Fresh from his first sold out Australian Headline Tour, 19 year old Sydney sensation; singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Ben Swissa releases the long-awaited debut EP ‘HUSH’ today. To coincide with the EP release, Swissa has announced the HUSH World Tour in Europe and North America and shares the new single ‘Before It Gets Worse’.
Ben Swissa shares, “it feels ecstatic to have this EP HUSH, out in the world. Being my first body of work, it holds some of the very first songs written, and those songs have a special place in my heart. I wanted to create something that is a clear representation of who I am and my sound. Being a guitar player from the age of 5, I’ve gotten into lots of different types of music in my short 19 years of existence. This feels like a compilation of the music that’s touched my heart and feels the most ‘me’. From the softer ballads with tracks like ‘Angel’ and ‘Before It Gets Worse’, to the more funk-inspired tracks like ‘HUSH’ & ‘Superficial’, this EP captures a snapshot of the music journey so far, and I’m proud of the love and work poured into it.”
The five track EP ‘HUSH’ is a vibrantly bold, kaleidoscopic take on contemporary, groove-heavy pop music. Recorded between the US and Australia, the soulful EP includes collaborations with Zhone (Charli xcx, Troye Sivan), M-Phazes (Ruel, Remi Wolf, Amy Shark), Tony Esterly (SIA, BTS, Raekwon), Mike Irish (chlothegod), Andy Mak (Vera Blue) and Scott Horscroft (Empire of The Sun). The EP takes us on a journey through Swissa’s reflections on his school years, relationships, friends and life as a teenager, drawing on his deep appreciation for classic soul, funk, r’n’b and pop music idols.
The EP opens with ‘Superficial’, a propulsive, sunshine disco funk strut featuring dizzying synth stabs, subtle electronic enhancements and Swissa’s dazzling vocal harmonies. Debut single ‘Angel’s stark, gentle beat and twinkling harp feeling simultaneously classic and current tells of a fallout of a toxic relationship. Guitars muted, arpeggiating and soloing, the song has a gently roving bassline, and Swissa drapes his honeyed falsetto over the lot, hitting breathtaking heights. The title track ‘HUSH’ advances to the next step of the love affair, unable to contain the joy in living one’s truth, with a sparse, piano-led verse that explodes into a joyously bombastic chorus, while ‘Feeling Lost’ comes back down to earth, contemplating the life transition between school and adulthood with a softly insistent rhythm, deceptively uplifting chord progressions, a chiming, inspiring chorus and syrupy stacked harmonies. ‘HUSH’ closes with the latest single ‘Before It Gets Worse’, a bittersweet parting shot that combines acoustic guitar, understated atmospherics and Swissa’s pleading call to reason as he bids goodbye to one love to throw himself all-in on another.
The past year has been a busy one with Ben Swissa having wrapped up his first Australian headline tour, selling out shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. He recently supported Icelandic blues rock band KALEO and American music duo The Driver Era on their Australian tours and curated the Ben Swissa & Friends: Live Music Series.
Swiftly becoming Australia’s next big thing, the HUSH World Tour, is Ben’s first international headline tour. Kicking off next month, the global trek will see Ben perform across Europe and North America, marking another exciting milestone for the young rising star.