Auckland-based indie/pop artist Being. has been announced as support for Ben Ottewell's solo show at The Tuning Fork, November 14th.

Being. is the moniker for Auckland based Indie artist Jasmine Balmer. Founded in angst and surf’d-out guitars Being.’s music leans towards a Melancholy-Surf aesthetic as she jumps from zest-drenched Indie Pop to introspective spoken word. Being. is known for diverse Indie music and dynamic live performances.

Earlier in the year Being. released a collaborative project with Soaked Oats and Ha the Unclear called Corduroy Cape: A Persnickety Mixtape. Her song 'Fold Into the Sea' which features on the mixtape was pressed onto chocolate vinyl by Whittaker's as part of NZ Music Month making it the first edible record (in NZ). Listen to the tune above.

BEN OTTEWELL WITH SPECIAL GUEST BEING.

A Man Apart delves into such relevant subjects as love and relationships, fame and politics. The album’s title track focuses on populist politicians exploiting people’s hopes and fears, with Bones touching on the realisation of not being worthy of someone, and opener Own It, sees Ben reflect on his time growing up in public in Gomez. New single Watcher is the perfect introduction to the album and despite its pensive meaning, is a melodic Americana led track that builds into a memorable bluesy and soulful chorus.

Demonstrating Ben's potent and ongoing love-affair with Americana - and flecked with trace elements of what you might loosely call Derbyshire folk - A Man Apart is the first solo album he has made without some kind of Gomez project lurking in the background. The album is a record that crosses musical genres such as Americana, blues and folk backed by Ben's unmistakable gutsy and gravelly voice. Co-written with childhood friend and former Tunng member, Sam Genders, the album was recorded in Los Angeles and Sheffield and engineered and produced in the latter by Martin Smith (Richard Hawley). 

Throwing off the “security blanket” that is/was Gomez - and untroubled by the question of whether the songs he was writing should be earmarked for himself or his former band - Ben knuckled down. The two guitarleles (think ukulele with six strings) he bought for his nine-year-old twin boys proved a good investment - though not for Joe and Ry. “They just hung them on the wall,”, laughs the singer, “but I picked one up and wrote [title song] A Man Apart on it.”