TWO of the Observer area’s most talented unsigned musicians are launching a full-scale invasion of Harlow next Thursday (Jan 5).
Singer-songwriters Ben Cork and Alice Walker, who are both famous faces on the Stortford scene, will be topping the bill at the town’s regular Incoming live night at The Square.
Former Bishop’s Stortford High School student Ben, who performs under the moniker Benedict, has been making a name for himself after opening a London show for 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke late last summer.
His first track Moonlight, which was released with an accompanying promo video several months ago, has seen him make the longlist for MTV’s Brand New For 2012 competition – and next week, following a public vote, judges will be announcing the final contenders.
Until recently a member of teenage indie-folk act Pandora’s Box, who opened shows for names like Boo Hewerdine before going their separate ways, pianist and singer Ben showed early potential as a regular at Stortford’s Acoustic Club and at the first ever Cazfest in 2009.
Since then, he’s started work on his first demo mix with a team of industry professionals, under the watchful eye of top London management firm Twenty First Artists, and is working on several video projects with promising young Stortford filmmaker Tom Lee.
His solo work shows a keen ear for the theatrical, with powerful vocals and sweeping compositions that wouldn’t sound a million miles out of place on a West End stage.
Ben’s gigging and other exploits in the capital have also seen him snapped alongside stars like BRIT award-winning songwriter Emeli Sande, who is about to release her first solo album after collaborations with the likes of Tinie Tempah and Cheryl Cole.
Thaxted artist Alice, who will be supporting him with her main musical project AlicebanD, has become a regular face on the Cambridge and London live circuits as well as on home turf.
With searingly honest, rapid-fire lyrics about the awkward and messy side of relationships, offset by some disarmingly jaunty piano and trumpet arrangements, AlicebanD manage to be fun, witty and original while neatly avoiding any obvious genre pigeonholes.
Buoyed by their frontwoman’s relaxed and self-deprecating stage schtick, the group were one of the highlights at last year’s Stortford Music Festival and regularly play much bigger gatherings across the region.
Next Thursday's gig, opened by Essex alt-rockers Mackley Drive, opens at 8pm and tickets are just £4. See www.thesquareharlow.com or Incoming’s Facebook page. To vote for Ben’s song in the MTV Brand New for 2012, see http://brandnewunsigned.mtv.co.uk/benedictmusic.
