ON THE RISE
Benjamin Hey! has always wanted to be a musician, bringing people together with his insightful lyrics and beautiful vocals. Now as a releasing artist he is doing just that. Hey!’s last single “Ra-Ta-Tat-Tat”, was a bold track that addresses gun violence in urban communities. Now taking a step into a new direction, his newest track “No Samples” focuses on self respect and the importance of not settling for a romance that isn’t in your best interest.
“No Samples” comes at a time where many of us find ourselves in a bit of a tight situation. With the holidays upon us, the world is settling into cozy relationships and discussions of happily ever after. The season makes it easy to consider hopping into the first relationship you can find. This song, and Hey!’s own testaments argue for something different though.
“No Samples” is a track about holding out for something that is truly worth your time. “I want to inspire others who feel like hopeless romantics to know that they aren’t alone,” Hey! said. “It is worth your time to hold out for something special and amazing.”
When listening to this song, the R&B melodies and sensual feel transport you into the sexy, high fashion world of a New Yorker. The song itself emulates the attractive nature of independence and living life for yourself. “There is so much of a social push for relationships right now,” Hey! explained. “That isn’t always the way things should be though.”
Alongside the single, Hey! released a video that exudes the appeal of a sexy, single life. It blends perfectly with the song, creating the feel and energy of the high class New Yorker who knows their worth.
Hey! is an avid advocate for self love and letting the right relationship find you when the time comes. “There is no need to force yourself into something and settle with that,” he said.
As an artist who has committed himself to writing a new song daily, Hey! has a collection of tracks that he is excited to share with the world. With a versatile sound and an endless pool of creativity, he is sure to have something that will excite everyone.
Not only will Hey! be releasing projects of his own, he will also be sharing collaborations with other incredible musicians. This includes an upcoming project focused on female empowerment and the strength of a woman who sets her mind to something.
There is so much that this artist has to offer, be sure to keep up with him and follow along as he continues to share his art with the world.
Make sure to stay tuned into Benjamin Hey! on various platforms for new music, visuals and social posts.
Websites:
BenjaminHey
Youtube
Spotify
Apple Music
“RA-TA-TAT-TAT”
Youtube
Spotify
Apple Music
Socials:
Instagram
Tiktok
ON THE RISE
Blossoms caught up with NME to discuss competing with The Beatles and Johnny Marr for this week’s Number One album. With ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ in the running, the band also explained why making things themselves remains such an important part of their work as AI becomes more common.
The Stockport group put out their sixth album last Friday, October 2. By the midweek update, it was sitting at Number Two, between The Beatles’ expanded edition of ‘Rubber Soul’ and Johnny Marr’s latest solo album, ‘The Age Of Everything’.
“It’s mad, to be honest,” singer Tom Ogden said to NME about the chart race. “Liverpool on one side, Manchester on the other and Stockport in the middle. If you’d told us this 10 years ago, when we were releasing our debut, I wouldn’t have believed you. But I mean, we’re in good company aren’t we?”
Discussing the stories behind the album, Ogden described ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ as “about being married and all the everyday stuff that comes with it”. He married Katie Donovan, the sister of Blossoms drummer Joe, in 2021. Married life has since given him a new appreciation for what he describes as “the extraordinary ordinary”.
“Saying the wrong thing in an argument, losing your wife’s no claims bonus, crying at the Kardashians, it’s all in there,” he explained. “The album is named after Stockport Town Hall, which everyone round where we live calls the Wedding Cake, and it’s where I got married, so it couldn’t be much closer to home.
“The last album [‘Gary’, 2024] had a song about a stolen fibreglass gorilla, which everyone loved, and that gave us the confidence to bring the same playfulness to this one, just with more personal subject matter this time.”
Alongside tracks that came out of writing sessions with Declan McKenna in a hot tub, the album reflects the band’s desire to stay involved in every part of the creative process.
“It started with the recording,” Ogden explained. “We made the album with Shawn Lee, playing live straight to tape, and once you’ve done it that way you can’t really go and fake everything else. We sat down as a band and picked the colour palette, and everything visual followed from that. We had body scans taken of ourselves and cake toppers of the five of us 3D printed, put them on a real cake and photographed it. I’ve directed and edited the videos, and the sets are all built by hand, no green screen. For the pop-up shop on launch weekend, a local artist hand-painted the album cover for the sign outside.
“It’s more work, but you end up with a world that’s yours, and I think people can tell when a band’s had its hands on everything.”
With AI tools and digital effects becoming increasingly widespread, that approach feels particularly relevant. For Blossoms, though, the motivation is simple: “the fun is in the making”.
“Tape doesn’t let you cheat and neither does a real cake,” Ogden said. “If a set’s a bit wonky, it’s because one of us or our mates built it. I think the more stuff gets generated, the more people want to know a human being actually did it. We’ve been in this band together for over 10 years, five lads from Stockport, and that isn’t something you can ‘prompt’.”
Maya Jama also appeared in the video for the album’s first single, ‘Meet Me In Love’. Her appearance came shortly before the UK launch of Celebrity Traitors, where she took on the role of a traitor alongside a cast that included Richard E Grant and James Acaster.
“She was brilliant,” Ogden recalled of working with Jama. “We’d met her at the MTV EMAs in Manchester a couple of years ago, so we took a chance and sent her a DM …and she said yes. Next thing she’s in a theatre in Cheadle miming my vocals while a load of people dressed as me serenade her. She got the idea straight away and was a proper laugh about it.”
The conversation then turned to whether he thought Jama could take home the win on Celebrity Traitors.
Ogden joked: “As for Traitors, she spent a whole day pretending to sing my song and I almost believed her, so I’d say she’s got every chance.”
Fans can listen to ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ now. In November, Blossoms head out on a UK arena tour with The Royston Club. Tickets and further details are available here.
Before the tour begins, the group is also scheduled to appear on SNL UK on Saturday, October 24.
