PRESS RELEASE "Friction" A New Studio Album from Ben Hammond

PRESS RELEASE ­ "Friction" A New Studio Album from Ben Hammond ­ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ­ Oct 2014 ­ MORE INFO: WWW . BENHAMMONDMUSIC . COM Song­builder Ben Hammond has released his third album, entitled “Friction”. The first half of this recording features full­band arrangements of original compositions ranging from reggae to rock, country­samba, funk­soul, and plenty more; the second half showcases his unique abilities using a loop­pedal to extemporaneously layer his voice, acoustic guitar and vocal percussion, orchestrating medleys and mashups of cover songs, performed live in the studio. Fans of Hammond’s 2011 release “Solo at Stone Mt” (recorded live at that prestigious venue which has featured such acts as Martin Sexton, Ani DiFranco, Bela Fleck, Arlo Guthrie and more) will enjoy the fully produced versions of a few previously released acoustic tracks, featuring some of southwest Florida’s finest musicians, and even featuring Hammond himself on upright bass and theremin in addition to his guitar and vocals. And those who have seen Ben perform live know the joy he derives from exposing new audiences to artists he loves, and using their songs as springboards to launch his own musical experiments. The solo looped covers include a heavily­grooved Beatles medley, a stripped down exploration of Canadian artist Hawksley Workman’s “Smoke Baby”, and a mashup of Bill Withers and Gotye featuring incredible female vocalist Kindred and internationally sought after steel pan player John Patti. A music video shot on location on Siesta Key Beach accompanies this particular mashup. “Friction” is a little darker, a little grittier, and ranges a little further across the spectrum, yet is ultimately drawn together by co­producer and keyboard player Matt Frost. This album may appear a slight departure from the acoustic­pop of his 2008 release “[Reasonably] Honest”, but still holds true to those elements which define his sound: “one minute he's singer­songwriter smooth, the next breaking into rap­jazzy scats, skillfully co­merging genres within songs.” [Sarasota Herald Tribune]. Since graduating from McGill University in Montreal, Ben has been relentlessly touring and performing in venues large and small all around the world, including residencies in New Zealand, New England, Siesta Key Florida, and appearances at festivals including a guest appearance at the Montreal Jazz Festival as a guest vocalist/beatboxer. He has sold thousands of self­produced records, and plans to promote this album with appearances throughout the Eastern United States this winter and touring again overseas this summer. “Hammond is a versatile musician who writes memorable originals, delivers when he decides to cover someone, and uses his guitar, voice and gadgets to create a sound that you want to keep hearing.” [Portland Press Herald] For more information or CD, promo and interview requests, contact me@benhammondmusic or call 941­323­1912