Nomadic singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Cramer, a.k.a Old Sea Brigade, shares If Only I Knew (Pt. 1). The first in a two-part series If Only I Knew (Pt. 1) is a six-song soundscape that navigates the emotional terrain of uncertainty Cramer experienced on his unpredictable journey over the past few years. Listen to If Only I Knew (Pt. 1) on all digital retailers here.
“This collection of songs reflects a transitional period for me. I moved to Sweden, got married, became a dad, and dealt with family illness all while continuing to learn how to balance my days, priorities, and overall life. It took me a long time to learn, but over the last few years I’ve been working on letting things go that I can’t control and trusting more in the impermanence of each moment,” Ben explains. “With these songs and recordings, I tried to capture little time capsules I can hopefully come back to one day and remember a fraction of how I felt during this time. The last few years, like many of you I’d imagine, have impacted me with a whole spectrum of human emotions, from immense joy to overwhelming sadness to the standard fear of the unknown.”
Unlike previous releases, which were recorded in Cramer’s home studio in Nashville, this initial set of songs was recorded in Gothenburg with his closest creative confidants and co-producers, Jeremy Griffith and Owen Lewis. Pt. 1 includes previous releases like the timeless “Polygraph,” the dreamy “Heaven in the Right Light,” and the reflective “Rest Assured.”
LISTEN TO “REAL LIFE” HERE:
https://oldseabrigade.ffm.to/reallife
The Atlanta-born, previously Nashville-based artist first introduced Old Sea Brigade with his debut eponymous EP Old Sea Brigade (which included his seminal hit “Love Brought Weight”), followed by his 2019 debut album, Ode To A Friend. He has toured with artists like Passenger, Wild Rivers, and Luke Sital-Singh, and developed an undeniable chemistry with Luke that carried over to the studio on the collaborative All the Ways You Sing in the Dark EP. His 2021 sophomore album, Motivational Speaking, was called “some of the best quarantine art” (Consequence) and “sharply written and infectiously propulsive.” (Uncut). Cramer built on these successes with his latest album, 2022’s 5am Paradise, where he reveled in new sounds and ideas, all the while exploring the textures and intricacies of everyday life in songs that made space for doubt and worry alongside joy and pleasure. He left his songs unresolved—posing more questions than he answers—so that they reveal more and more of themselves each time you hear them. Old Sea Brigade has since received praise from the likes of WNYC Soundcheck, Brooklyn Vegan, Under The Radar, No Depression, East Nashvillian, and many more. All of this culminated with this national TV debut on CBS Mornings “Saturday Sessions.”
Track List:
Heaven in the Right Light
Polygraph
Rest Assured
If You Had to Ask
Real Life
Away It Goes
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