The great songwriter Guy Clark often referred to them as ‘workbench
songs’. Songwriting is like that. Sitting alone at a bench, crafting words
from endless possibilities. Adding melodies. Refining everything.
Stitching it all together. Polishing the results. It’s a craft. The more you
do the finer you become.
Ben Walker follows in that tradition of hardworking, nuanced songwriters. Waiting for inspiration. Trying to manage that intangible combination of words and music.
Many songwriters run out of inspiration. Many write the same song
over and over. The best just get better. That’s what they do.
Ben Walker keeps getting better. He’s been at this songwriting caper
for a while now. He was pretty good when he started. But he’s a much
finer songsmith these days.
Is he folk? Is he country? Is he roots music? He’s all of those things -
and none of them.
Like Paul Kelly, Ben Walker is a songwriter. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Words and melodies are what matter to him. And then singing those
songs to you.
“I love writing interesting songs and telling interesting stories,” Ben
says. “I want to write songs where people listen and go ‘wow, I felt
something listening to that.’
There are a lot of different songwriters that I take influence from – and
some might not seem that obvious. I’m really inspired by Paul Rodgers
from Bad Company, and also the songwriter Paul Carrick.
“With the people I relate to – who do what I aspire to – their songs are about building a
connection with an audience. It’s about getting people to turn their phones off, to stop
looking at them, and invest in hearing and thinking about what’s going on in the world.
That’s the sort of songwriter I want to be.”
OK, so who is this Ben Walker songwriter guy? For starters, as we’ve explained, he’s not
your typical songwriter.
This British-born artist, now calling Sydney's Northern Beaches
home, writes songs of heart, soul, joy, sadness and hope. He writes them with nuance,
poignancy and insight and combines them with soulful melodies with poignant storytelling
that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect deeply.
That’s the essence of what you need to understand here.
In 2020, Ben began releasing music and his heartfelt tunes earned him festival appearances, co-writing opportunities with other talented artists, and widespread radio play. It was –
especially for a newish songwriter and singer – validation of this crazy caper he’d decided
to embark on.
And when the going gets tough, the tough get better – and better. The real proof of Ben’s
talent came in 2022 when his song "I Won't Forget" (a rather beautiful collaboration with
Allan Caswell, Beth Lucas, and Stephen Dobson) was listed as a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (Folk Category) and soared to number 1 on the Australian
Country Radio Chart. That‘s the sort of stuff that breeds confidence – and the desire to become an even better songwriter.
In September 2024, Ben released his debut album “A Place I Like To Go To”. It was pretty
damn good.
Commenting on the album music writer Stuart Coupe said:
“The recordings of those songs on this album straddle many musical styles. Are they folk?
Are they country? Does it really matter? They fall under a broad umbrella of music which is
held together by a couple of essential tenants – they are beautiful written (and sung) observations on life, times and the emotions that we all experience.
“They rank amongst some of the finest examples of song writing coming from this country.
In the same way that the likes of Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, Don Walker, Julia Jacklin, and
Grace Cummings aren’t labelled with a musical category – they’re simply known as great
songwriters – nor should Ben Walker. He’s a writer of songs. That’s what he does.”
Just in case you were wondering, since then Ben’s head has resumed its usual size.
Seeing Ben perform is a treat. His solo shows are intimate and captivating, with a disarming honesty that draws you in. Expect to be taken on an emotional journey, with each song
a chapter in a larger narrative.
Ben has a lot (yes, a LOT) of new songs coming in 2026. And he’ll be on the road whenever
possible playing them to anyone who wants to have a listen. That might be you?
Sometimes Ben will be solo – other times with a band. He writes the sort of songs that
work in both environments. Why? Because they’re all about words and melodies and those
two elements transcend formats. The finest artists write songs that work well with musical
augmentation – but still stand up superbly in a naked, bare bones environment.
It’s simple really - great songs need to work as well with a strummed solo acoustic guitar
accompaniment as they do with a full band sound. Just ask Bob Dylan – he’s pretty good at
both formats. And he’s the yardstick.
At their core Ben Walker’s songs are nuanced observations on life, times, emotions,
dreams, disappointments and aspirations.
Have a conversation with Ben and his songs. You’ll both be the better for the experience.
Ben tells musical and lyrical stories – but he’s also a good listener – which is why he writes
such superb songs.