[ Alex ] Benjamin , it ’ s been almost two years exactly that we had a visit ! It ’ s so good to see you today .
[ Benjamin William Hastings ] It ’ s so good to be talking with you again , thanks for having me back !
[ WM ] When we last spoke , we covered quite a bit of ground . I remember it was most engaging . We discussed everything from “ The Troubles ” in Northern Ireland , to your recording of Irving Berlin ’ s “ White Christmas ”, songwriting , and faith itself . So , let ’ s get going on our visit today ! Let ’ s start with your new project , Sold out , Sincerely .
I listen to a lot of worship music . Some of the projects are commercial hits , and others are commercial misses . But there are a small percentage that straddle both the hit category and the retail flops . These I call significant releases . They may have sold well , or they may not have sold well , but they were game changers in music .
Let me give you a bit of background to the question that I ’ m going to ask . In 1969 there was a project released by the British blues great John Mayall , called The Turning Point . During that time period , the recording scene was flooded with electric blues rock music , predominantly white and loud , and John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers , Fleetwood Mac , Cream , The Paul Butterfield Band , Canned Heat , and Pacific Gas and Electric were just a few of those artists . These bands typically had big , extended guitar solos and drums . But Mayall ’ s The Turning Point , changed everything . It was a blues album without drums and big guitar solos . I ’ m talking a lot because the point I want to make is that like John Mayall ’ s project , your new album sounds completely different than everything else coming out . Sonically and musically . What can you tell us about your decision to express your songs in the manner that you did on the new album ?
[ Benjamin ] Well first , thank you so much that ’ s probably the highest compliment you could give me . I don ’ t know if it was intentional as much as it is me being myself . I try to write in a way that comes most naturally but also lyrically and melodically . That is obviously influenced by what I grew up listening to , the things that inspired me , and things that are continuing to inspire me .
You hear little flares and flavors of that throughout my music . I know this isn ’ t sonically , but I ’ d say one of the main things that inspired me was my parents made me do this poetry thing as a kid , we used to call it “ speech and drama .” We would have to memorize a poem , and you would get up in front of all the other kids and parents and all recite the same poem .
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