Ben Wylen’s upcoming debut album, People Say, is being released in a unique way that embraces both the art of the album and the immediacy of streaming. His method? Release one song from the album on the first Friday of each month until the entire body of work is out. “I wanted to do it in a modern way but also respect the album,” Wylen explains. “That’s really important to me as an artist. Making records, making a holistic piece of art where the songs weave together in a particular way and the order matters.”
“The whole record is about expectations,” says Wylen over the phone as he self-quarantines with his girlfriend’s family in Calabasas. “It’s about expectations that I have of myself or that others have of me or that others have of each other.” This latest single encapsulates that common thread of the record that Wylen carefully curated to go together and flow coherently.
For “Lover’s Blues,” Wylen collaborated with producer Danton Supple (Coldplay’s X & Y). The two initially met at a songwriting session and they instantly clicked as they continued to work on People Say, together in London. Wylen recalls, “sparks were flying.” Wylen’s new release “Lover’s Blues” was born during that very first session with Supple.
On the day he wrote “Lover’s Blues,” he was in somewhat of a funk and grappling with feelings of frustration in his relationship. Over a dark and strange chromatic melody in the chorus, Wylen shares the thought-consuming weight of his relationship on his shoulders. As a contrast to the melancholic lyrics and moody piano chords, light fluttering violins weave in and out of the melody. It’s a sonic reminder that love may not be easy but it is something beautiful.
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