The dreamy voice of Ben Cramer, also-known-as Old Sea Brigade, is underpinned by a strong rhythm and layers of sound in his latest single, which manages to be at once both mellow and vibrant. This is Cramer’s first new music since the collaboration with Luke Sital-Singh, ‘All the Ways You Sing in the Dark’, and is taken from his upcoming album, due for release in 2021. ‘How it Works’ is about the realities of the music industry and was written following an encounter with someone in the business.
Cramer explains: “I think in the music industry, there’s sometimes this false narrative that there are certain ‘gatekeepers’ that dictate artists’ careers. It can be a fairly toxic notion, especially when you’re trying to get your foot in the door as a young artist. I got an email once from some music industry person telling me, ‘that’s how it works.’ That email, particularly the line, sparked the idea for the song. I wrote the song with my close friend and frequent collaborator, Henry Brill. It was one of the last songs I wrote for the record and in some ways felt like the missing piece.”
The video is inspired by class western movies and was shot on location, surrounded by stunning scenery. Cramer says: “For me, the video displays the struggle with one’s inner critic. We filmed out in the Mojave Desert with director Evan Brace and his fantastic crew. It was nice to put full trust into someone and watch their work and vision exceed any of my expectations. It also took a lot of trust to get me to dress up in a cowboy outfit.”
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter is known for atmospheric, absorbing music and ‘How it Works’ is an excellent example of his well-crafted songs. Enjoy.
