WHO BETTER TO SPEND VALENTINE’S DAY WITH THAN THIS TALENTED SINGER/SONGWRITER?
Gill Sherry
What are your plans for February 14th? If you’d prefer not to partake in a Valentine-themed meal, surrounded by numerous other couples all trying to ignore the wilting red rose on their table, why not head to St Luke’s in Glasgow instead, where Ben Walker, Scottish Young Live Artist of the Year 2024, promises a different kind of romance? The romance of a unique, unforgettable, live music experience.
You may recognise the name, Ben is, after all, listed among the 15 exciting Scottish artists on The Indie Scene radar. He’s also performed at TRNSMT and King Tut’s in Glasgow, plus Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh, to name just three.
So, how did it all begin for this Montrose-born singer/songwriter?
“I’d always fancied playing the guitar, but it was never something cool to do at school. At high school, the music teacher was pretty laid back. She said, ‘If you want to learn music stay where you are, if you don’t, go to that side of the classroom’. Of course, my friends and I went to that side of the classroom! One day she came up to us and said, ‘I need one other person to join this band, if you don’t do it, you’re getting homework!’ I played guitar and I was like… this is absolutely cracking! I loved it.”
That resulted in Ben begging his parents to buy him a guitar for his birthday.
“Being the amazing parents that they are, they got me a guitar… and I started singing along with it.”
A few years later, when the country was in lockdown, and encouraged by his friends, he posted videos of himself singing on TikTok. Having been bullied at school, putting himself out there was a big step for Ben.
He began by singing a cover of ‘Ho Hey’ by The Lumineers. At this stage, he was helping out on a local farm and a friend suggested he should do a live post from the tractor.
“I did… and I got 8,000 followers in one day! Then I had one of the workers drive the tractor behind me for the video and it ended up with a quarter of a million views in a week!”
He refers to this as “one of those crazy ‘kindling gets a spark’ moments” but basically, that’s how it all started. Before long, he was gigging in Glasgow, singing his own songs, and earning himself quite a following.
I can’t help but wonder what those bullies must be thinking now. Ben, however, isn’t one to dwell.
“It was nice having that moment of ‘cool, I’ve said my piece’ but now it’s time to grow up and move on to the next thing.”
And that next thing is his biggest headline show yet at St Luke’s on February 14th. So, what can the audience expect?
“A bunch of new songs,” he says, without hesitation. “We’ve been gigging relentlessly over the last year so anyone who’s seen us more than twice will know the general script. We’ve reimagined the beginning, middle and end, but the main thing you can expect is a show. It’s going to be nice to introduce the new songs and start getting into that showmanship.”
When he ways ‘we’ or ‘us’ he’s referring to his band, which is made up of Callum, Lewis, Charlie, Corrie and Neeve.
“It takes a village. I’m more than willing to highlight that because they work so hard and they’re all extremely talented. It’s important they get some of the spotlight as well. It’s awesome to be on the stage with them. It can be a bit lonely when you’re up there but sometimes, when you look to your left and see your pal giving you a cheeky grin, it’s cool!”
All of them were in attendance when Ben was announced as Scottish Young Artist of the Year 2024 which, he says, was a totally unexpected award.
“It was nice to have that recognition. We take our time to plan things… and we’ve all bonded over this. We’ve all got a keen interest in it, and it was really nice that the guys got to be there. We had no clue, it was cool.”
And they’ll obviously all be there at St Luke’s on February 14th. Talking of which, will the set include a romantic ballad by any chance?
“Oh, yeah, for sure! That’s the nod to Valentine’s.”
Rather than avoiding a gig on St Valentine’s Day, Ben embraced the challenge seeing it as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage.
“We just felt… if you like my music why don’t you come along? And if you don’t have anything to do, come out and maybe you’ll find someone!”
Co-incidentally, it’s almost a year since Ben performed at King Tut’s, a venue which he once cited as being at the top of his gig wish list.
“To be in this position now, it’s just surreal.”
Something tells me, having ticked off two of the most iconic venues in Glasgow, he’ll be setting his sights on a certain legendary ballroom. But let’s not forget his TRNSMT debut.
“TRNSMT in the summer was a total moment! When you write a song and close your eyes… that’s the crowd you would choose. But also, the Euros in Germany… that was a total moment, just standing there and singing ‘Caledonia’!”
I’m curious to know how Ben would describe his style. What genre has this promising young singer/songwriter chosen to follow?
“I have no clue how to answer this one! Indie? Country? I’m not entirely sure. It’s difficult to put my finger on. I’m writing constantly… I’ve been doing so much work to try and find the sound that I want to go forward with. I’m really looking forward to releasing some more music and seeing what clearly starts to be the pattern.”
It’s clear he enjoys writing songs as much as he enjoys singing them. In fact, having been introduced to a songwriting camp in Spain, he now goes out to the camp at every opportunity.
“I’ve been writing with Kyle Falconer from The View and a bunch of other guest writers… Callum Beattie, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers, and a few other absolutely amazing artists.”
So, after the romance of his St Valentine’s gig which, he tells me, includes two phenomenal support acts (David James and Rosie Alice), what’s next for Ben Walker?
“I’m releasing new music. My new single is called ‘Freedom of the Driveway’.”
Definitely a song – and an artist – to look out for!
Visit www.stlukesglasgow.com for tickets to see Ben on February 14th.
