Thank you again to the gang for turning out to see me last night! Hope you enjoyed it - what did I tell you about the pizza!? I appreciate the efforts you went to - it’s a bit of a trek for some of you - and I didn’t get to talk properly to everyone as I didn’t have much time - sorry folks … next weeks gig will be a different story (don’t forget - change of venue - it’s now at the Full Moon) … Take care x

Gig tonight at the Priory Inn (see “Gigs” page for map) … really looking forward to this these guys love to have me play there - and, well I just love to play! … It also marks the end of my involvement with Highnote Music Management which hasn’t exactly been an earth-shatteringly productive association, leaving me free now to carve my own way ahead in terms of live work - or possibly take up with some other management company … either way, gigs at the Priory will continue, which is great news

IMPORTANT LATE CHANGE: folks, there’s been a change for my other up-coming gig this month :  18th May @ Tao Bar IS NOW 18th May @ THE FULL MOON, Stokes Croft, Bristol … new details appearing on gigs page shortly… sorry if this causes confusion - it was a promoters decision and nothing I could do much about, but Rachel who promotes the night is very reasonable & has really tried to make sure this is a positive shift - which I am convinced it will be! There will be an addition to the bill, with AMY HAZEL (aka Amy Parkhouse) also playing in support - well worth a listen, let me tell you! … Please make sure that if you have told other people about this event, that they now know about this change - I would hate for people to make the effort to turn out to see us & not be able to find us!! Any of you who are regular Mailing Listers will receive notice of this change. It’s too late to replace the posters that have already gone up - but we’ll do what we can - and there’ll be a proper press release to make sure as many people know as possible … fingers crossed!! … it’s gonna be FAB tho - be a shame to miss it xx

Wrote this this week. Don’t know what I’d call this one - any ideas anyone? I thought “My Old Addiction” but that’s been done already …

XX bj

As requested, here’s the latest: I’m sifting through what I’ve put down for the recording so far and priming myself to be brutal about it … A couple of the original songs probably won’t make the cut - luckily i have a few more up my sleeve :)  I’ve done this, following a bit of a break, which has helped me get perspective, I think.

I wasn’t prepared for what a tedious business this recording thing is - when you do it properly. I’ve had a false start at doing an album before - I learned there that it is possible to lose control of something by taking too much (apologies to the bemused folk who got swept up in that) … lol … Apart from that I’m just used to traipsing into a mates studio somewhere, rattling through some songs - badda bing - badda bam - and there you have it! This is not the case anymore. Now I have to do it like a grown-up (sigh).

Also - though there’s nothing wrong with ambition, (in my humble opinion x) - I have to accept it’s important to be realistic - at this stage anyhoo. Lets save the exhibitionism until the day Warner Bros foot the bill! I very much want something I can take on the road when I’m done, and (alas) I can’t fit a Wurlitzer in the back of the Mondeo!

That said, tedious or not, it’s all worthwhile when all of a sudden, as I’m sitting there chewing my nails & practising facial contortions, I stumble across some shimmering gem of a sound - and I get chills for the rest of the day… There’s a few of those it’ll be interesting to see if you can spot them when it’s done!

But I can’t take all the credit … I’m working with some fab people on this, and I thank them now (as I will continue to do) for their talent & patience.

xxx Bj

Yes, I’m in the process of putting an album together - it promises to be bolder and better than anything I’ve done before. Unfortunately a project like this takes time to complete - not to mention money. And I don’t want to cut too many corners with this one. As much as anything it’s a learning curve - a lesson in how to get it right. And as I don’t have a label behind me (fools!) to pay for it all up front so I can just crack on and DO it, there are bound to be delays … hmph! Of course I AM the most patient & casual person you’ll ever meet, so this is no problem for me at all!!!!!!

