BENEE

BENEE in the "Soaked" music video in 2018.

**BENEE** is an indie pop solo musician from Auckland Central. Her true identity is currently unknown.

## History

### Background (2017)

BENEE on her musical beginnings: *"It started in my last year of high school. I was in a position where there was quite a lot of pressure being put on everyone to have an idea of what they wanted to do with their lives and I kind’a thought I knew what I wanted to do, but at the same time had this feeling that if I didn’t pursue music I would end up regretting not giving it a solid crack in the long run. By this stage, I had been posting a few covers onto Soundcloud, including Crazy by Gnarls Barclay and an acoustic version of Ocean Drive by Duke Dumont. These covers had been received quite well by my peers, family and a couple of people in the music industry, which kind’a gave me hope that maybe music could be something that I should try to pursue".*

BENEE is signed to CRS Management.

### Singles & acclaim (2017-2018)

Her first single "Tough Guy" was released on the 11th of December 2017, produced by Djeisan Suskov of Leisure and recorded at Golden Age Studio in Morningside. The first of two music videos was released on the 27th of February 2018, directed by Jordan Arts and produced by Connor Nestor for A Label Called Success; the second video was released on the 4th of April 2018, a lo-fi cut of the first video, reproduced by A Label Called Success.

On the 3rd of August 2018, BENEE made her live debut at Neck of the Woods, supported by Randa. Later that month, on the 31st, BENEE played alongside The Beths, Carb on Carb, Church & AP, Dbldbl, Die! Die! Die!, Hans Pucket, Headless Chickens, Hopetoun Brown, imugi 이무기, MELODOWNZ, Miss June, Polyester and Wax Chattels.

Her second single "Soaked', was released on the 16th of September 2018; produced by Josh Fountain of Leisure, MAALA, Thompston and Theia. Later that month, on the 27th, BENEE supported Daffodils at their "A Leo Underwater" release show at the Great South Pacific Tuning Fork. The "Soaked" music video was released on the 3rd of December 2018, directed by Taylor Mansfield.

### Future (2019-Present)

On the 17th of January 2019, Lily Allen announced BENEE as support for her Auckland show at Spark Arena, at this point "Soaked" had reached over 5 million Spotify streams. Later that month on the 28th of January BENEE played at St. Jerome's Laneway Festival 2019, alongside Daffodils, Miss June, Florence + the Machine, Rex Orange County, Courtney Barnett and Parquet Courts; where she debuted new material.

On the 10th of May 2019, BENEE released her third single, "Evil Spider", alongside the announcement of her debut EP, set for release on the 28th of June 2019.

## Live members

* Tiare Kelly - guitar (2018-Present)
* ??? - bass(2018-Present)
* Isaac Keating - keys (2018-Present)
* ??? - drums (2018-Present)

## Discography

### Singles

* *Tough Guy* (2017)
* *Soaked* (2018)
* *Evil Spider* (2019)

## Links

* Facebook
* Instagram
* Spotify
* Apple Music/iTunes
* Soundcloud
* YouTube

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NewTracks New Artist: Bene, NZ Musician, https://nzmusician.co.nz/features/newtracks-new-artist-bene/
2. ↑ CRS MUSIC, Bene, http://crsmanagement.co.nz/artists/bene/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tough Guy, BENE MUSICC, YouTube, 11/12/2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QAs7vlo8U
4. ↑ BENE Tough Guy, BENE MUSICC, 27/2/2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTpsY9V0FEg
5. ↑ Auckland teen Bene makes her visual debut with ‘Tough Guy’, Sniffers, 28/2/2018, http://www.sniffers.co.nz/article/auckland-teen-bene-makes-visual-debut-tough-guy
6. ↑ BENE 'Tough Guy', Base FM, 30/7/2018, https://basefm.co.nz/bene-tough-guy/
7. ↑ Tough Guy - the lo-fi cut, BENE MUSICC, 4/4/2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybm98XnMewM
8. ↑ BENE, Auckland, Undertheradar, 3/8/2018, https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/8546/BENE.utr
9. ↑ BENE - LIVE, Facebook event page, 3/8/2018, https://www.facebook.com/events/273847500055537/
10. ↑ REVEALING BENE, Neck of the Woods, 31/7/2018, http://www.neckofthewoods.co.nz/word-in-the-woods/2018/7/31/revealing-bene
11. ↑ BENE announces debut headline show, Libel, 13/7/2018, https://libel.co.nz/home/2018/7/13/bene-announces-debut-headline-show
12. ↑ Second Lineup Announced For The Others Way 2018, Undertheradar, 13/8/2018, https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/14739/Second-Lineup-Announced-For-The-Others-Way-2018.utr
13. ↑ Watch A Short Documentary About The Others Way Festival 2018, Undertheradar, 19/10/2018, https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/15057/Watch-A-Short-Documentary-About-The-Others-Way-Festival-2018.utr
14. ↑ BENE - Soaked (Audio), BENE MUSICC, YouTube, 16/9/2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNaIgsnSG1w
15. ↑ Bene is on the rise, RNZ Music, 15/12/2018, https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2018675757/bene-is-on-the-rise
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Bene - Soaked, ZM Online, 17/10/2018, https://www.zmonline.com/music/locals-only-nz-on-air/bene-soaked/
17. ↑ Concert Review: Daffodils - Watch This Fast Moving Space, Jenna Ackerman, Radio 13, 28/9/2018, https://www.radio13.co.nz/articles/concert-review-daffodils-watch-this-fast-moving-space/
18. ↑ BENE Soaked, BENE MUSICC, YouTube, 3/12/2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubE\_ac2wYPQ
19. ↑ Bene's new single, Soaked is causing quite the stir, MoreFM, 17/12/2018, https://www.morefm.co.nz/home/music/wired/bene-s-new-single--soaked-is-causing-quite-the-stir.html
20. ↑ Bene drops video to accompany her vibey new single 'Soaked', George FM, 5/12/2018, https://www.georgefm.co.nz/home/music/2018/12/bene-drops-video-to-accompany-her-vibey-new-single--soaked-.html
21. ↑ Bene - Soaked, The Edge, 2/1/2019, https://www.theedge.co.nz/home/music/uncover-discover/bene---soaked.html
22. ↑ Lily Allen Announces Bene as Support for Auckland Show, Frontier Touring Company, Scoop Culture, 17/1/2019, http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1901/S00108/lily-allen-announces-bene-as-support-for-auckland-show.htm
23. ↑ Auckland Line-Up 2019, St Jerome's Laneway Festival'19, https://auckland.lanewayfestival.com/line-up/artist/bene
24. ↑ First Spin: 'Soaked' star Bene delivers the goods again on 'Evil Spider', Al Newstead, Triple J, 10/05/2019, https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/soaked-star-bene-new-song-evil-spider/11102074
25. ↑ "The Profile: Bene debuts new single 'Evil Spider' and has an EP coming soon", George FM, 10/05/2019, https://www.georgefm.co.nz/home/music/2019/05/bene-s-new-single--evil-spider--is-here-and-she-has-an-ep-coming.html