Words and interview by Ahlia Williams // Image by Cara Robbins

Over the last few years, Donny Benét has expanded his lo-fi cult following across Europe, America and back home to Sydney. Now he comes bearing a new gift from his travels he calls Mr Experience.

The album, like our previous favourites from the leader of the art-pop underground, is a synth-laden masterpiece that can move the hips and shimmy the tits of any man or woman that’s able to move. That said, this time ‘round Donny cuts the fat off the bone and serves to us a certain tenderness that is inescapable: his songwriting is bold, his words are true, pure and poured from what feels like a carefully kept place in his heart.

Think of Mr Experience as a guiding voice through life itself, a person to turn to, to laugh with, to ask for and learn from. Listen to ‘Reach out’ when you’re feeling a little ‘isolated’ (hehe), sing the lyrics of ‘You Don’t Need Love’ to the face staring you back in the mirror and soak your sorrows in the hot bath instrumental that is ‘Waterfall’. Each track on this album is a meditative guide to self-help, in the disguise of a ‘80s disco suit. It’s really quite brilliant.

I called Donny on what felt like the first day of winter, it was cold, windy, we both had terrible phone reception and we laughed as he talked me through ‘Opening Up’, touring alone and not letting any bullshit slide on his new hit record. It was ten-thirty in the morning, I sipped on a cup on Nescafe Blend 43 and it went a little something like this:

Hey Donny, how’s isolation treating you, are you mad yet?

*Laughs* Yeah it’s fine. The only ‘mad’ I’m going is that I can’t get back out on the road and tour, but that’s completely out of my hands so…

What about being alone?

Oh I love being alone, at the beginning I was very cold about it all, more so from releasing the album and not begin able to tour and also not being able to make any money off it, but I’m okay with that now, we just have to see where it goes…

So, who is ‘Mr Experience’? What separates this album from your previous work?

*Laughs* um.. Mr Experience came out of.. well, a lot of friends and people are always suggesting titles or song ideas and a friend of mine said “Mr Experience” – that could be a cool song.. and I thought, yeah.. that would be a cool song. Then you know, I thought I’ve had quite a lot of experience over the last few years, touring, travelling, getting out and about and it’s not just about that, but what I’ve gotten out of that.

I’m also getting to an age where I’m at the ‘business end of my 30’s’ and before this time I could be a bit more humorous with my approach and this time I’m like, I can’t do that again, I had to really dig deep so it wasn’t just an album of dance hits, and it was an album of real written songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkGG3eyMyd8

It feels like you really ‘open up’ in this record more so than any of your previous work, what’s triggered this complete transparency?

There were a few things going on in my life that I had no control over.. the headspace I was in, I didn’t want to write anything that was ‘throw away’, I didn’t have the patience for that and it wasn’t cynical or anything, I just didn’t want to write anything that was bullshit where as in the past you know, I would kind of like let it fly. This time there was a lot more care, lyrically, on what would come out. I probably had 15 songs I threw away after I thought, you know, I’m not going to buy any of these so If I’m not going to buy them, I’m not going to sell them.

There is a clear theme of ‘self-help’ throughout the whole album, I love that, was this a theme you used for yourself or for the people especially during this time?

A bit of both! Well, there’s one song, ‘Reach Out’ that has slightly deeper context and lyrics than anything else. I think through touring Europe and America alone, on a real low budget where I would get the train around the country, get off, meet the promoter, spend most of my time with the promoter, who was generally younger than me.

We’d get talking and they would talk about what it’s like to live in the country they were in and I just sort of noticed all these different things going on in the places I was in, especially in america.. that’s been going on long before these weird time and I guess the way I was writing was kind of an unconscious coping mechanism.

Have you needed this song, ‘Reach Out’ before in your life?

No not really, it’s all been pretty simple before the last few years. I think this album already has a special place in my heart and it’s something I’m always going to go back to and pinpoint things that were happening while I was writing it all on tour.

Talk us through making the record? The writing process, who’s playing on it, where was it recorded?

It’s all me, besides the saxophone solo, on Negroni Summer. It’s recorded in my own studio. Originally I wanted to write this all and take it to a studio, record live drums and take a lot more time on it but I wasn’t expecting the tour to be as brutal as it was so as it got closer I knew I couldn’t do that this time. The person I wanted to work with couldn’t do it at the time but he did end up mixing it.

That was Burke Reid, he ended up doing an amazing job and really making it something else in the end. I worked with Burke back in the Jack Ladder days and I think passing the record onto a friend and getting the perspective on it was really helpful. Burke also mixed ‘The Don’ and it’s been a real beautiful relationship to have. So I wrote, arranged, recorded and edited it all and then Burke mixed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dD7KeRETsA

In contrast to a lot of pop songs that glorify sex, love and companionship, the track ‘You Don’t Need Love’ breaks a lot of these stereotypes, why is this song important to you and pop music?

It’s funny because that song’s not really aimed at me, it’s about kind of being on the train of life and meeting and seeing so many different kinds of people. I remember somebody made a comment about being so close to their 40’s and not feeling the pressure of having kids or a house or anything.

They were feeling quite content and I’ve met a few people who are in similar situations and I thought, we don’t need to feel pressured into these standards of having a house and kids and having it all, you know, and for the age I was getting to myself, I’m realising I’m happy with myself, I’m happy with what I’m doing and it’s really hard work but I feel like I’ve achieved in my life. People are kind of heading toward this time as well and I thought you know, you just need to be happy with yourself, you don’t need anybody or anything to validate yourself.

Well I hope you’re proud of the album, it’s great and we can’t wait to see you on the stage again. Stay safe and sane..

Thanks, and you too! see ya!

2020 TOUR DATES (INFO HERE)

Friday 4 October – Fat Controller, Adelaide

Friday 11 October – The Zoo, Brisbane

Saturday 12 October – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Friday 18 October – The Rosemount Hotel, Perth

Saturday 19 October – Mojos, Fremantle

Friday 25 October – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne

Saturday 2 November – Metro Theatre, Sydney