Jade's Music Blog

Lead vocalist Jamie Hartman (the eponymous Ben’s brother) spent years busking and working as a cleaner trying to get his big break in music, before finally getting a record deal.
Influenced by vintage R&B and early Rolling Stones, Jamie grew up, as the name suggests, in the shadow of his elder brother, Ben – an accomplished sportsman and soaring ad executive. “I always felt like the beta male in our home. The alpha role definitely went to Ben.” So while he was scoring points on and off the sports field, Jamie turned his attention to music. After years of busking on Portobello Road his songs began turning up on other people’s albums. It was this that pushed him to form Ben’s Brother. Now, they’re poised for success in what looks set to be their most accomplished year to date.
Now the London 5-piece have already just released their eagerly awaited debut LP Beta Male Fairytales, produced by the team behind KT Tunstall and James Morrison.
Ben’s Brother are: Jamie Hartman (lead vocalist), Kiris Houston (keyboards/guitar), Dan McKinna (bass) Dave Hattee (drums) and Morgan Quaintance (guitar).
“Writing songs is my way of dealing with the complexities of life,” says Jamie. “There’s a common theme which seems to unite the songs. The one thing that separates us from everyone else - that sense of not fitting in, of Beta-male (or female) ness – is the one thing we all have in common.”
Ben's Brother and The Majority play Barfly on Thursday September 13. For more information see www.bensbrother.co.uk.