Benz finds a rich, warm sound on new single "The Smile"

18 October 2018, 09:15 | Written by Austin Maloney

(Tracks)

(Benz)

When people try and pitch you an artist, they often like to say that music comes naturally to them as they had a "music-filled childhood". But Ebba Salomonsson, aka Benz, literally had a music-filled childhood, growing up in her dad's record shop in Norrköping, one of the biggest, size-wise, in Sweden.

A couple of years and a couple of moves later, she's got a debut EP on the horizon, and a new single, "The Smile". Starting off a little rough and raw, it quickly settles into a warm, rich piece of classical pop, its themes of memories held close and times and people lost find a home in smooth swirl of guitars, piano and little splashes of horns, all paired with Salomsson's half-sighed vocal.

That mix of memory and musical flair gives it a cinematic quality, brought to visual life in Ebba Gustafsson Ågren's (also of Wy) video. Check it out above, and read an interview with Benz below.

BEST FIT: You played in bands before, what was it that lead you towards a solo project? How did Benz get started?

BENZ: "Well, I was studying music production in Örebro and felt homesick so I guess I just started writing and continued to play music. I remember quite early that I thought of the name Benz, so somehow it just stuck. For now, I'm playing with some friends and that is what I like the most about music, playing together. So Benz is also a band."

What kind of influences feed into the Benz project?

"Oh, so much...I listen to very different types of music every day. And growing up in a small town with a great record store of course added to my preferences. During the recording of the EP I was listening to The War On Drugs and Neil Young, as well as Alvvays and Talking Heads."

"The Smile" is a kind of ‘recreate the moment’ song that focuses in on a specific memory and builds a world around it? Is that a way you like to write?

"Yeah, it appears that way. Maybe I'm too sentimental."

The EP was initially due to come out at the start of 2018, any reason for the delay?

"Yes, there is. I signed with Better Call Rob and started working with management called Feverish. So I reckon it was better to wait then release it all by myself, as before. It's more fun this way."

And finally, what can we expect from the EP?

"I guess it's an indication on what type of music I'm trying to create, a blend between stillness and complete mayhem. Maybe you could say it's a start."

"The Smile" is out on October 19 on Better Call Rob.