Benjamin Garrett, better known by his stage name Fryars (sometimes stylised frYars), is an English art pop musician from London.
Fryars | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Benjamin Garrett |
Born | 1988 or 1989 (age 35–36)[1] |
Origin | London, United Kingdom |
Genres | Art pop Synthpop Baroque pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels | Make Mine, 679, Fiction |
Website | fryars |
Career
editFryars released his debut EP, The Ides, in September 2007, and was profiled as The Guardian's "New band of the week" in November.[2][3] A second EP, The Perfidy, followed in March 2008.[4] His debut album, Dark Young Hearts, was released in September 2009; its first single, "Visitors", features backing vocals from Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.[5][6][7][8] In October 2012, Fryars issued the song "Love So Cold" online as a free download, followed by the EP In My Arms in January 2013 via 679 Recordings.[9][10][11][12]
In October 2013, 679 released Fryars' EP Radio PWR, which was accompanied by a series of live shows devised with magician Simon Drake.[13][14][15] Fryars' second album, Power', which he produced with Luke Smith (formerly of the band Clor) and Rodaidh McDonald, was released in November 2014 through Fiction Records.[16] It followed a lengthy period of what he referred to as "record label limbo", during which he was released from 679 amid the acquisition of parent company Warner Music Group by Access Industries.[17][18] He described the album as "a soundtrack to a film that does not exist", and released a "B-movie" in the form of an accompanying mixtape titled The Boy in the Hood, as well as developing social media profiles for its characters.[16][19][20] Power received positive reviews from Dazed & Confused, The Guardian, and NME.[21][22][23]
Fryars' musical influences include David Bowie, Serge Gainsbourg, Kraftwerk, and The Strokes.[1] As a songwriter and producer for other artists, he has contributed to albums including Mika's The Origin of Love (2012), Lily Allen's Sheezus (2014), and Rae Morris's Unguarded (2015);[24] he was additionally featured on Morris's 2014 single "Cold". They entered a relationship during their collaboration on Unguarded.[25][26]
He co-wrote the song "Johanna" with Miles Kane and Mark Ronson for the film Mortdecai (2015).[27] Fryars is affiliated with Universal Music Publishing Group.[28] He released a new album in 2021 titled God Melodies.[29]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Dark Young Hearts (2009)
- Power (2014)
- God Melodies (2021)
Extended plays
edit- The Ides (2007)
- The Perfidy (2008)
- In My Arms (2013)
- Radio PWR (2013)
Mixtapes
edit- The Boy in the Hood (2014)
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Voice Memo 42" | |
2. | "On Your Own Pt. 2" | |
3. | "Wun.." | |
4. | "Quaalude No. 1 in C Sharp Major" | |
5. | "Vultures of the Night" | |
6. | "Wedding Crasher (Parts I & II)" | |
7. | "/*Voice Memo (Bith)" | |
8. | "Boys in the Hood" | |
9. | "Yoni" | |
10. | "Motorhome (Frymix)" | |
11. | "Down.On.It." | |
12. | "20130221 121310" | |
13. | "Mystic Pizza" | |
14. | "Back 2 Mine" | |
15. | "Knock Em Dead" | |
16. | "Ma Gismo" | |
17. | "Voice Memo" | |
18. | "King Many Layers" (featuring Lily Allen) | |
19. | "Voice Memo" | |
20. | "Voice Memo (Orleans)" |
Singles
edit- "The Ides" (2009)
- "Olive Eyes" (2009)
- "Visitors" (2009)
- "Love So Cold" (2012)
- "In My Arms" (2013)
- "On Your Own" (2013)
- "Cool Like Me" (2013)
- "The Power" (2013)
- "Prettiest Ones Fly Highest" (2014)
Remixes
edit- Love Is All – "Felt Tip" (2009)
- Pacific – "Sunset Blvd" (2009)
- OneRepublic – "If I Lose Myself" (2013)
- alt-J – "Dissolve Me" (2013)
- Local Natives – "Heavy Feet" (2013)
- Fyfe – "Conversations" (2013)
- Josh Record – "Bones" (2013)
- Swim Deep – "King City" (2013)
- The 1975 – "Robbers" (2014)
- Seinabo Sey – "Hard Time" (2014)
- Lucy Rose - "Second Chance" (2018)
Personal life
editFryars is married to the pop singer Rae Morris. They have two children.
References
edit- ^ a b "Interview: frYars". musicOMH. 2 August 2008.
- ^ "Single Review: FrYars – The Ides EP". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ^ "No 234: frYars". The Guardian. 26 November 2007.
- ^ "Amelia's Magazine – FrYars – THE PERFIDY EP". Ameliasmagazine.com.
- ^ "BBC – Music – Review of frYars – Dark Young Hearts". BBC.
- ^ "NME Reviews - Album review: Fryars - 'Dark Young Hearts' (Bandstocks)". NME. 21 September 2009.
- ^ Will Dean (10 September 2009). "Fryars Dark: Young Hearts". The Guardian.
- ^ "New frYars Video (Feat. Dave Gahan) – "Visitors"". Stereogum. 21 January 2009.
- ^ "Fryars". Pitchfork.
- ^ "Fryars – "Love So Cold"". Stereogum. October 2012.
- ^ Michael Cragg (28 November 2012). "New music: Fryars – In My Arms". The Guardian.
- ^ "Fryars – 'In My Arms' [Track of the Day]". The 405.
- ^ "NME Reviews - Fryars - 'Radio PWR' EP". NME. 28 October 2013.
- ^ "EP: Radio Pwr, Fryars". Varsity Online.
- ^ Dazed (6 June 2013). "Fryars Vs Simon Drake". Dazed.
- ^ a b "Fryars Announces New Album Power, Shares "Prettiest Ones Fly Highest"". Pitchfork. 21 July 2014.
- ^ "Fryars: How to survive record label limbo". The Guardian. 14 November 2014.
- ^ David Renshaw (9 September 2014). "NME News Fryars reveals how record label wrangling caused four-year delay to new album 'Power'". NME.
- ^ "Download Fryars' The Boy in the Hood Mixtape Feat. Lily Allen". Stereogum. 27 October 2014.
- ^ "Fryars interview: "You need to believe any hype, or at least in what you're making"". DIY. 14 November 2014.
- ^ Dazed (12 November 2014). "Listen to Fryars' genre-bending album Power". Dazed.
- ^ Nick Levine (17 November 2014). "NME Reviews - Fryars - 'Power'". Nme.com.
- ^ Paul MacInnes. "Fryars: Power review". The Guardian.
- ^ Michael Cragg. "Fryars Is The New Mad Professor of Pop". Thefader.com.
- ^ "Rae Morris talks love stories and latex catsuits". Standard.co.uk. 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Morris, dancing: Rae Morris". diymag.com. 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Johanna, song | Details". AllMusic.
- ^ "Fryars". Umusicpub.co.uk.
- ^ NaijaGem, NaiaGem (22 July 2021). "ALBUM: Fryars – God Melodies". naijagem.com.