Clearly unaccustomed to Singapore’s humidity but still insistent on looking dashingly stylish, Ben Blondel sweats profusely while donned in a vintage Levis denim jacket and skinny chinos. More popularly known under his moniker of Death and A Cure, and his position as keyboardist-cum-vocalist in Australian post-hardcore band, In League, the meek young lad is spotted inspecting the fun fact written on the flipside of his peach Snapple’s bottle cap with an unexpected childlike eagerness in his expression.

Ben recalls, “It was in 2008, when I wrote my first five songs and I decided that I should make an EP (extended play) since my music garnered pretty good responses and people enjoyed it as much as I did writing them. And who would have known that In League would hit me up soon after on Myspace while I was doing my solo thing. Everything just looked up from then on.”

It is indeed hard to imagine how Ben Blondel manages to juggle both his commitments. Playing two completely varying genres of music, the differences in both projects are vast for the Australian singer-songwriter. However, he certainly enjoys the experience and exposure, such as his debut Singaporean tour that happened from May 2 to May 6, at venues like Homeclub and The Pigeonhole Café.

“With In League, I could jump around and onto the audiences during our live sets, but I can’t do that at my own shows cause people would get angry. But it’s also really amazing because I can play intimate gigs and share a lot more of who I really am through my songs at a personal level. As far as writing goes, writing for In League is tougher as there’s more people putting down different ideas,” Ben explains.

Drawing inspiration from the tranquil splendor of nature and social issues occurring around the globe, Ben’s debut full-length “Oceans, Lovers and Empires”, released earlier this year in May, is an amalgamation of his sincere emotions and thoughts.

The songster proceeds to explain, “The album’s a summary of the last three years of my life. I don’t really talk about it but the meaning behind the name, Death and A Cure, is how I desire to seek a cure for the many things that are so wrong in the world. The name also sounds a little provocative because many would think it’s a metal band, since it has ‘death’ in it but when they take a listen, they’re shocked because they get really mellow music that contrasts the name.”

Like any other man in his twenties, Ben has his hefty share of relationship problems and life’s never-ending difficulties that have changed him. Embracing these sentiments, he channels his feelings towards a healthy avenue, that is, his music.

“A lot of my songs are quite melancholic, and often talk about the crappier things in life. As morbid as it sounds, that’s where I usually get my inspiration from. It’s not that I’ve had a super tough life but I find that people are able to connect with these things. Like how one loves but is never being loved back,” chuckles Ben like a bashful lad.

Listing the popular Japanese anime “Naruto” as one his interests on the Death and A Cure Facebook page, Ben is more than just the farouche musician he appears to be. With quirky interests that might surprise his fans, the singer feels that he has too little time to do the many things he wishes to.

Photos Courtesy of Ryan Chang.

“I’m part of a community of people that discuss about religion and philosophies, while trying to solve the world’s problems, bettering ourselves and working hard to make the world a better place. It’s definitely not something a lot of people my age do during their free time. But one thing that I can be really sure of, is that I will always be playing music,” Ben shares with HYPE.

Apart from that, writing new music and experimenting new things with his music are on Ben’s to-do list.

“I’m hoping to create a live DVD with live footages and songs off my album so I can finally take down all the dodgy iPhone vidoes off my Youtube account and have something substantial.”