Larry Heath from the AU review sits down with Ben Lee while in Canada to discuss his brand new, star-studded Mixtape, aptly titled A Mixtape From Ben Lee, and in the works for more than a decade. On the project’s origins, Lee says: “The project started when I was 20, that’s almost seventeen years ago… It was quite egoic how it started, I was going to show off that I could write great songs, and write in different styles – so I had this idea of writing different songs and getting different singers to sing…” However, over the years, Lee’s goals changed, “I really lost interest in that motivation, that time in my life of needing to prove this point disappeared.” Click through for the full interview.
Occasionally, Lee would return to the concept, “At various times I’d try and resurrect it… but it was a logistical nightmare… just so many different obstacles.” Later down the line though, things changed again: “It was when the idea of putting it out for charity came about that it reinvigorated the project. It gave it a new energy. It just lit the fire under it.”
On what we can expect from the mixtape, Lee says: “It’s available for one dollar and up. It’s really fun, it’s got Zooey Deschanel, Ben Folds, Neil Finn with Sean Lennon… It just reals like a really great sort of closure having this record out in the world.” See the full interview below.
You can purchase A Mixtape From Ben Lee here: https://amixtapefrombenlee.bandcamp.com/releases
Catch Ben Lee on the road this October!
October 3rd – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
www.woollymammoth.com.au
October 7th – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
www.cornerhotel.com
October 9th – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
www.oztix.com.au
October 10th – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
newcastle.lizottes.com.au
October 11th – Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul
www.ticketmaster.com.au
October 14th – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
www.moshtix.com.au
October 16th – The Gov, Adelaide
www.oztix.com.au
October 17th – Astor Theatre, Perth
www.astortheatreperth.com
