Benson didn’t even know he could sing until a couple of years ago. Since that high school talent show, he went on American Idol and was predicted to win by Katy Perry but left the show to become the authentic artist he wanted to be… signed with Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons and Warner Records and really honed in on his writing skills which are on full display with his Walk Me Home EP. It’s a beautiful piece of work full of emotion and Benson’s insane vocals.
What’s your story as an artist?
My name is Benson Boone, and I started singing a little over 2 years ago. Let’s go back to my senior year of high school. There’s this huge school “festival” we do every year called the Spring Fling. Now, the highlight of the Spring Fling is Battle of the Bands, which is held at the end of the night.
(Something you should know about me is growing up I had four sisters, and three of them took piano lessons so I picked it up playing piano by ear when I was around 12 years old.)
Back to the Spring Fling, my best friend, Eric Magelsen, asked if I could play the piano for his band. At first, I thought he was kidding, but after a serious stare down and awkward silence, I knew he wasn’t kidding. I agreed and we planned three official band practices before the Spring Fling. Our practices went smoothly, no major issues and we felt good about our little gig. The day before Battle of the Bands, our singer decided to back out last minute. Eric and I were a little confused and didn’t know what to do, so I suggested we quit but he had different intentions.
Now, I’m going to pause for a moment to explain something. I’ve known Eric since he was two weeks old. You could say I know him better than his own mother. And something only a few people knew was that he has an incredible singing voice. So, logically, it would make sense for HIM to sing not ME. Right? But for some reason, he wanted me to take the place of the lead singer in our band. It made absolutely no sense, but I agreed. We had one practice to perfect my vocals, and honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected, but in no way was it good. I brushed it off and prepared to embarrass myself in front of the whole school and their families the following day.
Spring Fling day came and it was just as good as any year. Fun games, good food, lots of people, basically a picture-perfect small town festival. As it grew close to the end of the night, I became more and more nervous, as I had never sung in front of anyone, let alone tried to sing for myself at all.
When it came time for the big competition, everyone gathered in the courtyard to hear all the high school bands perform. Eric and I checked the roster, and of course, we were the last band to go up. We waited, watching each band perform getting more and more anxious. Finally, it was our time to go up. I slowly walked up to the mic and introduced myself and our band. The nerves started to die down a little as I worked the crowd and got a few laughs in our intro. Then, I sat down to play the piano. This was it. The moment everyone was waiting for. Benson Boone embarrasses himself in front of his whole town. I started to sing, and gave it everything I could. I sing two lines of the first verse and immediately stopped. I was in utter shock, the voice I heard was not one I was familiar with. It actually sounded…good.
My whole school erupted cheering us on, and I saw my mom and dad in the front row, speechless and wide-eyed. This was it; I automatically knew this is what I was supposed to do. I started over and crushed the four-song set we had, and it was the best feeling of my whole life. Everyone cheered so hard after every song, and it only got better as we went along. Eric turned to me towards the end with such a big smile on his face, we both were equally proud of what we had just done. By the end, I didn’t want it to be over, but it was time. The final decision was about to be made. We went and sat in the crowd to hear the results of the competition, and I have never felt so appreciated as all my friends congratulated and hugged me on behalf of the performance. We all finally sat quietly and awaited the name of the band that won. Shortly after what seemed like an eternal speech by our choir teacher, he announced the name of our band, “The Roots,” as the winner of the competition and we were the happiest we’d ever been.
I will never forget that day and the feeling I had discovering my voice. That is where it all started, and I will forever be grateful for the blind faith Eric had in me that day.
What inspired this last release?
Walk Me Home… is a very special release for me. I am very proud of the songs in this EP, and they are a direct reflection of my emotions over the past year. The reason I named it Walk Me Home… is because I felt lost. Music isn’t something I’ve wanted to pursue my whole life. In fact, it’s only been a dream of mine since I discovered my voice when I was 17 (I just turned 20). The music industry moves at such a fast pace, which is hard for me when I feel so new to the game. I want to explore my other passions too but sometimes it’s hard to find free time. These songs in the EP were very therapeutic for me, and helped guide me to a mental state that I’m comfortable in. Walk Me Home…is about my songs taking me to that place and helping me understand who I am.
Do you get inspired by other art forms?
Of course. Other people’s music, dancing, sports, etc. inspire every song of mine. Artists like Aretha Franklin, Adele, Sam Smith, and Stevie Wonder inspire me on a more musical standpoint. But inspiration for my music comes from many places, some I don’t even realize.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing this?
When we were writing Room For 2, the inspiration for it started off as a joke about a threesome. I sung the line “Baby I got room for two” when we were joking about it, and it ended up being the next single.
What’s your favorite place or environment to write?
Personally, I can’t stand dark lit studios. I love open space and lots of light. For some reason, it makes me feel so much more comfortable and able to express my feelings!
What’s a record that shaped your creativity?
Empty Heart Shaped Box is definitely a creative outlier from the EP. I wrote it with some of my best friends in a cabin in Montana, and we all pushed each other to stretch our creativity as much as we could to make this song special.
Who is an artist or band you look up to today?
Olivia Rodrigo. I love her style, her look, and her creative/writing abilities. I truly think she’s an extraordinary person with an amazing musical talent.
What excites you the most about what you do ?
Performing. More than anything. I absolutely love seeing people face to face and feeding off their energy. I get tired of just seeing numbers on social media, but when I get to see those fans in person, that’s when I feel on top of the world.
