Atlanta-based Ben Deignan has been playing regular dates here in Columbus over the past year. His self-titled debut cd was released in January of this year. He will be bringing his funky, poppy party vibe back to The Loft on Saturday, September 5th. I got the chance to spend about an hour talking to him recently.
Q: What initially brought you to Columbus and The Loft?
A: We’ve played the Loft several times. I really like Columbus. I love downtown. Actually, I adore it, really dig it. And I love the Loft. It always sounds great in there.
Q: What do you remember most about that first show?
A: It was at the Loft and it was nuts! We always do this two-set thing in Columbus. That night, by the first set we were doing our thing and the attention was great but by the second set everybody in the audience had drank a little bit more and we’d drank a little bit more and it turned into a celebration. There was a wedding party there or something and it just got nuts. We will always remember that. It was great!
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up when you were little?
A: A firefighter when I was real little. My dad was a firefighter before I was born so it was kinda my thing. I decided I wanted to be a musician instead when I was 15 but still, my favorite show now is “Rescue Me” on FX so it’s still a part of me.
Q: What was the first album you bought with your own money?
A: R&B tapes with my change. I don’t remember exactly what the first was but it had to be some cheesy early-90s R&B. I would scrounge change and do chores and pop a big thing of coins up on the counter of the record store – this is back when they still had record stores that people actually went to to buy their music – and me and the cashier would have to stand there counting it all out while the line of people behind me got longer. I had a Walkman cassette player with headphones. Do they still make those? I don’t think they do.
Q: What other music influenced you growing up?
A: That R&B was a gateway drug into soul like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. I also remember when I first heard Matchbox 20. I bought that on cassette. And then there’s U2 and The Police. They’re kind of generic musical vitamins. If you’re gonna do music you’re gonna have to spend some time with them.
Q: Who have you been listening to recently?
A: I’ve just gotten into Kings of Leon. I’ve been hearing about them for a long time but I’ve just now given them a chance. I bought their latest album and it rocks my face off. They are a mix between new age southern rock and arena rock I guess. Their lead singer’s voice is just the truth. There’s also Amos Lee. I liked him before he was popular in the South. And a guy from here in Atlanta named Anthony David. He’s a singer/song writer with a down-home, bluesy, front-porch sound. I like his song “Cold Turkey” – it has all of those elements – and “Georgia Peach” which any real Georgia girl is bound to like.
Q: How did you first get interested in playing?
A: It just kinda happened. My parents took me to Nashville when I was a kid and I thought the guitars were the coolest thing ever. I watched the guys on stage and it just looked like bliss to be up there – a way to be a kid forever. So when I was 15 I picked up a guitar and got into a phase that I’m still in at 23.
Q: How did you break into music?
A: I’m not sure that I have yet. It’s been a climb so far. I’ve been playing professionally for 3, going on 4 years and in the grind touring for about a year and a half. I’ve been plugging away and playing and doing what I do and if it happens it happens.
Q: How did the band come together?
A: I was playing around Atlanta meeting these guys all the time playing the same circuit. We’ve gone through a couple of drummers and a couple of bass players but the group I have now seems to have a brotherhood. We keep getting tighter and tighter. These guys seem to be the ones that want to follow me into the fire.
Q: What inspires you to write?
A: Just life. Reading. Living. Movies. Drinking. Touring. Romance, relationships, and the lack thereof. If my life isn’t worth writing about I’ve got interesting characters around me and I get to dig into their lives.
Q: Tell me a story about one of your songs.
A: Well, “Fault Line”, off the album. I wrote it right after high school and it’s got high school references in it. It talks about the homecoming queen and the cheer-leading team. It was fine then but it feels weird to sing it now at 23. It reminds me that I’m getting older. Has it been five years since then already?
Q: If you pop “Ben Deignan” into the search on youtube you get a ton of hits of you doing the solo-acoustic thing with a webcam. What gave you the idea to put your stuff up there?
A: At the time I started it was my only outlet. Other people were doing it and I figured I could do it as well or better. I’ve gotten some good exposure that way. I’ve also learned a lot from the feedback from other people and from viewing it myself. If you go back and look at the early videos until now and look at the evolution you can see that I’ve grown a lot.
Q: What goes through your head when you step on stage and there’s a huge crowd of people?
A: Thank God! It means I’ve booked a good gig. And the energy is real high so I don’t have to try too hard to get into people’s heads like I do sometimes when there’s only like ten people. When there’s a big crowd I’m most comfortable. Lots of people is a good thing!
Q: Thus far, what was the one moment when you most felt like a true Rock Star?
A: When we opened for Collective Soul at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. There was a huge crowd, a great green room, and everything just ran smooth like it would if you’re on top. And then there was the after party and we got to hang with the band. And we were well fed and we drank well. Plus this was in my hometown. Also, the night we sold out the Hard Rock for our CD release. We owned the city that night!
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned so far?
A: I’m still learning. I’ve grown over the past year. I used to be so neurotic and I’ve learned to take things with more ease, you know, roll with the punches. This can be a cut-throat business and there’s ups and downs and you just don’t sweat the small stuff. I think I’ve learned not to get in my own way. And all of that applies to life in general as well as music.
Q: You’ve had the chance to play with many big names. Who’s been your favorite and why?
A: Well, there haven’t been that many. Collective Soul, Huey Lewis…all of them I guess. Especially the ones I get to hang out with. And the ones who bring lots of people that I then get to play in front of.
Q: If you could play with anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?
A: Stevie Wonder would be awesome but I’m not ready for that…but I guess if we are just daydreaming here, yeah, Stevie. And Micheal Jackson for someone who’s dead. Man, it’s still just so soon to think about that one.
Q: What big things are planned in the near future for Ben Deignan and Suburban Soul?
A: Get out west, up north. We are talking about doing Europe and spending more time in the studio. We have a lot of big plans but we are still taking things one day at a time right now.
Q: And when you’re not busy with BDSS what do you do with your free time?
A: I wouldn’t say technically that I actually have free time. I’m always doing something relating to music, either practicing or performing or doing something to stay in shape because this business can be hard on your body. I read a lot. I was never much of a reader – always too ADHD for that – so I’m glad that I’m doing that now. And movies. I like to watch movies. That’s about all I do that doesn’t relate to music but it does because I get inspired by that.
Q: The last question is kind of random and silly. When you get really uber famous (because we all know you will) what is the first totally diva thing you want to do?
A: I’ve never really thought about that. There’ve been times I’ve had assholes giving me a hard time and really piss me off and I’ve thought, “If I get famous I want to come back and tell this guy to go to hell!” I’ve wanted to do that but I don’t think I ever will. The biggest people I’ve known in this business have always been really humble and I hope that I’m that kind of guy if I ever get up there. But who knows. I may be totally obnoxious if that ever happens.
