Ben Hardt and His Symphony
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Ben Hardt and His Symphony

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"A powerful Hardt beat"

At 2:30 a.m. when I stepped outside of the Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg, the cold air hitting my skin, I reached the conclusion--they had definitely saved the best band for last.

After hours of loud, fast-paced music that just wasn't cutting it for me, I found a reason to relish the early morning hours and appreciate the Millennium Music Conference for its main intention --exposing me to new music.

And that it had.

Pittsburgh's Ben Hardt taught me that journalists must be patient. Following him around after his set, watching him unplug amps and pack up instruments, I hardly managed to find time to ask him a few questions about his life as a performer.

Ben Hardt also taught me that, "You can't make a rock album without breaking a few laws."

He quickly relayed how he had been told he couldn't record his songs within a college's recording studio, so he snuck his equipment into suitcases and recorded the string instrument parts within the studio anyway.

Ben Hardt performs with his brother and with a symphony. He has a violinist, a violist, a cellist, and a double bassist. There were eight performers crowded on the tiny stage at the ABC, and their sound was amplified throughout the bar, causing the shy audience to finally get up off their feet and begin dancing. Their set was simple, yet it was full of variation. The band started off with a handful of slow songs, then began to crescendo, and by the end of their set, the crowd was shouting for an encore.

"My voice thinks it's time for bed," croaked Ben as he started off the set, but the crowd was anything but ready for bed. It was 1:00 before the band began, however, the crowd knew they were in for a treat when Ben covered "Stand By Me," courageously gliding in and out of falsetto.

"I was a little weary," Ben said, "That people wouldn't accept us because it was so late, and they had already seen so many other bands. But by the end people were dancing and yelling for another song!"

Compared to the night's previous bands, Ben Hardt stood out. Each of the members of the band dressed up--the women in dress pants and the men in vests and ties. Ben's bleach-blonde hair and dimpled chin were backed up with a powerful voice that proved not only did he look professional, but he sounded professional.

It is hard to imagine that Ben recorded his debut album with a mere $500. He told me that various songs were recorded in different rooms of his house.

The single, "Avalanche" is already getting a decent amount of air time on the radio in Pittsburgh.

The band was started as a symphony by accident. Ben found an old record player lying in the trash, and the records of The Police and Nat King Cole playing constantly for the next few weeks led him to develop a unique sound of music that at the time he could only imagine in his own mind.

Hardt's debut CD is the first of a three-part installment and if its successors prove to be as entertaining as the original, the Pittsburgh native will no doubt continue to please crowds into the early hours of the morning. - SARAH GRODZINSKI, For The Patriot-News


"Local songwriter Ben Hardt comes with strings attached"

I'd just had my mind blown by the filmic strings of Scott Walker's 1969 album Scott 4 when I reached for the similarly string-quartet-driven debut by Ben Hardt, best known locally for his work with pop-rock outfit Like Summer. Yet the blueprint for Ben Hardt and His Symphony doesn't seem so much Walker as the orchestral rush of Richard Ashcroft's underrated solo albums.

Strings seldom rock, so having them as primary instruments on mostly rock songs -- and on Hardt's debut outing -- seems a gutsy move. Also strange is the back story: a World War II romance set in war-torn London, spelled out in the liner notes, yet not entirely necessary to appreciate the six songs and scattered interludes.

After opening with a period clip from an Edward R. Murrow war broadcast, things get started with "Come On, Come On," an impassioned rocker along the lines of the aforementioned Ashcroft. Acoustic love songs "Waltz No. 1" and "Wake Up, Beautiful" steer the record into more "romantic" territory, with strings arranged and directed by Chris Massa, before Hardt crashes into "Runaway" with echoing guitars reminiscent of U2's War.

A lot of the lyrics seem to depend on Hardt's muse being "beautiful" -- a nice thought, but it doesn't really tell us much about her. Beautiful how? Why? Is this person beautiful intrinsically, or in spite of herself -- transcendently?

By the closer, "Looking Up While the Bombs Fall Down," it becomes clear that the unspoken but overarching issue in this recording is the tension between the sweeping, yet conventional beauty of the strings and Hardt's unvarnished rock voice, presented here in its natural rough texture, with knots and cracks and ragged edges. Again, a risky choice, but to me, the most satisfying quality of this batch of songs. As he sings at the album's end, "And if I failed, at least I tried to cast off all my crowns." I like the way this man operates. - Pittsburgh City Paper


""...like Elvis Costello cracking wise with violas during his "classical period," Hardt never forgets to accommodate the rock 'n' roll instincts that got him where he is today.""

