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| Source: @thenewconsistent on Twitter / © Connor Schofield |
The dull glow of the TV leaks around the room, washing one side of the half-empty packets of crisps and sipped-on beer cans in a cold, blue-grey sheen. The New Consistent, also known as Ben Ramsay, trudges into the room, planting himself on the sofa and resting his elbows atop his knees. He turns to his father as samples begin his most recent release, 'Rude Boys', and the audience is introduced to the unconfinable style of The New Consistent's music. The nineteen-year-old from Worcester, England, has developed a captivatingly lo-fi approach to his content - separating him from the monotonous majority.
Binding the quintessential English childhood with intricate lyricism and a spoken delivery, The New Consistent reminisces upon his roots and weaves them into beautiful patterns. He speaks fondly of his upbringing, being surrounded by vast realms of music and unconditional support on behalf of his parents, 'They can see that I've got a clear plan and I know what I'm doing. (...) I've been spoilt with music growing up.' Living in England myself, the gravel in tracks such as, 'The Runaway Mind', and, 'Greta Oto', gives Ben Ramsey's music an inexplicably homey tone. A tone represented through not only his music, as 'Rude Boys' revolves around his father but through his aesthetic and visuals too. His old man features in the 'Rude Boys' music video, detailing the mundane goings-on of a standard family structure while retaining charming undertones that give The New Consistent a human, relatable feel.
Something drew me to talk to this guy, I'm just not sure what. He's utterly unboxable.
The New Consistent is incomparable to any genre I have encountered before. Through discussion, I found it evident that the artist himself is unable to define his music, going even as far as to say that categorising his style will be 'the death of (him)'. Understandably so - gritty spoken word spikes upon glossy indie beats, enchanting the audience in a generous mesh of relatability and pearly conveyance.
Binding the quintessential English childhood with intricate lyricism and a spoken delivery, The New Consistent reminisces upon his roots and weaves them into beautiful patterns. He speaks fondly of his upbringing, being surrounded by vast realms of music and unconditional support on behalf of his parents, 'They can see that I've got a clear plan and I know what I'm doing. (...) I've been spoilt with music growing up.' Living in England myself, the gravel in tracks such as, 'The Runaway Mind', and, 'Greta Oto', gives Ben Ramsey's music an inexplicably homey tone. A tone represented through not only his music, as 'Rude Boys' revolves around his father but through his aesthetic and visuals too. His old man features in the 'Rude Boys' music video, detailing the mundane goings-on of a standard family structure while retaining charming undertones that give The New Consistent a human, relatable feel.
Something drew me to talk to this guy, I'm just not sure what. He's utterly unboxable.
The New Consistent is incomparable to any genre I have encountered before. Through discussion, I found it evident that the artist himself is unable to define his music, going even as far as to say that categorising his style will be 'the death of (him)'. Understandably so - gritty spoken word spikes upon glossy indie beats, enchanting the audience in a generous mesh of relatability and pearly conveyance.
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| Source: 'Rude Boys' Official Music Video by THE NEW CONSISTENT |
You can catch The New Consistent live over the next few months:
Due to the intensity of The New Consistent's material, I can imagine that seeing him perform is similar to collecting handfuls of barbed clouds, allowing yourself to be fully immersed in the emotional authenticity of your surroundings. His undeniably hazy vibe enticed me to understand the man behind the music that is incomparable to pre-existing styles, and so I contacted him with the intention of delving a little deeper into his mind.
Talk to me a bit about your writing style... Where do you start? Do you meticulously rephrase lines to make them fit songs or is it more of an organic process?
To be fair, it's really quite organic. I'll start a song and then when I'm writing one line, the next line will usually start writing itself and it's just a case then of making sure the last words of each line work with each other, but that's quite simple too. If I've got something I'm writing about, I can just write and write cos I've got that much to say on it. I don't tend to (think deeply about) how I write stuff too much, cos I think my style is something that has come naturally if you know what I mean?
Have you always wanted to do music, since it comes so naturally to you?
Na not really, until I was like fourteen I wanted to be a footballer hahaha, but then I realised I'm too short, slim and aren't actually that good so I had to change it up a bit. I got into music when I was fourteen, so since then, it was a dream, that only became a reality when I was about seventeen and discovered I was actually alright at it.
They're pretty polar opposite aspirations - how did you discover the creative side that encouraged you to do music then?
Yeah hahaha. I was always into my art, that was something that has been with me since I was tiny, and so I think I've always searched for a creative outlet, and it naturally came about as I grew up. Throughout school, I always loved the creative subjects and hated the academic ones. Also, my parents always played music around me, but I think that's pretty standard really.
Your family seems to be poignant in your music and aesthetic - would you say they've always been supportive of your musical aspirations? What kind of music were you surrounded by as a kid?
