Ben Sefton is killin’ it with “Crush” – A Rorschach  test for the ear.

After graduating from Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music & Technology Program in 2015, Ben Sefton has spent his time crafting and fine-tuning his songs. Ben’s budding love of song writing as a teen quickly developed into an obsession, fueling the creation of 100’s of unreleased songs. Driven by his deep love of earworm pop melodies stemming from such influences as The Beach Boys, Frank Ocean, and Andy Shauf as well as a passion for candid lyrical witticism and wordplay, Ben has effectively created a style all of his own.

The first thing you notice, other than Ben’s smooth vocals is the equally smooth baseline that ties the whole track together. The insistent, joyful groove drives the song ever onwards with this happy-go-lucky stride that plays off the song’s themes, almost like a soundtrack tailored to a real-life meet-cute… that is until you run into the ambiguity subtly hinted at in the song.

I wanted this song to sound creepy, cool, vibey, and maybe a bit spooky – like fall. I think the warm Rhodes, the eerie vocal harmonies, and the jumpy flute lines really give the sense that something baleful and chilling is afoot somewhere in the crisp autumn night!
Openly inspired by the creepy/romantic paradox behind The Police’s “Every breath you take” There’s something eerie just underneath the surface of “Crush” because it can be taken to be about an unhealthy fixation, one that -as per the Single’s cover art- can turn deadly. Funnily enough, though the song explores the darker sides of attraction, its origins are as genuinely sweet as can be.

“I wrote this song for a cute girl that I met at a local bar.” Says Ben. who was immediately taken in by the shy-looking girl sitting by herself by the window. “I got the courage to approach her and talk to her, and after introducing myself, she let me know how relieved she was because she came there alone and was nervous because she wouldn’t know anyone there and wouldn’t know who to talk to.” The meeting was exciting and impactful enough to inspire Ben, who decided to write a song to impress her, only to realize afterward how changing some words here and there could alter the whole tone into a whole different kind of song.

My heart aches for someone that I just met and I know I’m a fool for that
For Gods sake can’t get you out of this head since I saw you moving past

Creepiness aside, the song is Sefton’s way of starting 2023 out strong, priming us with a fresh jazzy groove and his signature pop hooks for what promises to be one hell of a year for him. Keep your eyes an ears on alert, it feels like Ben Sefton is about to blow up any day now!
How will you decide to take “Crush”?]

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