Benji Hughes | Interview

Story by Dylan Bliss 

| Published Nov 23, 2010

The trick to being truly unconventional is simpler than I thought. Have too much fun to pay attention to the trend. Get on stage, play amazing music and then party until it’s time to do it again. Benji Hughes is what’s up next. Loosen your jeans, grow out your hair and beard and open your heart to the world through some of the grooviest and most lovable songwriting out there.

Benji’s daring debut double disk “A Love Extreme” is a true acid pop mix-tape, a soundtrack for the best party you’ve ever been to. There’s 30 second electro-symphonies that link up a colorful array of endearing ballads and roofless funhouse jams. Pop music has never sounded so easy under the songwriting supervision of Hughes and the gang.

How can music this accessible be so obscure? It’s because “A Love Extreme” seems to be his sole form of marketing. Hughes is busy enough playing local shows and being awesome. He loves that you came to the party, but if you’re waiting for an invitation, you’re gonna wait a long time.

The following correspondence was held over the phone in a taxi cab ride through Los Angeles. Although he did request that I make him sound radical, I now feel he’s done enough of that himself.



Dailyer: I’m sure you’ll agree that all 25 songs on your debut “A Love Extreme” are not easily displaced. How was the idea of a double disc received initially?

Hughes: I worked on that record for a while with several people, they worked on it with me for several years. It’s probably three or four years work on that record and it just kind of developed over time. I didn’t go into it thinkin’ “I’m puttin’ together exactly this many tracks.” It ended up being what it was, I guess.

Dailyer: Was it a big decision?

Hughes: We just had those tracks and there wasn’t anything that we worked on a lot that didn’t make it. There’s not gonna be a 2019 “A Love Extreme” re-release with bonus tracks we didn’t put on there. It made sense, just puttin’ it in order.

Dailyer: Most of the songs you write are quasi-love letters and recalls of memorable experiences, is it all biographical?

Hughes: I mean, I think everything kinda is in a way when you’re a songwriter. I don’t mean to give you some kind of run-around on the answering of that question, but, you know, everything may not be exactly what I’ve experienced, but then again, maybe it is. I think it’s important for people to be able to get what they can outta songs. To nail it down and say whether somethin’ is or isn’t, well, that’s for the listener to decide, I reckon. You know?

Dailyer: Yeah, totally.

Hughes: Yeah, there’s definitely... You can tell I’ve been in love before.

Dailyer: You’ve had some pretty famous admirers. Jackson Browne, who is one of my favorite artists.

Hughes: He’s awesome, dude.

Dailyer: Yes. He and Jenny Lewis have both noted in interviews how much they enjoyed seeing you live. What makes your live performance stand apart?

Hughes: I think it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I get really top-notch musicians to play with me. I’ve had several bands at different times. I just go up there and play some good music and have a good time. Havin’ top-notch musicians helps a lot.

Dailyer: Do you play your entire album, or do you just pick and choose your favorites?

Hughes: I don’t usually have a setlist, I just kinda vibe it out. Whatever we think will work the best. It kinda just depends on what’s going on with the audience. I just try to gauge it, askin’ the guys in the band, “Hey, you wanna play this or that?” I like that vibe.

Dailyer: It seems you’re off to a pretty solid start. What does the future hold as far as recording and touring?

Hughes: I’m gonna be workin’ on another record with the same cat that I did with the last record. He’s a good friend of mine, an amazing musician and producer. I mean, as a songwriter I’m doing all kinds of stuff and he does all kinds of stuff, so we’re really lookin’ forward to gettin’ in there and cuttin’ some tracks as soon as possible. It won’t be too long I don’t think.

Dailyer: I’ve seen some of the work you’ve done in the mean time. I listened to Priscilla Ahn.

Hughes: Yeah, she cut one of my tracks. She changed the lyrics on it, but she’s very sweet for cuttin’ one of my tracks.

Dailyer: I had a question for your lyrics in particular. I noticed that on two of your tracks you mention the date April 17. Is that a special date for you, or is it just a coincidence?

Hughes: Once again, I think this is where ambiguity is a good thing in songs, you know? If there was somethin’, and then I told you, then that might make it less special for somebody else. I think it’s just best to leave it where it is. Certainly, I’ll tell you that the date from the “I Went With Some Friends To See The Flaming Lips” song is the actual date of the concert. How the rest of it all fits in and works, you know, the question “Why?” That occurs more than once.