Ben Auld shares his long-awaited debut album, Lemongrass, out now via Earth Libraries.

Speaking on the inspiration behind Lemongrass, Ben said:

“I didn’t set out with a specific concept or a theme, other than trying to make something that felt classic and didn’t try to sound popular or current for the sake of it. A lot of the writing is about figuring things out, with friendships, relationships, myself. The stories are composites of real experiences and fictional ones, but the sentiment is always true.

It’s partly this want I’ve always had to create something, be it a book, film, or music. I think music was the one aspect I felt most confident in tackling first and once I started it sort of became an obsession. The other side of it is all the music I’ve experienced in the last few years. Music that calmed my anxiety, or reminded me of people I cared about, or made me envious that I couldn’t make music like that.

[The takeaway will] be a bit different for everyone I suppose. It could just be something pleasant to put on in the background while they’re ironing or it could be this life-affirming experience and both are great. It’s cool when people appreciate little details or subtleties in the songs but it’s just as good when someone appreciates solely for it being catchy or memorable, there’s something quite pure about that.”

Tell us about your story as an artist 

I started making songs in my early 20s and pretty quickly decided I was going to make an album. It seemed like a good end goal. 4 years later and here we are. I don’t really have any other goals, except make a better follow-up album.

What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?

Right now it’s focusing on my friends, relationships and myself. I’ve found the last few months pretty hard and music isn’t always the solution I wish it was. I’ve been taking it easy, getting into healthier habits, avoiding the news for a while.

What inspired this album?

All kinds of things – friends, other people’s music, films, places, cities, the weather, pets, mistakes, heartbreaks. Sometimes it is this unhealthy, selfish and obsessive need to create something. Sometimes it is a monument to friendships or experiences.

What are some of the core messages here?

Well the fundamental one I think is that if I can make an album then most people probably could. I am not a drummer, keyboard player, vocalist or an accomplished producer. I just spent ages figuring out how I could passably do those things to get a song finished. In the songs themselves, it’ll be different for everyone I suppose, but I didn’t intend to broadcast a message or get a point across – I just wanted to articulate how I felt.

How do you think TikTok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?

Hard for me to say as I have never used TikTok and I don’t really publish much to social media. Maybe they’re incredible tools that could propel me to stardom but I don’t want to put any energy into that stuff when I could be making more music or playing Mariokart.

What excites you about your life?

The uncertainty is quite refreshing – so much has changed in the last year and I have no idea where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing in another year.

What are some of your core values as a human being?

I’m by no means perfect, but the things I cherish in others, like empathy, patience, honesty, I try to be as well. I guess change is one of more core values. I’d hate to be condemned to be my 20 year old self for the rest of my life. I’m grateful for it and try to embrace opportunities to re-evaluate myself and try to be better.

Do you have any upcoming projects for this year?

I haven’t set any deadlines so we’ll see what happens. I’m working on things though.