Ben Brown is back with a feel-good ode to his favorite fashion faux pas: “Socks & Sliders.”
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Brown’s latest single—premiering below—sees the London singer-songwriter defending the controversial combo through tongue-in-cheek lyrics and smooth, soulful melodies.
“I don’t care if people think socks and sliders [sandals] look stupid because there are crazy comfortable, so I’m going to wear them anyway,” Brown tells American Songwriter over email. “I wanted to create a summery and easy-going mood, with lyrics that aren’t meant to be taken too seriously. The lyrics were designed to create a point of interest even for people who wouldn’t normally associate themselves with this genre of music, which I think adds a whole new dimension to the song. The primary aim on the whole is to make people feel good, or at least crack a smile at how obscure the subject matter is!”
Brown produced the track in his room during quarantine. “I sent an early version of the instrumental to my friend and fellow singer-songwriter Amber Dee, who was keen to get involved with co-writing the topline,” he recalls. “After a series of FaceTime writing sessions over the next week or so, ‘Socks & Sliders’ was born! This was the first of a whole bunch of songs I wrote with Amber over the past few months. After I had finished with the production, I sent the track over to Will Paterson who added a couple of bits of production and mixed it.”
For Brown, quarantine presented an opportunity to hone his production chops from home. “I have a home studio in my room, so I’ve pretty much spent the whole time there,” he explains. “I have been working on my production a lot—this is the first release of mine that I have predominantly produced myself which has been really important for me. It’s allowed me to re-define my sound and dictate exactly where my music is heading, rather than relying on others.”
“Socks & Sliders” is Brown’s first single of 2020 following last year’s Neo Horizon EP. It’s also the first glimpse of his next batch of releases.
“I have five singles lined up from over the past few months, so I will have new music out every 6-8 weeks from now on,” says Brown. “They all share a common theme of positivity or satire written to brighten up your mood, whilst telling each story in completely different contexts and perspectives. I explore a number of different styles that I love listening to, including disco, soul, R&B and synth-pop.”
Asked what he’s been listening to during quarantine, Brown plugs a few tracks from an Amber Dee-endorsed singer-songwriter.
“I have been trying to discover some new artists mainly,” he says. “Amber put me onto an up-and-coming artist from Amsterdam called Benjamin Fro. Go listen to his tracks ‘The Park’ and ‘Multiplayer’—[I’ve] been loving those!”
You can check out more of Brown’s recent inspirations on his “Funky Soulful Selection” playlist and listen to “Socks & Sliders” below.
“Socks & Sliders” is out August 12.
Photographer Credit: Sam Clarke
