Benjamin Francis Leftwich looks reflective just a few stories above Edinburgh’s historic caves.
He swings his guitar strap over his shoulder and scans the crowd as though he is considering every detail.
Every huddled face means something to the young man whose self-deprecating demeanour is out of touch with his popularity.
Clasping the neck of his acoustic stronghold Leftwich sings as though savouring the moment and his loyal audience hold their breath to hear the voice that’s been away for almost three years.
Before his performance Leftwich tells me that he cannot believe that his shows are selling out because it has “been so long”.
After the recent passing of Leftwich’s father the artist took a step back from the scene, but not as he contests “the creative world,” which he argues is “not a thing you can turn off”.
“I am always writing; music is the most important thing in my life bar my family and I am always creative, all my best friends are singer/songwriters or in bands or touring. “
Shyly he steps on stage to cheers and whistles and starts playing without a word.
The artist’s new album After the Rain (released 19 August 2016) has the theme of death and loss throughout, however the singer is hesitant to portray the album as closeted.
“When something like that happens to you it affects so many other things in your life around you; your levels of anger, levels of happiness, sexuality, the way your pets think, the way your friends think of you, the way you think of your friends- everything.”
“So, there is a running theme through it, but I wouldn’t say every song on the album was about one specific event.”
Under the spotlight Leftwich is adamant to give the fans what they want as he straddles the new songs with the old.
As though absorbing the intensity, girls tilt their head to the side almost tipping over as the musician sensitively warbles about past romance.
It is clear that the new single ‘Tilikum’ hits a deep and perhaps not yet healed spot.
Written at a low point in his life Leftwich reveals that the title means ‘friend’; he talks about the layers of the song, which he says slotted together in “a perfect way.”
“The verse… it’s almost cold, it’s almost accusatory there’s some dark stuff there that’s gone down, but when the chorus hits its extra warm.”
“It’s not me saying, “I hate you, I hate you,” its me going “one day hopefully in this life or the next, “be my rose”.”
One of the things that I find most endearing about Leftwich is that he does not show a hint of resentment regardless of the love loss or anger he has felt over the years, rather he seems buoyant and candid with a somewhat spiritual appreciation for life as a whole.
This part of his character is reflected in his music videos that throughout his career have included themes of isolation and nature.
Directed by Hobby Holmes the video for ‘Tilikum’ is no exception set in the vast space of Dartmoor National Park.
“I love the way a video can bring alive a song and a song bring alive a video, but also there is something about nature that is very powerful.”
“It doesn’t care, nature doesn’t care and the sea doesn’t care.”
“If you’re having a bad day and you get stuck in the sea, it’s not going to go, “aww”.”
“There is a power to nature that I have always found amazing; it’s definitely been a theme lyrically and visually through everything I’ve done.”
Leftwich continues bright eyed as he remembers growing up in Yorkshire and recalls a disastrous beach trip in which he came across a nest of adders, one of many experiences that no doubt moulded his respect for nature.
Often during the gig he steps back and sings into the microphone from afar, letting his husky tones wisp in and out of range in an almost meditative way and as his signature resonating style croons my mind buckles with ease.
Having been with the label Dirty Hit since 17, the artist speaks fondly of the independent label who are having huge success with the likes of The 1975 and Wolf Alice.
“Me and The Little Comets were the first band they put out, who are all friends of mine as well as all the other bands.”
“It’s family, it’s five people who work in the office; it’s a smaller team, smaller roster and they’re competing and winning.”
More than anything Leftwich seems thrilled to be on the road and excited to promote the new album, After the Rain, which he thinks is “better”.
“The message is more considered, my first album I wrote that between 17 and 20 and you write differently then.”
He mocks, “you know when you are quite young and (you think) whatever I say is honesty man and then actually you grow up.”
He continues, “the honest thing to do is to consider your own message that you’re trying to portray rather than going straight to the first thing that comes to mind”.
While the songs are poignant there is not much variation between them and the new and old often seep into each other.
What is missing is a jolting song or punch from a backing band to snap the audience out of their trance and dutifully revive the moment, however you cannot argue that Leftwich does not remain true to his original and popular peddle board craft that has inspired all manner of bearded drips from the tap.
We chat about influences and while Leftwich may have the look of a young Springsteen with the earring and raucous voice to ‘prove it all night’; he claims to be missing something more in life, a special t-shirt.
“I really want to get a classic one I would love to get an original Nebraska print from an original tour.”
Already I can hear fans scrolling down eBay pages like no tomorrow.
I ask the musician what his thoughts on social media are and whether his engagement with it has changed this time around.
“I think I am more aware of its importance and the beauty of it; I think a lot of people diss on it or go “it’s lame”, but you get messages from people from all over the world, from people everyday.
“Incredibly personal stuff sometimes and it’s brilliant that people can connect like that; I mean I am still a fan boy, I still connect to artists that I love on social media and go “oh my god can we link up!” it’s a beautiful thing and musicians who live in this kind of fake, no internet/no socials kind of world, they won’t see any sunlight.”
Leftwich is not complacent and he seems determined to better himself in music and in all aspects of life.
He is not pretentious by any means and it is clear that he is grateful to his fans for letting him do what he loves.
During the gig the singer calls the faces looking up at him “legends” and invites them to come and speak to him at the end of the show.
He has been and still is that boy watching gigs hoping to meet his idols and regardless of the assured success of his second album it seems that he will continue to merge the line between artist and audience.
This is clear in his encore as he shares with the audience that he has not yet played his father’s favourite song on tour.
I hear several audience members gasp, they say nothing, but they know how much it means to Leftwich, who proceeds to sing it gracefully below the shadow of the castle.
Words: Mhairi MacDonald
