Ben Gregory

Ben Gregory has found the courage to shine a light on some of his darkest moments, all while learning to engage with the future.’ - Clash

‘A record that embraces recovery and revels in the joy of reclaiming what you love and wanting to go further with it. Gregory’s debut is an album that tells a painful story, with a renewed sense of optimism.’ - The Line Of Best Fit

‘A series of incredibly musically expansive and emotionally evocative songs.’ - Dork

Live From Metropolis by Ben Gregory is out now via Transgressive. Purchase a copy of the record here. With all tracks recorded live and cut straight to vinyl, the nerve-wracking process leaves no room for mistakes. However within these self-inflicted constraints, Ben has shown the world his control and clarity of musicianship.

For the making of Live From Metropolis. Ben was joined by friends Blaine Harrison of The Mystery Jets (who also co-produced Ben Gregory’s debut solo album episode) and indie icon Marika Hackman. With 7 brand new tracks cut straight onto vinyl with no breaks, no edits and no overdubs - the results are thrilling, intimate and disarming. With the sheen of studio production wiped away, the tracks on Live From Metropolis sparkle with their own kind of magic, the live experience captured directly on wax, Ben Gregory playing straight to the listener.

Offering more insight into the live album, Ben says: “This was potentially the prangiest day of my life — the fully legitimate live carving of a vinyl disc, upon which even the most grotesque of errors would live forever. Thank god and all his friends that I had two total geniuses by my side. Mr Blaine Harrison and Marika Hackman: you two are the bees knees and I love you forever. It was an extraordinary and awesome day at Metropolis making this record, twiddling away and singing in chorus as we're mixed and mastered live into the wax. It's all in there! (except for one disc which we had to throw straight into the bin) x”

As Ben does so well, Live From Metropolis is deeply moving and emotional, full of sincerity and honesty. The record is also a masterclass in building tension and release, moving from the anxious riffs of song ‘This Gift’ to the cathartic chorus on ‘Same Mistakes’. The forlorn of ‘Disappear’ to the bliss of ‘(dreaming)’. As well as the shifting sentiments amongst the tracklisting, the very atmosphere of the studio is imprinted into Live From Metropolis. The creaking of chairs, hushed count-ins, the delicate swapping of instruments. All beautiful artifacts and curios normally erased in the edit without a second thought are left to shine on this live album.  

Live From Metropolis is the 3rd body of work from Ben Gregory in an inspiringly creative 2023. In October, Ben released Bodied, a thought provoking EP navigating the universally relatable concept of our physical selves. Bodied followed on from his majestic, multi-faceted and emotionally wrenching debut solo album episode, which received critical acclaim from a multitude of publications, with DIY calling the album ‘mind-boggling in its scope and scale’, while Loud & Quiet labeled the project a ‘beautiful account of illness and recovery’. Other press highlights included Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Notion, Clash, and The Line Of Best Fit.

Last month Ben treated fans to his first headline show in almost 5 years and alongside today’s release was a perfect bookend to the last 12 months; determined to face his fears, and hiding behind nobody, he has worked tirelessly to get to this place of self acceptance.