As the lights go down and fans start to rise out of their seats, there’s nothing like the moment when an artist steps on stage for the first time. The energy rises in the room and not a care in the world is present anymore.
For 23-year-old EBEN, it’s even more than that. His fans, who often drive across the country to see him perform, are undeniably one of the most energetic fanbases in pop music. As EBEN bounces across stage, introducing himself to the crowd, a massive amount of phones are in the crowd and lit up posters often raise into the air. A humble and gracious smile graces EBEN’s face as thousands of fans sing his lyrics right alongside of him. As soon as EBEN steps on stage, the energy in the room builds to an extreme amount. As he takes over the stage, fans are instantly out of his seats because they know what’s about to happen in the next thirty minutes.
When Beyond The Stage sat down with EBEN, prior to a performance at Philadelphia’s The Met, the singer was nothing but relaxed, even ahead of performing to a sold-out crowd of 3,500 later that night.
“I just feel at home on stage. I’m more comfortable performing on stage than I am in an interview. When I go on stage, I completely let loose and there’s no worry in the world that can bother me or ruin my day when I’m on stage. Once you have it in your hands, it’s a completely cool, almost new feeling every time,” he said.
Described as “undeniable and charismatic on stage” by Billboard Magazine, EBEN’s live performance is nothing but energetic. Although EBEN’s set is short on the 8 Letters Tour with Why Don’t We, he performs with the confidence of a headliner and shows that he truly lives and breathes music.
“I got my start in music really young. I started singing in my church choir. And then, I was a musical theater kid for the most part. My goal was to move to New York and do Broadway. And then when I turned 15, I went and tried out for a signing show, it was American Idol. I actually made it to the Top 24. That was the first time I went to Los Angeles. I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio. Going out there was a completely different world and I completely, absolutely fell in love with it. And that’s when I started to do my own solo career. So I guess, it was since I was 15, that’s when I started taking it seriously as a career. And now I’m 23 and I’m on tour,” EBEN shared with BTS.
Now, EBEN’s created his own music, influenced by artists like The 1975, Chance The Rapper, Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker. All of those influences combined has lead to a pop-driven, hip-hop sound that in return, created an upbeat live performance that’s clearly grabbed the attention of hundreds of thousands of fans. With an unimaginable dedication to those fans, EBEN consistently chats with his fans, has his own VIP Meet and Greet and even hosts an after party, which gives his fans an opportunity to hang out with the singer and get to know him on a more personal level.
“I love connecting with my fans through social media. It’s the portal to them. And it’s a way that they can get access to me and without that, I feel like that there would be a huge gap. You wouldn’t be able to have such a good relationship without them,” EBEN told BTS.
Building that relationship with his fans has resulted in more than eighty thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, building EBEN as one of the quickest growing artists of 2019.
With infectious music and relatable lyrics, EBEN’s music continues to draw attention as he performs at the biggest venues in the country, which in return, has brought some of music’s most important industry professionals to see him perform live.
Most recently, EBEN landed a deal with Atlantic Records, which was released via Billboard. As soon as the news hit, fans took to Twitter and Instagram to share positive messages towards the deal, especially as EBEN continued to tour with Why Don’t We, who are also signed to Atlantic.
“I am truthfully living my dream [to be opening for Why Don’t We]. In the full sense of that phrase, I am truly living my dream. I get to go on stage every single night and do what I love. I have my best friends on tour with me. Between the boys and I have my team, like Brandon my drummer, he’s one of my best friends as well. It’s a dream come true and I don’t take [my life] for granted,” EBEN shared.
Most recently, EBEN has released “Plastic Angels,” which chronicles the first time that the singer went to Los Angeles.
“‘Plastic Angels’ is a representation of the first time that I had come out to LA. What you see on TV is that LA is this perfect place, you know, once you get there, you realize that it’s not a perfect place. It’s the big music industry machine. Going out there for the first time was a complete shock. I’m from Cincinnati, so it was just very different and that’s what “Plastic Angels” is about.”
Now, the music video for the track is out, showing how EBEN’s visuals play into his music, garnering more than one hundred thousand views in just two weeks. His fans have built their own social presences around the track, showing how important EBEN is to them and how relatable the track is for them.
While EBEN shares that his live performance will always be exciting and energetic, he shared that his writing process is a little bit more lowkey.
“When I’m writing, I write a lot better when I have a candle. It doesn’t matter what kind of candle it is, I think it just adds to the vibe. There’s not really a specific list of things that I need when I’m writing, but it’s more just like in the moment. It just is more about what I’m feeling and in need of at that time,” he said.
In the next year, EBEN has big plans. With more than one hundred shows down already this year, that’s not the end. Next, EBEN, along with Why Don’t We, has plans to go to Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, all while performing new music and creating new music. Although he shared that being on the road can be exhausting at times, connecting with fans is still his favorite part of his life.
His upbeat pop music shows that EBEN has real chops for the music world, encompassing that into a live show that has clearly already paved the way for the singer to be the next big thing in pop music. With a massive fanbase, an incredibly humble personality and real talent, EBEN shows that there’s a way to be refreshing and genuine in pop music and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
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