Alec Benjamin
Alec Benjamin is the rare pop storyteller whose rise refused the usual script. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, he started writing songs as a teenager and spent years turning every gig and rejection into a lesson in persistence. An early label deal dissolved soon after delivery, so he took his songs on the road himself — parking lot performances, handing out cards outside shows, and building a following that had nothing to do with hype and everything to do with the work.
Benjamin’s breakthrough arrived with Let Me Down Slowly in 2018, a song that spread organically from streaming playlists into global charts and became his first major footprint in pop. The track pushed him beyond the anonymity of online clips and into real stages, eventually charting internationally and earning that moment where audiences didn’t just listen — they sang back every line.
What followed has been steady growth rather than overnight fame. Benjamin’s records, including These Two Windowsand Un)Commentary, balance direct, narrative songwriting with hooks that stick without feeling engineered. Devil Doesn’t Bargain, a standout from Un)Commentary, found a second life through social platforms and fan communities, expanding his reach beyond traditional pop lanes and reminding listeners that his songs live in shared moments as much as they do on playlists.
Across albums and tours, his work has been defined by a clear eye for detail and a willingness to unpack familiar experiences without dressing them up. That’s part of what connected people first to Let Me Down Slowly and what keeps them returning to his newer material: a sense that these songs reflect something real rather than something posed. Benjamin has spoken openly about the insecurities that come with success and the tension between wanting another hit and simply wanting to make music that matters.
Live, he holds the space the same way he writes, focused on the story and the listener, not the spectacle. Playing Devil Doesn’t Bargain and Let Me Down Slowly back to back gives a snapshot of his arc: from breakout moment to a songwriter still charting his own course, one connection at a time.
MORE MOODS
Jack Gray Australia
Jack Gray performs Winter City like a late check-in from the road, all cold-air pop hooks and touring fatigue, the sound of an Australian kid looking around a foreign skyline and turning the homesick feeling into something you can sing along to.
Chris Lanzon Australia
Chris Lanzon leans into New York, Falling Apart with that late-night, headphones-on energy, turning the roof into something closer to a diary page than a stage. It’s restrained, bruised pop songwriting, all small details and a hook that lingers longer than it should.
Cody Jon Australia
Cody Jon runs through Becky’s Plan and dirty dancing with his usual grin-and-eye-roll energy, turning the roof into a teen movie scene: tight hooks, flirty asides, and a crowd locked into every chorus.
Phebe Starr Australia
Phebe Starr performs Air on the roof, stretching a breakup song into something closer to a late-night confession.