Alex Bent + the Emptiness

Canada's Alex Bent + The Emptiness takes some inspiration from Gwen Stefani to create a new track that adds his personality to create a super sweet groove. This is a single leading up to his commercial debut, an EP called, Vanilla Blue coming out May 18th.

A couple of the collaborators to this track have worked with Brockhampton including additional vocals from Jack Larsen and production from Connor Barkhouse. Additional production also came from Riley Deacon and Bent himself. The sample of "Hollaback Girls" by Gwen Stefani splits the track in half and supplies the final build-up to the climax of the song. Alex had this to say about the inspiration he gained for the track “When I listen to ‘Gwen Stefani’ I feel like smashing everything in my room. It’s a victory song. It’s a song about starting over.” May 18th's Vanilla Blue is an EP that will establish a tease of the new sound Alex Bent is moving toward with a full-length album coming out next year. Don't miss a minute of the moment by following Alex Bent + The Emptiness at the links below. - Earmilk

Coming in from Central Canada, Saskatoon’s Alex Bent is readying his new LP and dropped his first release of 2017.

“Vanilla Blue” is the perfect pop/alternative track that we’ve been waiting for. With the ability to cross over into multiple genres with his versatile voice, the single and accompanying video steps away from his self-described dark piano pop towards an introspective blend of rock, hip-hop, and pop music that showcases his vulnerability. But regardless of what kind of music fan you are, we’re fairly sure this one will resonate with you. The production is atmospheric, and Alex’s vocals are haunting making this a beautifully nostalgic experience.

On the striking title, Alex elaborates, “I decided on the title ‘Vanilla Blue’ several months before I started writing the song. It originally came to me as a description of my appearance, but after running the name by several friends I realized that those two words could be interpreted in many different ways. One friend interpreted the title to mean ‘a sweet kind of sadness’ and it stuck with me. I started working on the song shortly thereafter and wrote it with that meaning in mind.” - Hip Hop Canada

Alex Bent + the Emptiness is the one-man singer-songwriter project of the Saskatoon-based Bent and what he describes as an "inseparable" internal force. After teasing us with the single "Run Like Hell," Bent is set to unveil his debut full-length Dead, In the Water next week — and Exclaim! is giving you an early listen to it in its entirety.

The album was written back in 2014 at a time when Bent found himself in a reclusive state, withdrawing from the world "out of fear of being hurt or humiliated." Working on these songs brought him comfort and turned the stories in his head into reality.

Introspective and affecting, the tracks aim to provide their listeners with a similar feeling of relief. "It is my hope that others will listen and find a similar escape within these songs," he tells Exclaim! "I'm pleased that I can now share this period of my life with everyone through this music."

Listen in on the sonic time capsule of that period of his life by hitting play below. Dead, In the Water is officially out on August 26. - Exclaim!

Saskatoon native Alex Bent (who performs as Alex Bent + The Emptiness) has released “Blonde American Girl”, an experiential, atmospheric electronic R&B track that samples Led Zeppelin’s “When the Leaves Break” and clips from the films Lost in Translation and The Girl Next Door. Despite outsourcing for small sounds, this is an entirely unique, intensely personal song about longing.

Here’s what Alex Bent had to say about “Blonde American Girl”:

I started writing this song in August 2014. I used to listen to the early drafts of it as I drove through my favorite parts of my hometown. I liked to imagine this song was the soundtrack for a much greater visual. “Blonde American Girl” features a solo on trumpet by my grandpa, Thomas Cuthill, as well as performances by Saskatoon singer-songwriters Oliver Friesen & Sydney Edwards.

“Blonde American Girl” is on Alex’s upcoming album Dead, In the Water, to be released for free this summer. - All Things Go

Ever since hearing the captivating Blonde American Girl by Alex Bent + the Emptiness, I’ve obsessively hit repeat, sitting on the edge waiting for his new album, Dead, In The Water. Only one week away, Bent has released the third single from the album titled, Hold On To Me Forever.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I was about to hear because Hold On To Me Forever is devastating. The vast open space of Bent’s Prairie drives is on display within the ambient and textured sound design with a subtle wave, and a sombre piano that draws you in. But what keeps you listening is his vulnerable vocals about a fear of loneliness and the disparaging words directed at himself. “I like everything about you but I don’t really like myself,” he sings, “and I’m always half expecting you’ll leave me for someone else.” In his own words he explained:

“This song took me by surprise. I wrote it as a way of coping with loneliness, but since then it’s taken on an entirely new meaning. It is my favorite song on the album. The album was written at a time where I chose to be reclusive out of fear of being hurt or humiliated. I found comfort in creating songs that took the stories I saw in my head and painted them into reality. I hope others may listen and find a similar escape within these songs”

Listen to the heartbreaking Hold On To Me Forever below and revisit the second single, Run Like Hell. Look for Dead, In The Water on August 26. - Ohestee