Ben Hardt has been around long enough to know that a great voice gets you only so far on a pop music scene as congested as Pittsburgh's.

A certain amount of lyrical and musical sophistication has always been needed to get to the next level, even in a town that makes a point of sneering at ambition.

Ambition? Yeah, Ben Hardt has plenty of that. You can tell by the four-piece orchestral arrangements that shimmer and dance like aurora borealis on his eponymous CD.

But instead of allowing his gift for pop song craft to be overwhelmed by cleverness, like Elvis Costello cracking wise with violas during his "classical period," Hardt never forgets to accommodate the rock 'n' roll instincts that got him where he is today.

"Ben Hardt and His Symphony" is about as ingratiating on first listen as anything a discriminating pop music fan is likely to hear these days. Hardt cites Nat King Cole and Sting as equally important influences on his sound because of their ability to translate emotion into fairly simple but memorable songs.

Acoustic ballads such as "Wake Up, Beautiful" alternate with raucous rockers such as "Come On, Come On." Even when songs get downright muscular, as on "Runaway," the underlying melodicism of the song always shines through.

Hardt eschews the empty pop romanticism we're used to in favor of an actual story that plumbs the depths of love, doubt and death among the ruins of London during the Blitz -- think C.S. Lewis meets Roger Waters.

When Hardt and his eight-member band perform the songs with both swagger and grace at Diesel tonight, they'll be dressed like big-band players straight out of the 1940s.

The suite of seven songs is a down payment. Another six or seven will be released at the end of the year. "Ben Hardt and His Symphony" is evidence of an enormous talent that won't be denied. - Pittsburgh Post Gazette


"Hardt Comes Alive!"

Speaking of Diesel, Saturday night got off to a good start at that club with Ben Hardt's debut showing. The former Like Summer guitarist hit the stage with a four-piece rock band plus a string quartet, for a well-attended, elegant set. It was a thoughtful, rehearsed presentation...it worked. My guess is he can take this new sound as far as he wants to. - Pittsburgh City Paper


"Dispatches from the Week of ROCK"

If U2 had started out at Lost Highway records, they’d have sounded a lot like Ben Hardt. I’d call it Honest Rock (different from Earnest Rock, which I’ll get to with the last band). Refreshingly irony-free straight up rock songs with a deft pop sensibility, a real live string section, and a guitar player with a Stratocaster and a delay box. Despite the number of musicians on stage, the sound is clear and open - there’s no mud or mush. They could use a little more experience on the stage - there were a few band “what’s going on?” moments, but the freshness of their energy is palpable and invigorating. Also major points for the entire band wearing pressed white shirts and non-ironic ties. If you don’t believe me about the U2 thing, listen to Hardt’s falsetto on last track of his new album, called “Looking up while the bombs fall down.” Bono wishes he could still do it like this. - Iceland Spar


""With strong, passionate lyrics and masterfully arranged orchestral accompaniment...""

In the cutthroat, overproduced world that is the music industry, it seems almost impossible to locate originality and genuine talent. But maybe that's only because record execs aren't spending enough time in the Steel City.

Ben Hardt and His Symphony, a local act lead by South Sider Ben Hardt and featuring a red-headed, all-female string quartet from Duquesne University, sits on the brink of releasing a debut album that is intriguing, bold and unlike anything you've been listening to lately.

As if writing, recording and mixing an album entirely independent of the popular music juggernaut weren't enough, Ben Hardt and His Symphony plan to release a self-proclaimed concept album. The story is set in London in the 1940s, right in the midst of violent air raids and the mounting terror of World War II. A young couple meets and falls in love against this chaotic backdrop only to be separated by a particularly violent attack. Musically and lyrically, the album traces the emotional experience of existing in that time and place.

The album opens with a clip from an actual London radio broadcast during the war. Generally, these sorts of introductions can and should be brushed aside to get to the music. But on Ben Hardt and His Symphony, the brief and poignant intro enhances the first track and sets the stage for the love story that is about to unfold.

"Come On, Come On," the first real song on the album, is instantly catchy and hooks listeners by the first chorus. With strong, passionate lyrics and masterfully arranged orchestral accompaniment, the track sets a high standard for the remainder of the album.

