Back in March I was flown to Detroit by Esquire magazine to record a song and take part in a fashion shoot. While I initially viewed it as a free trip back home to see my friends and family, I ended up genuinely enjoying the experience. It was my first time in a proper recording studio left to my own devices and the result, a song called "Bury My Body at Elmwood" is something I'm proud to have written and played all the instruments on. And as much as I dreaded it, the fashion styling/shooting weren't all that bad.
Here's what Esquire gave me to say about it all...
For its May 2011 issue (on newsstands April 26), Esquire gathered Ben Blackwell and four other amazing musicians in Detroit for a two-day fashion shoot with legendary photographer Danny Clinch. To make things interesting, Esquire also issued a challenge to each musician: create, perform, and record an original song inspired by the phrase “Last Night in Detroit.” Each musician rose to the challenge, and Esquire is now selling the songs (as well as a five-song EP) on iTunes to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit.
Check out Ben’s story, hear a clip of his new song, “Bury My Body At Elmood,” and watch some behind the scenes video at: http://www.esquire.com/detroit
Click here to buy Ben’s new song: http://www.itunes.com/esquirepresents