Currently I am working with my good friend, super-talented guitarist, arranger & producer Sally Wyatt and with the guys at Audio Shelter in Bristol. The basics of the main tracks have been put down. I’ve layered vocals & arranged some harmonies for everything so far. I have the instrumentation in place for the first track - barring the drums - and am currently working on the instrumentation for the second track. It’s quite a bitty process because the tracks produce themselves to some extent, and the things I thought would work & which sounded good in my head suddenly sometimes don’t work out in practise, or my attempts at communicating this to the good folks I’m working with are flawed! As things stand at the moment I don’t normally play with a backing band so for me it’s not as simple as just taking the band into the studio and getting everybody’s part down. My hope is that once the work is done on the album, I will find myself with a set of musicians who I can continue to work with in a live setting as well as in the studio, for all my future projects … Because in case you didn’t notice, I’m in this for the long haul!

I started the album off in the studio in February, worked with Sally on arrangements through March and now April’s here - I intend to get back in the studio fairly soon to polish off one or two tracks. Obviously the studio can’t wait around for me to be ready so I’ll need to book in between their other engagements - this is frustrating as the natural flow of the recording process gets interrupted, but patience is a virtue … Money of course is key and I’m hoping the good people at the bank will lend me a quid or two SOON :)  … I’m good for it …

So in answer to your question it’s still early days, but it will be worth the wait! Rome wasn’t built in a day y’know …      xx

OK. I lied about the “interactive” bit - but it IS an interview. And YOU call the shots … so, I got your attention anyway - right? Well, here’s how it works : You comment back to this Blog entry with any question - ANY question at all - that you want to ask … and I PROMISE to answer you, right here in the Blog. Well?

Massive thanks to Karen, Coops, Sam, Ray… and the whole gang who turned up to see me play last night at the Mayors Arms (you have been named & shamed!!). Especially since you were all apparently labouring under some form of illness or other! You may not realise it, but it makes a huge difference to me & my performance to be so well supported - so THANK YOU. I think we all agree it was a terrific night … I hope you all get well soon x

Thanks also to Elliot Hall & Moussa Kouyate for doing such a great job in support, and also to Helen at Highnote for putting the night on.

A few people have asked where the Mayors Arms is as there’s more than one Clarence Rd in Bristol. You can view a Google-Map on the gigs page. But roughly speaking, it’s along by the river on the opposite side from York Rd at the Redcliff Hill end … hopefully see you there!

Ever have one of those days where you wake up and think : oh my god! where’ve I been all this time? - it’s like you’ve been in a dream, barely aware of it, unconsciously desperately trying to punch & kick your way to the surface and WAKE UP! … ? … well I had one of those days not so very long ago & I don’t mind telling you it scared the hell out of me.

I was really ill at the time - not critically, you understand - just got knocked on my back by full-on flu 4 times in as many months!! Sort of makes you reflect on your situation … So in my fluey delirium (which was actually really blissful at times!) I realised I had done what I’d always said I would NEVER EVER NOT ON YOUR LIFE do. I’d put Music 2nd place and sold my soul to The Man.

Now, this was not all bad, because it meant I had some financial stability and didn’t have to doss on peoples sofas anymore. But I was so sodding tired & stressed & frustrated at the world, that I had nothing else to give and none of the essential passion with which to give it. Ring any bells for anyone?

So time sort of slipped by, and then I woke up. Whatever alien creature it was that had inhabited my body and walked and talked for me all this time had finally left and I was left with one thought : WHAT NOW?

This website - that’s what! Not to mention the 250 or so songs I’ve written over the last decade and never properly recorded!! You think that’s a stretch? Well, we’ll see … Folks I want to thank you for finding me here in my Second Life. Feel free to get in touch - it’s good to talk … the gigs should pick up soon and hopefully I’ll see you at one! My back catalogue of songs is available here to download and, as with anything, if you experience any difficulty with this, or simply feel the need to comment then just holler!

Here’s to new beginnings …

Well after many initial mishaps here it is! The official Benita Johnson website! (The Singer-Songwriter - not the marathon runner … you wouldn’t even catch me running for the bus x… And much thanks to the guys at Studio Eighty-Six for their design skills and exemplary forbearance… We’ve only just gone live - for real - so now you’ve found us, take some time to browse & see all that the site has to offer. If you come across any flaws or annoyances - or are in any way confused & befuddled by anything you find - then please make contact. We will do all we can to make it better. And THANK YOU for stopping by. We hope that you will Bookmark us & come again soon. B. x