Benjamin Bloom

The snow buffets lazily past the timber-frame windows, but inside The Swan in Ipswich it is homely and warm. The door opens heavily and in walks Benjamin Bloom, a tousled little man with a large, frostbitten nose, dusted in sparkling white icing. "I'm slightly troubled by the return of the snow," he says, "it makes me want to hibernate inside and do nothing."

Benjamin Bloom may have only introduced his demos to the world through MySpace four months ago, but his live shows are unusually professional for such a new act, showcasing melodramatic pop songs that combine hook-ridden melodies and sombre messages akin to cautionary children's stories: "I first realised I wanted to be a musician when I was about 13. I was given a little keyboard for Christmas and I spent all of my spare time playing tunes with one finger. Then I had piano lessons and I've been addicted ever since."

Bloom's dedication to his music feels unusually logical, almost like a savant's obsession: "I get turned on by melodies and chords and rhythms. I like the idea that you can wake up in the morning and within an hour something appears that never existed before that day. Sometimes I'll just sit down and try to make something that sounds good on the piano, then I'll sculpt it into a song. Other times, I think of a good title or subject and that helps me know where to go. Sometimes just a riff, bass line, beat, or chord sequence is all you need. There's always a time where I'm staring at the piano or a blank piece of paper and not knowing what to do but the end result makes it worthwhile. I get inspired by listening to music too, although there are certain songs that I think are perfect which make me feel a bit intimidated."

Some of Bloom's songs, perhaps due to the intricate piano lines, sound rooted in classical music: "I love classical and pop almost equally. As a musician I learned classical music in piano lessons and as a fan I grew up listening to pop music on the radio. You'd be surprised how pop stars steal ideas from Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and that lot!"

Bloom's lyrics shun typical lovey-dovey schmaltz in favour of maudlin tales: "I don't try to be dark or bleak, what comes out is what comes out. Musically, I enjoy dramatic and grandiose sounding stuff and the minor key often fulfils these urges for me. I don't think we should try and conform to sounding any particular way. Lyrically, I don't think I'm pessimistic, I tell a story or make a point and not everything in life is roses although there is an optimistic edge to some of my stuff, I hope. I'd love to be on a film soundtrack—an animated movie might be nice. We can dream, hey!"

Based in sleepy, rural Suffolk, Bloom's gigs tend to be further a field as he is aiming to attract a fan base in the more musically vibrant areas in the South East: "Ipswich isn't amongst the most thriving local scenes, it's a bit overshadowed by Norwich and Cambridge, but then they're bigger towns. It just lacks a promoter or two bringing in bands and putting on lots of shows, although The Steamboat, PJ McGintys and The Swan deserve some praise."

Although currently performing as a solo artist, Bloom's mind is open to the possibility of working with a band: "I enjoy playing with the beats and tracks I've made in my bedroom but one day it might be nice to play with other musicians. At the moment though, my backing tracks do give me chance to focus on my writing and find my voice."

Benjamin Bloom focuses on a big year ahead whilst putting on his coat in preparation for the icy cold outside: "2010 is all about developing as a writer and performer and getting known to a few people. Being solo is fairly new to me so I really want to get into the swing of that and seeing where it takes me. " - SoundProof