Premiere: Ben Wylen, ‘Veins’

Kevin Bronson on March 6th, 2020

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L.A.-based singer-songwriter Ben Wylen crafts the kind of spacious, passionate anthems that artists from across the Atlantic have turned into arena rock.

His second single “Veins,” released today, recalls the likes of Coldplay, Keane, Hozier and Snow Patrol, so it’s no surprise to learn that Wylen’s forthcoming album “People Say” was made in London with Danton Supple, whose production/engineering/mixing credits include the likes of Coldplay, Morrissey, U2, Starsailor, Doves and Elbow. Wylen’s confessionals were fleshed out in the recording process with the help of drummer Richard Jupp (Elbow), bassist James Steflox (Starsailor), string arranger Audrey Riley (The Cure, The Smiths, Smashing Pumpkins) and Grammy-winning mixing engineer Steve Fitzmaurice.

It’s a far piece from the 27-year-old native New Yorker’s days at Cornell University, where he studied labor and industrial relations, or his early days in L.A. with his indie-pop band. The title of the album refers to his defiance of what “People Say” he should do with his life; his family included many Cornellians who likely expected he’d pursue something more lucrative than being a piano man.

“Everyone around me has got their opinions of what’s best for me or other people,” Wylen says. “‘People Say’ is about me coming to terms with not caring about what anyone else thinks. No one has any idea what’s best for anyone else. These same people who think they know what’s best are not happy and satisfied with themselves, no matter how much money they have in the bank. I find that attitude super hypocritical.”

Wylen is rolling out songs from his album one per month, and “Veins” is an outsized ballad with the kind of soaring chorus that lingers in the listener’s bloodstream.

“When I wrote this song, I was really into writing stories that could be interpreted in two completely unrelated ways,” Wylen says. “Depending on who you are, you might think this is a love song. It’s not. At least not in the way you might initially think.”

“People Say” will be out later this year

||| Stream: “Veins”