Alec Benjamin has spent over a decade crafting heartfelt music that has found its way into the lives of listeners across the globe. But sitting backstage in London — just hours before a milestone performance — he’s reflecting not on the accolades, but on the quiet, personal moments that have shaped him. From writing his first songs as a teenager to navigating the emotional weight of his latest album, 12 Notes, Alec opens up about the complexities of self-growth and the power of perspective.

Now 30 and more self-aware than ever, Benjamin is entering a new chapter—one marked by clarity, discipline, and a return to the stripped-down, acoustic sound that started it all. In this candid conversation, he talks about everything from his earliest trips to the UK and playing iconic venues, to his complicated relationship with social media and the music industry’s marketing hamster wheel. But on the day we meet, hours before he steps onto the stage at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall, there’s a quiet confidence simmering beneath the surface.

“I wrote the song we’re about to play tonight when I was 16,” he says, pausing as if even he still can’t quite believe it. “To be playing it here, now, with someone who’s been mentoring me since I was a kid… it kind of makes everything feel real.” It’s a rare moment of reflection for the singer-songwriter who admits he often struggles to see his own progress — constantly comparing, constantly creating. But in the past year, something has shifted. Now, after the release of his emotionally charged album 12 Notes, Alec Benjamin finds himself in a season of quiet transformation. He’s rethinking his relationship with social media, choosing health on the road, and approaching songwriting with the same honesty that made fans fall in love with him in the first place.

In conversation with 1883, Alec Benjamin speaks about playing Royal Albert Hall, the vulnerability of playing deeper cuts live, and more.

You’ve been releasing music for over a decade. Feel like a long time?

Yeah, it does feel like a long time, but it also doesn’t really feel like it’s been that long.

Are you aware of your growth as it’s happening, or is it something you reflect on later?

When I have milestone moments like this [playing Royal Albert Hall], I’m able to zoom out and really appreciate how far I’ve come. But I’m often caught up in looking at how far other people have come and comparing myself to that, so it never really feels like I’m moving. I feel kind of stationary. Every once in a while, though, when there’s a landmark show at a place I’ve dreamed of playing, it helps me put my journey into perspective.

Today, someone who’s been mentoring me since I was 15 in London is playing on stage with me. During soundcheck, I realized we’re playing a song I wrote when I was 16, and it hit me—like, wow, I can actually see the growth. But other than that, when I’m on social media looking at everyone else’s lives, I don’t really think about my own.

I read you’ve been coming to London since you were young.

I’ve been coming here since I was 15 or 16.

So playing such an iconic venue must feel surreal.

Yeah, I was a fetus at 15. It didn’t really feel real until I got up on stage. The guy I wrote most of my early stuff with, including the title track of this record, has been mentoring me since I was 14 or 15. He started bringing me here. It’s really the people that make it special.

I wrote “Let Me Down Slowly” with a British guy in LA, and he flew out to perform it with me for the first time. That’s really fun for me. My parents and sister are here too. We actually came to England and Wales when I was about 11 or 12—my mom went to school in New York and has a lot of friends here. We went on a family vacation, and a lot of her friends are at the show tonight. Some couldn’t make it, and one of my favorites passed away. I had my first sip of beer with him at a pub in Wales. There’s even a picture. I came to love beer later, but I gave it up last year.

It’s been a year since you released 12 Notes. How has your relationship with those songs changed?

I’m already thinking about making new music. I made that album while going through a lot, and some of the experiences tied to the songs are still painful. I’m not far enough away from it to reflect clearly. Some of the songs were written in a darker place. It was cathartic to write them, but it’s still fresh, so I don’t think about it too much.

Yeah, a year isn’t really that long.

It is, but it isn’t. The older I get, the shorter a year feels.

How has it felt playing those songs live?

Playing live is always scary at first, but it’s fun to see how people respond. It’s nice to add new songs to the set—it gives me room to try new stuff. I like mixing new and old songs. Sometimes I worry the deeper cuts won’t land, but people know the words, and that’s cool.

Have any songs surprised you with the fan reaction?

Yeah, my song “Pick Me” and an older one called “Older.” Fans have been asking me to play them, so I have, and that surprised me.

I wanted to ask about “The Plan.” I love the lyric: “The plan didn’t work, but it all worked out.”

I thought that line was cool too. But I was at a loss for how to market it. I kind of burned out after the second or third single. I was on the TikTok hamster wheel, and by the time I got to “The Plan,” I just put it out. If it finds its way, it finds its way. I think that’s why it’s hard to think about the record—I finished it, but didn’t know what to do with it. Playing it live is the one thing I do know how to do.

It’s such a funny thing to navigate.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s not enough just to be an artist—you have to be a marketing machine too.

Right, it’s part of the job.

Yeah. I don’t always get it right, but I get it right enough to keep doing this as a job. I’m not 10 out of 10, though.

When you release a body of work, do you see it as a chapter opening or closing?

Closing. Once I put it out, I can move on and think about the next thing. It’s kind of scary because I don’t know what that is yet.

Is there a sound you’re drawn to right now?

Probably just going back to what I started with—mainly acoustic. It just feels right.

Did the live aspect of your shows influence the production of the record?

No. I never really take live performance into consideration when writing. I know some artists do, but I only write when I feel like I have something to say. I don’t think about how a song will make a crowd react. What excites me is communicating something.

Are you someone who writes daily?

No. But when I get home, I’m going to write five days a week—treat it like a nine-to-five. You don’t have to be super inspired to write something good, but it’s more fun when you are.

You turned 30 last year. Did that bring a mindset shift?

Yeah, I decided to focus on myself. I had a lot of bad habits I didn’t want to bring into my 30s. No dating, just focusing on family and music. I started living a healthier lifestyle—exercising every day on tour, eating right, sleeping well. It’s the first time I’ve really done that on tour. In Asia, I ate everything, but I still exercised. On the U.S. tour too. A few months ago, I decided I didn’t want to die—lost 25 pounds, started running, and I’m building a routine. It sucks, but I’m doing it.

Do you feel like your mental health is better because of it?

Oh yeah. Mornings are hard, but once I’m in it, I feel good.

Your Europe tour started recently. How’s that going?

The Europe tour has been great. It’s probably my favorite tour so far. I’m in the best place mentally, I feel healthy, and I’m able to enjoy it. In the past, I wasn’t eating or sleeping right, and during winter tours in Europe, I wouldn’t even see the sun if I woke up too late.

Last question — what would you like to manifest for yourself this year?

Hopefully my next record is great and takes me to arenas. That would be nice.

Interview Kelsey Barnes
Photography Garry Jones