Ben writes songs, sings and plays Guitar
He's joined on stage and on recordings by various heads including:
Jamie Parkes, Violin.
Stuart Mack, Bass Guitar
Greg Smith, Guitars
Matt Rheeston, Drums
..Ben Calvert & The Swifts Promote Your Page Too..
Influences
Modern folk of the late 60’s and early 70’s, blur, The Smiths, Syd Barratt, Miserablism.
Mark Hunter, Russell Kemp, Chris Sims, and Matt Petch inspired it all.
Sounds Like
Syd Barrett Bert Jansch Nico The Smiths Belle & Sebastien Blur Nick Drake David Bowie Nirvana Unplugged
In the last couple of years Ben has played over 60 gigs all around the country, playing his individual Lo-Fi Post-Folk musings at venues such as City Folk at The Heavenly Social, (supporting Radio 2 Award Winner Kris Drever), Anti-Folk night 'blang!' at 12 Bar, and Bohemian Jukebox in Birmingham. He also joined Guillemots onstage for their final number at a packed out show at Birmingham Academy. He’s the local support choice of both NYC Anti-Folk originator Lach, and political folk-rocker Chris T-T.
September 2009 mark's Ben’s 4th consecutive year of playing the Moseley Folk Festival, appearing on a bill with St Eteinne, Bert Jansch and Circulus.
Ben’s song Leeds For The Winter was played by John Peel on his Radio One show, and songs from his autumnal debut The Leafy Underground have been playlisted and played on national and Independent radio stations in England, Australia, Spain, Japan and Austria.
"Finely crafted songwriting" Metro.
"Resurrects the mad ghosts of Nico and Nick Drake" Virtual Festivals.
"Bruised romanticism...Ben's Cohen-esque, Smithsian melancholy enchants the building audience." The Fly
With band there are energetic songs sung over power chords, with an unconventional double bass and lively drums.
In the new LP The Broken Family DaySaver these two sounds meet in an album where unashamedly happy songs of seaside jaunts, day trips, and amyl nitrate sniffin' sit next to reflections on impossible summers, crippling jealousy and the single parent conundrum.
The Broken Family DaySaver-Out now on Bearos.
Available direct from Ben via this site, on itunes, from Bearos, independent record shops, and as digital download via this contraption here:
"A booty bag of avid odes to poppers, kids and wonderboys; he's an understated emancipator of lyrical wisdom." Plan-B.
“Haunting, heart-bruising tales bitterly stumble into each other as if played by a meth-ed up, homeless Johnny Marr. The dark humour and stark honesty of Ben Calvert is paralysing, and charmingly so” The Fly
“Although Ben Calvert has a folk heart, it is a folk heart which has been broken on indie dancefloors to the sounds of Blur and The Smiths. An accomplished piece of art.” Indie mp3.co.uk
“The world of Ben Calvert is one of family, sex, drugs and psychedelic folk soul where city doldrums, insalubrious corners, glue-sniffers and cynical grey tile skies are redeemed and lined with silver by the innocence of ‘Kids’.
“The Broken Family Day Saver” is the very type of English modern day troubadour album which would be perfectly aplomb in any Shane Meadows film, and sees a return to the form which previously heralded radio play and endorsement from John Peel. An unexamined life is not worth living.” Redbricks Magazine.
“Flee is a soft and delicious slice of near nakedly drawn early Marr-esque
musings, that in truth is quite perfect for these sultry days. Beyond that the only thing you need know is that you ought to investigate Ben Calvert further for yourself.” Losing Today
Tracklist:
1.) A Bear in the Woods
2.) The Creatures of Simplicity
3.) Kids
4.) Kids Go Free
5.) The Theme From Wonderboy
6.) Easter
7.) Fly No More
8.) The Poppers Song
9.) The Broken Family DaySaver
10.) Flee
11.) Impossible Summer
12.) Please Help Me Think With My Mind This Time
£10 (includes postage and packaging worldwide).
Discography:
The State of Travel (Bearos, 2001, 7" EP)
£4 (+£2 postage and packaging worldwide)
The Leafy Underground (Bearos, 2003, CD Album)
£10 (+£2 postage and packaging worldwide)
love;defenestrated. (Bearos, 2005, CD EP)
£5 (+£2 postage and packaging worldwide)
The Loop of Love (With Bentley Rhythm Ace) appears on Christmas Folk and All December’s Bearness, Bearos, 2006)
Hi Ben, cheers for accepting our friend request, always good to "meet" fellow local songwriters. Sure our paths will cross at some time on the local circuit - All the best for ArtsFest in Brum on the weekend; Mark and Carolyn
Thanks for opening up your corner of this squalid cybersewer to us, Ben - and many thanks more for allowing us to befoul your Bohemian Jukebox soiree with our tawdry demagoguery. Having heard your material, it makes us rather humble to think that a cat of your calibre would extend the hand of virtual friendship to two liberalbilly chancers who are obviously dead inside; I suppose that's "diversity" though, eh? Keep it gangsta, old top, Cracktown
i need a quick and efficient way to dispose of both irritating bored children and irritating boyfriends... any suggestions? i'm thinking of removing myself from said situation thus wreaking war upon the house.
Hi Ben, I liked your new Year resolution song very much. I feel like that several mornings a week. Although recently i've been a bit more sober apart from NYE.
The Broken Family Day Saver review in The Fly July 08: 'Haunting, heart-bruising tales bitterly stumble into each other as if played by a meth-ed up, homeless Johnny Marr. The dark humour and stark honesty of Ben Calvert is paralysing and charmingly so.'
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