Fryars

Fryars
Fryars in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Garrett
Born	1988/1989 (age 25–26)[1]
Origin	London, United Kingdom
Genres	Art pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, producer
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Make Mine, 679, Fiction
Website	www.fryars.co.uk

Benjamin Garrett, better known by his stage name Fryars (sometimes stylised frYars), is an English art pop musician from London.

Career

Fryars released his debut EP, The Ides, in September 2007, and was profiled as The Guardian‍ '​s "New band of the week" in November.^[2][3] A second EP, The Perfidy, followed in March 2008.^[4] His debut album, Dark Young Hearts, was released in September 2009; its first single, "Visitors", features backing vocals from Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.^[5][6][7][8] In October 2012, Fryars issued the song "Love So Cold" online as a free download, followed by the EP In My Arms in January 2013 via 679 Recordings.^{[9][10][11][12]}

In October 2013, 679 released Fryars' EP Radio PWR, which was accompanied by a series of live shows devised with magician Simon Drake.^[13][14][15] Fryars' second album, Power, which he produced largely with long-term friend Luke Smith (formerly of the band Clor) and Rodaidh McDonald, was released in November 2014 through Fiction Records. It followed a lengthy period of what he referred to as "record label limbo", during which he was released from 679 amid the acquisition of parent company Warner Music Group by Access Industries.^[16][17] He described the album as "a soundtrack to a film that does not exist", and released a "B-movie" in the form of an accompanying mixtape titled The Boy in the Hood, as well as developing social media profiles for its characters.^[18][19][20] Power received positive reviews from Dazed & Confused, The Guardian, and NME.^[21][22][23]

Fryars' musical influences include David Bowie, Serge Gainsbourg, Kraftwerk, and The Strokes.^[1] As a songwriter and producer for other artists, he has contributed to albums including Mika's The Origin of Love (2012), Lily Allen's Sheezus (2014), Rae Morris's Unguarded, and Marina and the Diamonds' Froot (both 2015);^[24] he was additionally featured on Morris's 2014 single "Cold". He wrote the song "Johanna" with Miles Kane and Mark Ronson for the film Mortdecai (2015). Fryars is affiliated with Universal Music Publishing Group.^[25] He has toured with Vampire Weekend, Goldfrapp, Of Montreal and London Grammar amongst others.

"Power" was named album of the week in the Sunday Times which described it as a record of "breathtaking beauty". Paul McInnes of The Guardian gave "Power" four stars, citing "visions of loneliness raised up by beautiful melodies." Rolling Stone and The Financial Times also gave the record four star reviews, noting similarities to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

The reviews website All Music described "Power" as "cinematic, endlessly listenable and out of this world good". The Line of Best Fit called "Power" "a rampaging success" and named it their album of the week. The music magazine NME praised "a sweepingly ambitious pop record unlike anything else you'll hear this year".

Discography

Albums

• Dark Young Hearts (2009)
• Power (2014)

EPs

• The Ides (2007)
• The Perfidy (2008)
• In My Arms (2013)
• Radio PWR (2013)

Singles

• "The Ides" (2009)
• "Olive Eyes" (2009)
• "Visitors" (2009)
• "Love So Cold" (2012)
• "In My Arms" (2013)
• "On Your Own" (2013)
• "Cool Like Me" (2013)
• "The Power" (2013)
• "Prettiest Ones Fly Highest" (2014)

Remixes

• Love Is All - "Felt Tip" (2009)
• Pacific - "Sunset Blvd" (2009)
• OneRepublic - "If I Lose Myself" (2013)
• alt-J - "Dissolve Me" (2013)
• Local Natives - "Heavy Feet" (2013)
• Fyfe - "Conversations" (2013)
• Josh Record - "Bones" (2013)
• Swim Deep - "King City" (2013)
• The 1975 - "Robbers" (2014)
• Seinabo Sey - "Hard Time" (2014)
• Lily Allen - "King Many Layers" (2014)

References

External links

• Official website
• Fryars on Twitter
• Fryars on Facebook
• Fryars on Instagram
• Fryars on SoundCloud
• Fryars on Tumblr