Heavy Denim - Songs To Stay In To (& interview)
I had a sit-down with Ben Martin, the man behind Heavy Denim and also frontman of Sunderland based band House Proud. We chat about his latest solo project Songs To Stay In To.
Songs to Stay In to is the debut solo project of House Proud frontman Ben Martin, Heavy Denim. It features 8 tracks and is 21-minutes in length. Heavy Denim's Instagram reads:
'Nowt special just me and a guitar
Dedicated to Alan Forbes'
The songs house a bittersweetness like days gone-by. Opener and title track "Songs to stay in to" alludes to and sets the acoustic and musically self-sufficient tone that will become apparent as the project makes its way through itself. It's aesthetically Phil Elverum with the DIY, Bedroom Lo-Fi vibe(although it's actually recorded/captured quite sharply, cleanly). Sparse recordings - a man on his one and only. On your tod. Thoughts on things. Be it yourself, or your situation. Funny recurrences. Unbreakable bonds of time. Shackled to something tragic.
"Acts of Service" has a specific lighthearted jangle that reminds me of Led Zeppelin - Jimmy Page - when the electric guitar and riff-heavy rock is put away. Maybe it's the tuning used that brings out the brightness of the strings? It's a certain carefree feel, but not necessarily free of burden or weight - like choosing to be carefree rather than inherently being it.
'He had a wife and it hurt like a knife
Can't trust anyone further'
"Lost in a well" sits as the projects 1-minute centre-piece. A banjo-infused break from words. Reflective, but in a different sense to the rest of the songs.
Information on the project nibbed from the Heavy Denim Instagram two days before Songs To Stay In To's release reads:
'I've been sat on this collection of tunes recorded in my bedroom on my phone with no mixing no fancy recording gear. Just my phone mic. It's not perfect whatsoever, I just liked the idea of some shit sounding songs that don't sound too bad. The recording consist of background noises, tunings I can't remember and out of tunes. Plenty of reverb and some delay. Recorded a song a day wanting to take it on to actual recordings. But in true fashion that won't get done so this is what you're getting. Listen if you really want to, I have just made you read all of this to be told the songs are gonna be on Soundcloud only. Get that download and enjoy "Songs to stay in to". You don't have to listen but it'd be nice, support local music and all that rubbish bla bla bla. A special thanks to friends and family who have listened to this and for them to come out and say "the banjo tune is the best" most likely because I don't sing on that one(understandable). The ep will be out soon, probably this week at some point after I get all of you to share the amazing are work done by Rory(Maclean) on your Instagram story and everywhere else like that. There's no plans to do a gig but if the people want a gig they can maybe have one.'
Songs to stay in to: the midnight ride through your mind.
'A husky's eyes don't sit right with me.'
Pierce the veil portrayed. Ice cold. See-through-you. Nothing to hide as you can't hide anything. An open book brought on by some indescribable force. Soul-seeking. Prying, peeling, pulling. Where have you been? At Tom's house, no surprise.
Songs to Stay in to closes on a cover of "8 Days a Week" by those Liverpool lads.
The project artwork - designed by House Proud bandmate Rory Maclean - features Ben's Mother as her younger self. It feels like the past pulled present, and vice versa.
Heavy hearts. Heavy souls. Heavy Denim.
