Photo credit Neelam Khan Vela.

Today sees Ben Gregory unveil details of his solo debut album ‘Episode’, an exalted, and emotionally drawn record that was born out of a period of profound personal challenge. As Blaenavon slowly disbanded, Gregory found himself needing a new outlet and we're finally lucky enough to hear the fruits of his labour. His latest effort manifest* is a brooding, cathartic release of pent up inner toil as it culminates towards its swirling finale. In true fashion there's soft tender moments and a blisteringly powerful build up as rushing vocals, resounding percussion and synths come to head. "‘Everything on “Episode” comes back to my struggle to interpret, or reinterpret, my life and its core relationships, after having my concept of reality revoked" explains Ben on the album. "This may sound dramatic, but it’s hard to know if you can trust how you feel about a partner, a situation, a future, when you’ve sat in a hospital bed, torn a newspaper to shreds, sat back and watched it put itself back together." Explaining the single in further detail he goes on to say, "‘'manifest*' is about feeling fated to certain situations and lacking control over your own position in life. It looks towards a potential future that is desired but unlikely, focused on a partner and an imagined future family. There are elements of a slightly tragic fixation in there. The narrative retelling is real but it questions itself and cannot commit to painting an impossible future. The attempt was to portray this process of recollection, because people choose how they shape their own memories." Take a listen for yourselves below. The debut Album episode will be released via Transgressive on April 7.

i: https://www.instagram.com/bengregorymusic/