Benjamin Wesley Winder on Flava Flav yo’

I don’t recall the first time that I saw Benjamin Wesley Winder III live.  It could have been with Basses Loaded, or the rap/rock group Tha Fucking Transmissions. His solo performances are unique.  Where else are you going to see a guy playing an accordian with a drum machine, harmonica, guitar, and bass?

IH: You have played with alot of national touring bands. Do you have any interesting stories about a particular band, or does anybody stand out as being extremely strange?

Benjamin Wesley Winder: Well, most of the national acts I have played with never turned strange. It usually ends up being a nice experience to just talk with these really talented bands about how their tour is going and what not. I was backstage in L.A. with Ghostface, Flava Flav and Michael Rappaport, hanging out and started taking some photos on my phone of Cornbreadd from Tha Fucking Transmissions and Flav said I couldn’t…he fell off the stage that night during his performance…but it probably had more to do with the big fucking clock around his neck than anything to do with me.

IH: How long has this project been evolving and where do you see it going, following the CD release?

Benjamin Wesley Winder: This project has been in the works for a while I suppose, I mean, everything from the past somehow has to influence the approach to the present and the future. I had been doing the whole “singer/songwriter” thing for some time, during and in-between other bands. Me and a lone guitar grew rather stale for my own taste and eventually I realized that there was so much more I could be doing at one time. When I started playing bass and guitar simultaneously that inspired me to experiment with seeing what else I could manipulate on my own. I wanted to make the sound bigger and more danceable, more entertaining. So I started writing catchy songs about some of the wonderfully beautiful and horribly fucked up things I have dipped my toes in.

As far as where I see this thing going, hell, I want it to go everywhere. I want it to be heard. More importantly I want it to be seen and experienced. that said, all I can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have three or four SXSW party/shows I will be playing with some really great bands this month and then I will probably start touring this summer and this next year around our silly little planet.

IH: What music from Houston have you been listening to lately?

Benjamin Wesley Winder: Music is really strong in Houston right now. God, more people should go out to shows because this city is dripping with talent. I am introduced to a lot of music by friend and confidant Levi Johnson. We were sitting around drinking scotch a few weeks ago listening to some tunes and I’m like, “what is this, its really good” he said it was the new Young Mammals CD that was about to be released! I really like Robert Ellis’ work, and Grandfatherchild/Sadgorilla, and of course I jam CORNBREADD’s shit. i like the Riff Tiffs new creation Caddywhompus. Fat Tony, Hearts of Animals, BOLT, fucking BOLT…if Mike Hardin would give me a CD of BOLT that’s all I would be listening to.

MP3: Benjamin Wesley Winder III :: I Miss Amsterdam
MP3: Benjamin Wesley Winder III :: Have You Ever Died?

Visit Benjamin Wesley’s solo project, or Tha Fucking Transmissions.

1. 

   pipquixote says:

   October 12, 2009 at 3:32 pm

   Ben is awesome, and the sun is shining on his pale skin..GO BEN!