Premiere: Benjamin Carter Counters Industry Rejection With New Single “m.m.s.l.g.g.g.h” and Music Video
RELEASING PASSION-FUELED MUSIC SINCE 2019 — rock and hip-hop inspired singer-songwriter Benjamin Carter is no stranger to the often hostile and gatekept nature of the music industry, especially in Los Angeles.
His most recent single, “m.m.s.l.g.g.g.h,” which stands for “miss me say less get gone go home,” is a direct response to the frustrations that up-and-coming artists like himself can face while trying to make it, despite constantly being told that you don’t have what it takes. Instead of feeding into the noise, Carter embraces his confidence in his art in the single’s newly released video.
The visual captures the Caribbean American artist in the streets of LA, taking up space in the place where he belongs despite the criticism he faces. The track itself is compiled of hard-hitting lyrics such as “Backstabbing as if I would never know” and “Treat me like I could never do this on my own,” backed by a vibey rock soundscape that keeps you on your feet.
In addition to “m.m.s.l.g.g.g.h.,” Carter weaves his personal stories of love, addiction, gentrification, racism, among others, into all of his music. As a mental health advocate, the songwriter is enthusiastically dedicated to creating vulnerable songs that bring down his walls and those of his listeners, all while still serving high-energy sounds that expand past genre barriers.
Read below to learn more about Carter’s inspirations and motivations as an artist and his current track rotation, shared after his performance at Bleached Festival earlier this month.
LUNA: The Bleached Fest lineup is pretty cool, right? Who are you most excited to see? Whose set have you already seen that you really enjoyed?
CARTER: Baird was cool. I had never listened to their stuff before but they were super sick, the way they played live with two drummers. And then Jeremy Zucker was fantastic. He has really good stage presence. Also, Remi Wolf and Leon Bridges — I'm very excited for all of them.
LUNA: Chanel Tres is playing tonight, too, at the same time as Leon Bridges.
CARTER: Oh, yeah! I’ll just have to run back and forth (laughs).
LUNA: Who was your biggest music inspiration growing up?
CARTER: That’s hard. I grew up in the church and my dad was choir director, so I grew up with gospel music and all that. But then hip-hop … all my heroes are hip-hop artists. So I see myself as a hip-hop artist, but I absolutely do not rap. I can’t rap to save my life, but the energy of hip-hop is what I feel closest to. But then on the flip side, my favorite artist is Bon Iver. When I write and think through lyrics and all that, I hit every Justin Vernon project and am inspired by it all.
LUNA: What are you listening to right now? Who’s in your rotation?
CARTER: I’ve been listening to some Kendrick [Lamar], JID, some Tyler, [the Creator]. A lot of hip-hop. Also, Fred again... And DENNIS. Lot’s of Brazilian music as well.
LUNA: As an artist, what do you hope your listeners get from the music you create?
CARTER: I think my biggest thing is I just really hope that people don't feel alone. With my music, I write from me and I perform for everybody else. I love performing — it’s so fun. It’s like being a kid, which is probably from just growing up in church and always being on stages. I love hyping people up. Being on stage is one of the most comfortable places for me. So my music is for me, but when I share it my hope is that when someone else hears what I wrote — my therapy, what I got out [of it] — the energy they feel is like, “Oh man, I feel that too.” So that they don’t feel alone.
LUNA: That’s so special.
CARTER: They say as soon as you release your music, it’s not yours anymore. It’s the people’s. They get to choose what it means and how it feels. But what I did in my room when I wrote it, when I cried, when I was in the studio, I did my part for me, and that’s literally therapy.
LUNA: What’s your favorite track to perform live right now?
CARTER: “Lost Control.” It’s just so fun. It’s one of those songs that’s out, and I don’t think it got the love that I think it deserves because I love it so much. It just has so much energy to it.
LUNA: Last question: How would you describe your summer so far in one word?
CARTER: I'm gonna go with the word “magical.” Not because of any other reason other than … I couldn't put my finger on how certain things are happening and how we're getting things done, but then things happen in really beautiful ways. I’m here for the ride. It’s scary, but this is what magic actually is.
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