
By Jaci Jedrych
Ben Ellis’ latest track, “not this time,” shows the merit of sticking true to your dreams.
Benjamin Payne is a 19-year-old Cardiff, Wales native currently living in London studying music. He has sung ever since he can remember, deciding to try songwriting at age 10, and starting guitar lessons at 14. Thanks to the pandemic, he was able to collaborate with musicians worldwide on Zoom. As the world returns to normal, he is able to busk in London regularly, which allows him to connect with people on a more personal level.
His latest track represents a feeling with which many young people can connect. Especially when pursuing a non-traditional or artistic career path, he was met with discouragement.
“I wrote ‘not this time’ about people imposing their fears on me regarding going after my dreams. It speaks to me wanting to stay true to myself instead of conforming to the traditional ideas of what a career path should look like,” said Ellis.
Fans of Beck or lovely the band should check out Ben Ellis’ music. Follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Jaci Jedrych is a World Politics student at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She loves going to concerts and exploring different genres, and has a passion for arts and news writing.

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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.