ABOUT - Ben Maggs

Ben Maggs, Singer Songwriter

“The Inimitable Mr Maggs”

The first time I met Ben Maggs I knew there was something unique and extraordinarily special about him. It’s obvious immediately, and every aspect of this Singer Songwriter’s musical expression has the same obvious qualities.

There’s a raw honesty and naturalness to his songs and his delivery. He’s a generous open hearted performer, exciting, moving, uplifting and inspiring. Every precious word is expressed with resonant clarity, as free as the flying feathers that decorate his guitars.

Ben’s natural vocal talent was apparent at a young age. By his late teens, he was lead singer and writer with Solace, a band that quickly secured a deal with Rip Curl. But they lost momentum when two members of the band decided to leave. Priorities shifted and dreams of a music career all but dissolved into the concept of a more ‘sensible’ future.

Many cajoled and encouraged, but it was through a series of challenging and tragic circumstances that Ben wrote and performed again. He recorded his first EP “Let in the Light” in 2011, receiving critical acclaim and winning awards for his then signature song “New York”.

His new album “Come as you are” sings of his evolution, his voice ringing truer and clearer than ever. Ben’s unique style, lyrics and melodies brilliantly reflect life’s journey, infused with the heartbeat of the natural and concrete world, and the many good folk met along the way.
The album draws especially on Ben’s experiences and adventures around the British Isles - the dramatic wilderness coastline of the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland, his Grandfather’s Welsh homeland and also his native Cotswolds.

All of Ben’s songs are written and performed with authenticity and integrity from the landscape of his heart, singing of the experiences of a man who feels and expresses profoundly and exquisitely. Beyond the undeniably high quality of his song writing, guitar and vocal performance, Ben Maggs really entertains.

Audiences are enrapt by his evocative vocals and melodic lyricism, the energetic “nothing held back” visceral nature of his performance and engaging inter-song storytelling, all carried exquisitely by resonant acoustic guitar. Festival and event organisers, audiences and fellow musicians alike describe Ben’s performances as “mesmerising”, commenting on how he "holds the audience in the palm of his hands".

You can expect nothing less than the full and free expression of the heart and soul of this talented troubadour, live or recorded.

The genre? Sometimes I want to say contemporary folk, or folk pop, or reference the troubadours of the 70’s, but this music is new. It’s not really like anything else, but there’s something here for everyone. Ben’s music is authentic and unique - as brilliantly expressed by an artistic admirer he is “The Inimitable Mr Maggs”.