Interview by tosnob

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Master of the catchy chorus Ben Lee has his new album, Rebirth Of Venus, coming out on Feb. 10th (read my review here).

Recently I had the opportunity to do a Q&A with Lee about the new album and music in general. I'd like to give a shout out to my brother, Bean Counter (a massive Ben Lee fan), for helping to come up with the questions for Ben.

T.O. Snob: First off thanks for taking the time to do this for us. You have your new album, Rebirth Of Venus comes out on February 10th. What can your fans expect from the new record?

Ben Lee: ITS PRETTY ECLECTIC AND COLLAGE STYLE POP. BIG CHORUSES AND LOTS OF HOPE MIXED WITH SOME CHAOS AND CORDUROY.

T.O. Snob: You've been at this music game for what must seem a lifetime now. Is the Rebirth Of Venus a rebirth of sorts for Ben Lee as well?

BL: EACH ALBUM FEELS LIKE SOMEWHAT OF A REBIRTH. I FALL PREY TO THE WHOLE "THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM I'VE EVER MADE!" SYNDROME THAT ALL MUSICIANS DO. THIS TIME IT FEELS LIKE I'M ONE STEP CLOSER TO AN AUTHENTICITY THAT I'VE ALWAYS SOUGHT IN MY MUSIC.

T.O. Snob: As someone who has been in the industry from a young teenager onwards, do you feel you missed out on any experiences that you may have had if you had more conventional teenage years?

BL: YEAH I PROBABLY MISSED OUT ON HAVING SOME MORE TIME OUT OF PUBLIC EARSHOT TO DEVELOP MY MUSIC. IT WAS ALOT OF PRESSURE TO BE OUT IN FRONT OF CRITICS AND CROWDS AT AN AGE WHERE I WAS NATURALLY SELF-CONSCIOUS AND INSECURE. THAT BEING SAID, I WAS QUITE MISERABLE LEADING A 'REGULAR LIFE' SO I WOULDN'T CHANGE THE WAY IT WENT DOWN. MUSIC PROVIDED A REAL OUTLET FOR ME.

T.O. Snob: Have your influences changed from when you began?

BL: I STILL LOVE JONATHAN RICHMAN SO NOT THAT MUCH HAS CHANGED! I GUESS THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT I STILL APPRECIATE LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS BUT NOWADAYS I DON'T FEEL THAT I NEED TO ABSORB EVERYTHING INTO MY MUSIC STYLISTICALLY. I'M QUITE HAPPY LISTENING TO SOME HEAVY DUDE ROCK WITHOUT FEELING THE NEED TO MAKE IT.

T.O. Snob: "Catch My Disease" was a breakthrough song for you, has that success changed you or your approach to songwriting?

BL: IT VALIDATED MY PROCESS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. YOU GET THOSE MOMENTS THAT MAKE YOU THINK "MAYBE I'M NOT CRAZY". BUT ULTIMATELY MY APPROACH HASN'T CHANGED THAT DRASTICALLY. I STILL LIKE BIG POP SONGS THAT ARE CATCHY BUT HAVE SOME INTELLIGENCE AND SOUL TO THEM.

T.O. Snob: In the past you've worked with Liz Phair, and the likes of Ben Folds and Ben Kweller as The Bens, if you could work with anyone in the future who would that be?

BL: I'D LOVE TO MAKE A KIDS RECORD WITH PATIENCE FROM THE GRATES.

T.O. Snob: Last year you released a song-for-song cover of Against Me!'s New Wave album. What made you pick that album and have you thought of doing others in the future?

BL: IT WAS VERY ORGANIC. I JUST LIKED THE ALBUM ALOT AND WAS EXCITED ABOUT INVESTIGATING IT FROM THE INSIDE. I WOULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER DOING IT AGAIN BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A NATURAL FAN-BASED EXPERIENCE AGAIN, JUST LOVING AN ALBUM ENOUGH TO INSPIRE ME.

T.O. Snob: The cover album was released as a free download, how has technology affected or changed your approach to releasing music?

BL: INDIE-ROCK ALWAYS HAD LOTS OF UNCONVENTIONAL OUTLETS FOR RELEASING MUSIC WHETHER IT WAS TAPE-TRADING, SPLIT 7' SINGLES, SIDE PROJECTS ETC. TECHNOLOGY HAS JUST OPENED THE DOOR EVEN WIDER INTO CREATING MORE AVENUES TO KEEP YOUR CREATIVITY FLOWING.

T.O. Snob: You also penned the soundtrack for the movie The Square, but all the songs were sung by Jessica Chapnik. Do you find that you write differently knowing that someone else will be singing your songs?

BL: SOMETIMES. THERE AREN'T REALLY MANY RULES THAT I CAN DECODE ABOUT SONGWRITING. I TRY TO WRITE FROM A SENSE OF PURE INSPIRATION AND EXCITEMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE PROJECT IS ABOUT.

T.O. Snob: What is your guiltiest musical pleasure?

BL: NO GUILT, ALL PLEASURE.

T.O. Snob: Have you ever heard a song and said "damn I wish I wrote that one"? BL: LITHIUM BY NIRVANA.

T.O. Snob: You don't hear yourself on the radio, is that really the way you like it? BL: AT THIS POINT, I COULD GO EITHER WAY. I DON'T FEEL AS DESPERATELY IN NEED OF THE VALIDATION OF MASSIVE SUCCESS AS I ONCE DID. I HOPE PEOPLE THAT LIKE WHAT I DO GET INSPIRED.

T.O. Snob: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to say to your fans in Toronto?

BL: LOVE TO T-DOT. SEE YOU SOON!

T.O. Snob: Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me. I wish you nothing but success in 2009.

BL: THANK YOU. SAME TO YOU.