Interview: Ben Lee

It may have only been six months since we caught up with Aussie’s King of Indie Pop but Ben Lee has proven just how much he can accomplish in such little time. His latest creation ‘Freedom, Love & Recuperation Of The Human Mind’ is a conceptual-based acoustic album dedicated to “winning back the right to think for ourselves”. We caught up with the spiritual troubadour to discuss everything from the deeper meaning behind the album, his new band with How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor, and his international enterprise in essential oils!

Congratulations on the new album! Could you further explain the concept of “winning back the right to think for ourselves”? 

Well, freedom is kind of underappreciated and it’s like we all believe we’re free. You could say that is almost the biggest hurdle to our actual freedom. We’re all born in the system, we’re indoctrinated, we take on other people’s ideas and other people’s bad views. The urge for real freedom, the freedom of our minds like the matrix, is something that involves a profound effort and a profound battle, and doing that while being a parent and having a job and everything is what the album’s really about.

Is there a particular aspect you personally struggle with? 

I struggle with the idea I’m imprisoned. It’s funny to look and realise how much art is created in essentially decorating your own prison cell, not always feeling the philosophical striving that’s innate to human beings and the poetic striving to be free, dependent and exist outside the realm of what ‘the tribe’ is thinking. But it’s okay! (laughs)

Were there any events or experiences that inspired specific songs? 

I generally don’t really write bio particular experiences. It’s more I ruminate on concepts and ideas and feelings and different sorts of emotional spaces, then they come out in songs.

Why did you decide to make an acoustic-based album this time around? 

I think it probably stemmed from playing a lot of guitar, playing it while my daughter was little and just exploring finger-picking.

What were some new musical techniques you explored?

I used an Open D tuning on most of these songs. These different tunings are something I’ve never been open to before but it really does create some textures that are kind of unusual for me. They gave me space to think a little differently to where I was going melodically.

I know it was important for you to record this album live without a click track, can you walk me through the recording process? 

I would sit there in my home studio and set up a couple of microphones and record my guitar and vocals. Just like that. And then I would listen back and say, “What do I want to add to this?”. And I would ask different friends to do something, so it was decidedly uncomplicated. I just wanted to capture a feeling of real intimacy, I guess…

Was this method of recording a much quicker process than usual? 

Yeah, it’s interesting. It’s sort of a bit of a mixture because sometimes when you get it it’s quicker, but if you don’t get that one you have to just keep doing it. For instance I recorded the song Thunder maybe five or six times and I’m still not actually sure I got it in the end because if you’re not willing to use studio trickery, the limitation is what you can actually capture.

I can imagine it can be really frustrating! 

I’m not that focused on perfection, I don’t think it’s central to what I do so I just try to keep in perspective that this is all an experiment!

A lot of mainstream musicians these days seem very lost and chaotic but you remain humble and focused. In what ways has your spirituality helped you stay so grounded? 

I think having a sense of spirituality and philosophy and trying to keep yourself in a sense of wonder can keep things right-sized, meaning even when your career is doing fantastically and all good things are happening and you’re making money, it’s all fairly small-changed in the scheme of trying to understand what this thing is we’re living in and how we’re related to it. In that sense spirituality can be incredibly grounding for us in just remembering what’s actually important and how big this mystery is!

What have been some of your greatest resources in understanding spirituality and philosophy?

At this point in my life I’ve read so much and studied so much and I’ve had all of these experiences, but honestly my own dreams and own impulses when I sit quietly…those are the best resources you have. Nothing can replace that quiet voice that wells up from inside you.

What are you looking forward to most about this upcoming tour? 

I just like the variety of it! I’m doing gigs, I’m doing speaking events, we’re doing some essential oil stuff from my wife’s and my business. For me it’s all one thing in that everything I do I just want to awaken the sense of possibility in myself, in my body and who I engage with. For me it’s exciting to be able to work in different arenas and share in different ways.

What can fans expect from these shows? 

I don’t know! (laughs) It’s not what you would expect. My job is always just to show up and be authentic and be myself. Anything beyond that…well, I don’t do a lot of planning.

In March when we chatted you said you were looking forward to unexpected opportunities in the future. What opportunities have come your way since then? 

Me and my friend Josh (Radnor) have a new band and it’s called Love Songs for God & Women. We’ve started making our first record so we’re going to put that out hopefully early next year. It’s been really great! I’ve also been doing this collaboration with the writer Tom Robbins on a musical called ‘B is for Beer’. Those are the major things!

You also mentioned you were working on the Qollari Essentials Project; what’s the latest on this venture?  

We formed under the auspices of this Qollari Project and it grew and grew to the point where we had to step into our own leadership. We formed our own business name called Skye Lee Essential Oils, my wife’s middle name and my surname, and it’s great. We have a team in Hong Kong, two teams in Australia and a team in the U.S. We’re really just enjoying helping families and individuals to start choosing natural solutions in their health and wellness. It’s been really, really inspiring for us!

Do you find a lot of people surprised at the extent essential oils can play into one’s health and spirit? 

They can be incredibly supportive. I think when you sit down and explain it to people and really explain how our grandparents used these plants and this is an ancient part of humanity, people kind of get it. But when they first see a bottle of essential oils they say, “What is that? What is that meant to do for me?”…so it’s more than a moment, it’s got to be an opening and that’s why we consider ourselves as essential oil educators. We help others become educators too so they can keep sharing the message and get people to open up to new ways of taking care of themselves!

What is your favourite essential oil? 

At the moment both my wife and I are really into one called Petitgrain, which is kind of like Lavender but for men. It’s not floral…it’s more woody, so that’s been a powerful one.

Do you ever make your own perfumes or colognes? 

Yeah, we make our own blends. I was wearing one yesterday, Vetiver and Wild Orange. It’s awesome!

Ben Lee’s latest album ‘Freedom, Love & the Recuperation of the Human Mind’ is set for release on Friday, 21st of October.

Ben Lee Live Dates

THU 10 NOV
One Space HQ Bondi, Sydney
FRI 11 NOV
One Space HQ Bondi, Sydney
WED 16 NOV
Wired For Wonder, Melbourne – (Speaking)
THU 17 NOV
Wired For Wonder, Melbourne – (Speaking)
FRI 18 NOV
The Caravan Music Club, Melbourne
SAT 19 NOV
The Old Museum, Brisbane
25-27 NOV
Wholelife Expo, Adeleide Showgrounds

Get Tickets HERE