeat riff and harmony. As a result,
much like the record, Concord 2 bounced and swayed to an overall dance-ability that for the most part also managed
remain sweetly delicate; in-between flurries of movement on stage, Alvvays were as cool their sound. From the
carefree summer-pop jangle of 'Adult-Diversion' to heartfelt indie hit 'Archie Marry Me', the show was earnest, playful
and spectacular - soaring yet somehow modest. I would dare anyone to watch and not wear a smile.

Feature written for RifTalk: a soon to be launched social media channel created by EMI producer Trevor Steel
and Gumtree founder Mark Gibson.

To be published in October.

Conch
A haze of festering smoke – they cut a red cabbage in half, place it on the scanner and decide it will be turned it into a t-
shirt…

Conch is a brand new Brighton based clothing label formed in 2014 by best friends and self confessed slacker nitwits
Josh Harrison and John Bowen. With a collection of strikingly psychedelic designs that seemingly blend cotton with
LSD, the duo use experimental practices to create beautiful and awe-inspiring images that manage to toe the line
between naturalistic subtly and colour-drenched insanity – they basically just look really cool.

The inspiration for these “dope-ass shirts” come from science, maths, space, retro games, psychedelia, Ren, Stimpy and
Jerry Seinfeld - “The shape of a falling rain drop, refracted light bouncing off a mountain peak, the muscle tension in
the hind legs of a spirited springbok...”. It is irrelevant idiocy turned into remarkably relevant clothing by guys who
don't really give that much of a shit about fashion, but are nevertheless gifted with the creativity and ability to conjure
up items of visual brilliance.

John owns a huge snail and has a really long neck. Josh's eyes are piercing and upsetting – at some point he mentioned
he was homeless. Headlines all over the world will read “Two Weird Men Start Rad Company”, an extremely awesome
addition to Brighton's already burgeoning DIY fashion scene. Even if you don't like red cabbage it is still worth a look.