CIRENCESTER’S Ben Maggs is about to release his first album Come as you are on Friday, November 27, before heading off on his first official tour which includes a gig at The Convent in Woodchester on Saturday, December 5.

Elle Webster met up with him ahead of his album launch for a question and answer session:

EW: How does it feel to be releasing your first album?

BM: It’s very exciting. It’s been several years in the making, with this last year being a lot of work and it’s really nice to have something people can hear.

It was a very fluid process as it wasn’t all written at the start and I recorded some songs that didn’t make it on the album, because they were either incomplete or didn’t work with the other songs.

It wasn’t always easy, and there are songs I would have loved for people to hear, but in the end I went with what sat best together on the album.

EW: You are performing at the Convent in December. What can audiences expect?

BM: I’ve never played at The Convent before, but I know a lot of local artists that have and have heard how amazing it is from them, so I am really excited to finally be playing there.

Matt Roberts, owner of The Convent, got in touch, out of the blue, earlier this year and asked if I wanted to do a gig and the timing has worked out so that it is one of my two album launch gigs.

I wanted something on the tour that was near to home and I hope that people from Cirencester will come along as they have always been so supportive of me. I want it to be a celebration of the album and for the audience to experience lots of emotions and have a great night.

EW: A lot of your songs focus on landscapes and nature. What is it you find so inspiring?

BM: It’s not one thing in particular. For some reason I just feel very connected when I am outdoors, when I am walking and when I am in landscapes.

I’m someone, when stuff occurs in my life, I kind of live through those things and when I am out walking in these places, they give me a place of reflection.

I’ve travelled a lot, especially to the West Coast of Scotland. In Scotland, I can’t describe how or why it happens, but the landscape just sort of reaches in and whatever you’ve got within you, that’s going to come out.

It’s the same around here. I spend a lot of time out in the Cotswolds and you just never know what is going to be given to you, from amazing sunsets to wildlife encounters.

  • Come as you are is released on November 27. 
  • Ben is performing at The Convent, Woodchester on December 5. Tickets cost £10 from theconvent.net For more information, go to www.benmaggsmusic.co.uk