Ben Hendricks (vocals) Annabel
What is your name and band/label/etc?
My name is Ben Hendricks and I sing and play in Annabel.
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- Joie De Vivre - We're All Better Than This
- Cherry Cola Champions - Cherry Cola Champions
- Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
- Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
- The Sidekicks - Awkward Breeds
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I guess you could say I "discovered" them in 2012, even though I had heard them in 2011, but I'm gonna say Dowsing. I really got into the All I Could Find Was You 7" around the time they came to play with us last spring in Akron and then again in Cleveland a couple months later at Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. Then they put out their full-length this summer and we were lucky enough to tour with them down the southeast. Being able to listen to their jams on a nightly basis was pretty perfect. They just have a fun vibe that doesn't really come across in other bands in the genre. I can now say they are good friends of ours and it was a great year having their music in my life.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
I will remember 2012 as being a great year for the DIY and underground scene. It seems like every single band we've met over the years released a great record and upped their game considerably. I couldn't possibly list all our friends that put out amazing music, it's just that big of a list. I think on the bigger level in terms of music that's more popular with people not involved in our "scene" it was kind of a disappointing year. There weren't many "big" releases that did a whole lot for me this year. But it's nice to know our friends picked up the slack.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
We'll be playing plenty of shows in 2013, most notably we're planning a tour over in Europe which is really exciting for us. Hopefully playing lots of Fests and such as well. We plan to put out a split with someone at some point, but we can't divulge much information on that just yet. And if we want get really ambitious, maybe we'll start working on another full-length, who knows!
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
I'm looking forward to the new Tin Armor and Signals Midwest records coming out as well as a new Drake album.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I think it will continue to evolve as well as the expectations around it. It's a really tricky platform right now, because there have been some cases where it hasn't worked as well as it was intended to. I don't think it's going to go away any time soon, because who wouldn't want to have other people pay for their own things if they don't have to, ya know? I think it all depends on the artists that choose to use it and approach it in a way that make it a respectable cause. Because, yeah, recording costs money, but you also don't need $10,000 to make an EP. In my opinion, it's on the artist to find ways of recording their own material, because making music is kind of the whole point. It's worth a lot more if you make the sacrifices necessary to make a great record. But not everyone feels that way and that's fine too. As long as people aren't abusing the system, it's a reasonable way to put out records if you have no other avenue to.
