Bennie James

‘There’s a sombre positivity to the music I write…as happy as I try to sound at times, a little bit of sadness still seems to flicker through…and vice versa, I guess…’

Bennie James pushes his dark rimmed glasses back into a comfortable position as he addresses the audience like a nervous and excitable host. He starts softly, sweetly even, but then builds himself up and unleashes the strength and growl in his voice and you could swear he has grown a foot taller. You can hear elements of the sixties in the music (The Kinks/Paul McCartney) accompanied with musical elements of modern acts Death Cab For Cutie & Noah & The Whale.

The 22year old musician has experienced tastes of success, both solo & with his band (Bennie James & The Hesitant Few). He has opened for acts such as The Whitlams, Paul Greene & The Dawn Collective and his tunes have received spins on a number of radio stations including Triple J & ABC.

Bennie James addition to Songwaves, ‘We All Keep On Marching,’ is a perfect example of Bennie’s flare for majesty. Rich harmonies & sweeping strings shine out in a wonderfully dynamic piece. Dom Alessio (Triple J’s ‘Home & Hosed’) reviewed it as a ‘beautiful, plaintive pop tune,’ remarking that the track ‘slowly opens up to this great climax.’