POPWORLD - (May 2005)

How's it all going, Ben?

It's all going really well. I'm just feeling my way through it. It's kinda like riding a bike, I think. The first couple of things I did I was a bit, "Hmm, I haven't really done this in three years, how do I do it?" And then after that it was, "OK, this is easy."

What have you been doing?

The first six months were amazing. I went on loads of holidays and chilled out. I think a lot of people panic when they have a band and think well I'm famous so I better ride that success. I didn't want to do that because I wasn't really ready. I didn't know who I was: artist-wise, music-wise or personally. I really needed to get my head sorted out and come back when I was ready. I basically locked myself away, wrote the best part of 250 songs and when I felt the time was right started taking it out to record companies.

What is the Ben Adams sound?

I just wanted to get everything I love from music an put it into one. For example, I've a track called "It's brutal out there" where I start signing opera, put it over some jazz chords and put that over a hip hop beat and it really kinda works. I get quite bored by a lot of albums I buy these days 'cos they're just all the same and I've heard it all before.

Did you ever consider the reality TV direction?

No. I didn't really need to. I've come from a band that had been really successful and those type of shows are for people who are starting out. If I was to have done one of those shows I think I would have been messing with my integrity and people wouldn't have taken me seriously when I came back.

So you're not fan of them?

In a way they kind of done a disservice to music and in a way it's done a good thing. In the bad way you're getting artists selling absolutely millions who may well have less talent than artists who have been struggling for years and years and years. On the other hand it's shown the public how manufactured things can be so I don't think you can get away with releasing a substandard album anymore.

How's the industry different now then when you were in A1?

I much prefer it to be honest with you. I loved beeing in A1, it was cool, and who knows I maybe wouldn't be here if I hadn't done it but now the best thing is I don't really have to compromise, I don't have to ask anybody's permissions or opinion. I can pretty much make my own decisions and I love that.

Are you still in touch with the others from A1?

Definitely, they're all still in music. Mark's a big songwriter, Christian's a solo artist in Norway. Paul, I think is doing a tour of Germany with a group of people. I think its nice that we have all stayed in music.

Was it traumatic cutting those famous curtains off?

Initially it was as I didn't know what I was going to look like. I thought I'd look like an idiot. And then I did it and I was like, "Oh, actually it looks better and I don't know why I had that haircut for so long.

Was it long after the end of A1?

Yeah, it was immediately. A symbolic gesture to mark the end of that part of my life. I kind of kept that haircut to please other people. The record company kept saying little girls loved it and I had to keep it so I did. And then got to the point where I didn't have to anymore. It was quite a relieving experience.

Thanks to Steph for providing this interview from Popworld and for letting me publish it.

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