Piano/Keyboard, Lyrics/Vocals: Ben Willson. That's 2 L's in Willson. Not to be mistaken with every other Wilson you might know and be familiar with. Son of William, not Wilhelm.
Influences
Originally influenced but no longer inspired by Ben Folds: To this day both influenced and inspired by: Ryan Adams, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Broken Social Scene, Ben Folds Five, The Postal Service, Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, Sun Kil Moon, The Innocence Mission, my brother Drew, and my father's sermons.
The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber, and the illustrations by Marc Simont; The Dark Way by Virginia Hamilton, and the illustrations by Lambert Davis. Rain, mist, fog, thunderstorms, the glow of street lamp posts, the flickering of candlelight and its adverse shadows, the autumn and the winter, the break of day, the dead of night, the twilight, the nightlife, the rhythmic hum of fans, clanking of pots and pans, spattering drops of water from the faucet, hose, or lawn spigot. The fresh breeze in the dead calm.
and all the wonders and the travesties we'll ever or never come to know.
Currently involved in a project with guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mark Strong, who was not only a former member of both LA bands The Waking Hours and Edison Gower, but is also the founder of Stranger Than Fiction Records: the label under which The Waking Hours, Edison Gower, and Benvolio, among several other artists all debuted their material. Willson and Strong's project is currently entitledWe Know, Plato!, and the duo are rapidly developing song material as they plan to make this last for quite some time.
To listen to and/or purchase individual tracks or Benvolio's entire collection, thus far, you can purchase directly from the mini-store directly below:
so one of your demos popped up on mark's itunes just now (i wasn't snooping, really! :), and i just wanted to tell you that i think you are really very talented, and have a lovely singing voice. of course, everyone already knows this, but i don't know if i ever told you myself!
ah. You sound poetic. haha. =] that's really nice and I agree with it. I wonder what the world would be like without music and art and dance. It wouldn't be a place I'd like to live in, that much I know.
[P.S. aw shucks. *blushes* well, thank you. haha. you're very kind to say such a silly thing. ]
You've got to be kidding; a guy who plays the keyboard and sings? wait, it's more than that. a very handsome guy who plays the keyboard and sings? That's what dreams are made of. haha. and that sounded really cheesy. but, really, your music is so beautiful. I play the keyboard too, but I don't think I'm great. It's nice to be able to be inspired by your music though. And I have a feeling you're always going to play the keys, so there's nothing I should worry about.
okay good!! yeah i am trying to come to one of them out there until you can travel and come out to Pittsburgh and what not!!! But yes in the summerish time i should be around one of the shows!!
Hello!! I thought it would be kind of me to say hello and what not since I love We Know, Plato! and help run the street team haha yeah I'm Aimee. Nice to meet you.
oh my god i hope so ! when daniel mentioned that i thought he was just throwing that idea around, but if it's actually a possibility that makes me more excited to come back than to leave, if that makes sense? but yes, i will be there for sure! just let me know times and where!
ah Benvolio, how right you are. except i'm not gifted enough to tack on a story to accompany that thought :/ but i was listening to all of these tracks last night and "Keep the lights burning" WILL be the next CD that i purchase :]
so thank you for your musical contribution to the world. fans like myself appreciate your gift more than you'll ever understand :)
don't call it a comeback. but i'm back. not physically, but intellectually. i'm hoping a picture chance will lead to a more drastic content chance of my-myspace. let's see.
Hey man I'm back on the 'ol myspace. Just finished blowing the dust off my personal info and hanging up a new vid. Been far too long sence we chatted, send me a message here or sumthin.
Hey, didja get my gift certificate? I tried to do one on EBay but I forgot my PayPal info and didn't want to sign up again. And... can I be a top friend again... pretty please?
as a matter of fact, we do still hang out a lot. youre just not at jmu to witness it like you were last year. and this picture is too classic to forget about. and she's actually my roommate next year. so bite your tongue!
Hey man! i don't know if I said this last year or not, but I think your version of HYSAMLC is by far one of the top versions. I even love the gritty low-fi sound of the recording. That is partly what adds to the greatness of this version. Mucho Kudos, mate!
Thanks for awesome pinch hitting in Richmond for our show - sorry for the delay in gratitude but we just got back from tour last night. Cheers! The Sky Drops
A) I know its Ryan, I love him B) there isn't a version of his on myspace so I opted for this one C) I hate to say it but Tyler Hilton and Bethany Joy Lens sing the cover and this was the only version of the song I could find
Hokay, so... I will be in the V-A from 22 Dec until 2 Jan, so if there is a show I will most likely attend. But that's the soonest I'll be making it out that way again. So have a Christmas Show. With Christmas lights.
Hmm... I will most likely not be back in VA during that time. I'm actually going to be in Ohio running a 1/2 marathon (woo!). Buuut, if you guys are doing anything around Christmas I will be sure to come and listen to some chill music.
If you make it to Phoenix, I will def come listen too.
My how times have changed... from our mere youth of playing improv piano to going forth with our lives. Just don't stay in Ashland forever--you have better places to be going with your talent. Take care!
thanks for the love! Thats Allyson Kennedy on the backup vocals...I think shes your girls roommate? i dunno and the extra song you get if you add this bodog music thing as one of your friends...i dunno exactly what its called but its bodog something and its somewhere in my list of friends anyway thanks again for the love and thanks for lendin me those lovely piano jams
hehe my pleasure, oh and i was a mcdonalds yesterday and asked for a ranch snack wrap, except i did it in the retarded way you do it! ha! it was hoooolarious!
Hey ben! Its probably been since I was in high school. I think the last time I saw you, you were in middle school. How are you doing man? I can't believe that you are grown up and doing well. Good for you. How are your parents by the way?
yo ben... ur online.... im playin ur music for myboyfriend who plays guitar.... he heard u on some other website b4 he even met me and i mentioned ur name and h was like oh i wanna play with him.... so props t you..... love ya kiddo keep on keepin on
sooo I think I know you...I'm not too sure though, I mean you are on my top friends but the name...hmm its vaugly familure...pretty awesome tunes though :P