Plenty of albums start solid then trail off about midway through - the pleasant surprise of Ben Hardt and His Symphony comes as track after track meets expectations. Obviously, certain tracks outshine others, but there is never a moment when the album feels like a letdown.

"Waltz No. 1" stands out for its stripped-down beauty and sentimental story. The swelling strings and hopelessly romantic acoustic guitar complement each other perfectly to create an idealized representation of love. "Wake Up, Beautiful" continues in this love-struck haze with similarly mellow acoustic guitar work and subtle orchestral accents.

"Runaway" finds the tone of the album shifting from innocent love to anger and confusion as the fictitious couple is torn apart. The track opens with distant shouting and heavier percussion. When the guitar comes in, it is darker than anything heard previously. Even the vocals adopt an air of hurt and pain.

This melancholic vibe is continued into the closing track, "Looking Up While the Bombs Fall Down." A lone piano opens the song, soon accompanied by soft strings and Hardt's lonesome vocals. As the track progresses, however, the tone shifts and sadness is replaced by a lighter mood. Ben Hardt and His Symphony ends with the young couple reunited and running through London's hectic streets.

Ben Hardt and His Symphony is an album worthy of national attention and praise. Most notably, it is the seamless incorporation of the string ensemble that gives the album its unique appeal. Few current artists are able to include orchestral music without sounding forced, but Ben Hardt and His Symphony blends two distinct musical genres (classical and pop-rock) in a way that feels completely comfortable.
- Pitt News


Discography

Ben Hardt And His Symphony - released in 2007
Available on iTunes worldwide, Amazon, Digstation and Snocap.
"Avalanche" and "Come On, Come On" currently in regular rotation on Pittsburgh radio stations, including WYEP.

Photos

Bio

*Ben Hardt & His Symphony is also available for acoustic performances with string quartet.

Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rated Ben Hardt's debut release one of the best CDs of 2007. Ben Hardt and His Symphony has been named Local Artist of the Year by Pittsburgh’s WYEP FM in 2007 and has quickly established a reputation with venues, radio stations, colleges, and press.

On the album “Ben Hardt And His Symphony”, sensuous violins compete with gritty guitars and drums for the upper hand in what has often been a troubled marriage in rock ‘n roll. Disciplined and propulsive, the strings never take a back seat in Hardt’s musical narrative. His voice provides an equal contrast and cohesiveness. Light with sensitivity the one moment, crackling with aching urgency the next. To complete this project, Hardt quit his day job, sold his car, and bought a Pro Tools rig, in order to begin recording on borrowed studio microphones and rented instruments. He performed, arranged, and engineered everything but the drums and strings. Classically trained composer and friend Chris Massa entered the project to translate Ben's ideas for symphonic strings to paper.

Not satisfied with just making a great album, he’s formed a band and hired an all-female string quartet to go on the road and perform live. Affectionately known as his “Symphony”, their sharp stage dress gives a nod to the big, multi-instrumental bands of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the era that the album’s narrative is set in. Make no mistake, the sound is fresh, original, and full of energy. Overdriven guitars dance back and forth with over-the-top violin solos on stage.

The current release is an overview of an epic multi-album project that Hardt is in the process of creating. It chronicles the story of two lovers in WWII London, complete with a string section and rock band. The first six songs off his self-titled release, “Ben Hardt and His Symphony”, which has won numerous accolades is an overview of what promises to be a much larger and more comprehensive album detailing the introduction, separation, and reunion of the lovers during one of the darkest times of the 20th century. With the ingratiating pop smarts of “Come On, Come On”, rockers like “Runaway” and thoughtful ballads like “Wake Up, Beautiful”, he has exceeded expectations for his album and given fans a taste of what is yet come.

Extra Highlights:
-WYEP FM Local Artist of the Year 2007
-Current rotation for "Come On, Come On" and "Avalanche" on WYEP, KXCI, & KPRI
-On Air Interview & Live Performance on WYEP FM
-Featured artist on WYEP's "Live and Direct CD" for 2008 and Hardt holds the record for attendance at WYEP's 'Third Thursday' evening event.
-Showcase at the Milllenium Music Conference 2008
-Opened for Army of Me
-Song "Come On, Come On" ranked #7 out of nearly 5,000 songs on All-time Pop charts on Garageband.com
-Headling Act for Three Rivers Arts Festival
-Example Venues: Club Cafe, Diesel, Brillobox, University of Pittsburgh, Concordia University - Ann Arbor, Point Park College, & Chameleon Club