Yeah they have to be fair, obviously they're wary of me having a back-up plan which I kinda do have, but now that they can see that I've got a clear plan and know what I'm doing, they're all for it, cos I'm still young too, they see I've got time. There are so many influences that they've given me, it's mad. I'll always remember my dad only played one CD in his car for years, which was Red Hot Chili Peppers' album, 'Stadium Arcadium' - that really stuck with me. They both grew up in the nineties so obviously, every nineties artist across all genres have always been around. Me and mum used to listen to a lot of indie, whereas my dad has more hip-hop / grime influences, he loved Dizzee Rascal's 'Boy In Da Corner'. I've been spoilt with music growing up.
What kind of music are you into now? Have you stuck with the music you grew up with or have you used these as starting points to branch out to find your own favourite artists?
Oh yeah, one hundred percent! My music taste has changed quite a lot this last year really! I used to be into loads of indie between like fourteen to seventeen but it's changed quite a bit now. My favourite albums this year have come from Loyle Carner, Skepta, and Slowthai. I still listen to indie occasionally and go to gigs a lot still, but when it comes to choosing what I listen to, like in the car and at home, it's more stuff like that, hip-hop, grime, etc. It's obviously the modern-day punk, and it's exciting. My girlfriend is into indie a lot more which helps keep my ear to the ground that side, which is important. It's good to be able to listen to a wide variety of genres. Sticking to just one genre limits yourself unnecessarily.
Speaking of genre, how would you define your music?
Defining my music is gonna be the death of me! (...) I'd say it's spoken word / low-key rap over chilled indie / hip-hop beats? I guess? That could work!
If you were to describe yourself and what you stand for using one or two of your own lyrics, which would you use and why?
There's this verse in 'Rude Boys' that goes, 'I'll place blame in the way life hides the truth / From me as a kid life hit me quick / Now this smoke's turnt to shit but this roach I can fix' and it kind of sums up a lot of the moods of my songs really, and why I write if you know what I mean? There's another couple of lines though, in that same song, that go, 'Maybe it's just the smoke that surrounds us still / But this camera that captures us never runs out of film' and I quite like that as something to sum up me doing music and everyone who is involved in it, from my mate Brad who runs the sets on his decks, to my girlfriend who helps out a lot, to anyone listening and locking in.
Do you have any future plans for The New Consistent?
Yeah, a lot haha! I'm just finishing up my second EP now, but I don't wanna drop it until some point next year, cos I'm gonna be focusing on building more of an audience at the minute. I've got a few gigs booked and a couple of live sessions with certain platforms to get recorded and drop too. I'm just gonna try and get my name in as many places as possible really, then I've got a big announcement for the end of the year!
Long term... I know where I wanna be in three to five years and what I want to do, obviously every artist has a bucket list of things they want to achieve and do. I just want to make sure I continue to grow and gain the success I want to achieve. The dream is to obviously be able to afford to look after my mum and dad but that's talking long, long term.
How would you encourage budding artists to have the same motivation as you? What kind of tips would you give?
You have to enjoy every aspect of what you're doing, don't expect anything instantly. You gotta learn to have more patience than you've ever thought possible to, cos, in reality, being a musician involves one hundred boring or uninspiring days, then one insanely exciting day that'll repeat until you're Ed Sheeran. Also, if you ain't waking up every day and looking to work on yourself in music then it probably ain't for you. Make it your life when you can and you'll probably get there. That's what I'm hoping, anyway.
Where did you come up with the title, 'The New Consistent'?
The New Consistent was the name of my first single and when I was getting it mixed, I still didn't have a name for my music as a whole. So the guy I was working with, Ozzy (from Swim Deep), and his girlfriend and I were trying to come up with stuff over text and he text me saying that his girlfriend was like 'what about The New Consistent' cos obviously she'd heard the song. I didn't like it at first but it kinda summed up what I was about at that point in time and so it kinda just worked from there!
24/08 @ THE SUNFLOWER LOUNGE, BIRMINGHAM
16/09 @ THE SUNFLOWER LOUNGE, BIRMINGHAM
04/10 @ THE ACTRESS & BISHOP, BIRMINGHAM
Due to the intensity of The New Consistent's material, I can imagine that seeing him perform is similar to collecting handfuls of barbed clouds, allowing yourself to be fully immersed in the emotional authenticity of your surroundings. His undeniably hazy vibe enticed me to understand the man behind the music that is incomparable to pre-existing styles, and so I contacted him with the intention of delving a little deeper into his mind.
- INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH THE NEW CONSISTENT -
To be fair, it's really quite organic. I'll start a song and then when I'm writing one line, the next line will usually start writing itself and it's just a case then of making sure the last words of each line work with each other, but that's quite simple too. If I've got something I'm writing about, I can just write and write cos I've got that much to say on it. I don't tend to (think deeply about) how I write stuff too much, cos I think my style is something that has come naturally if you know what I mean?
Have you always wanted to do music, since it comes so naturally to you?
Na not really, until I was like fourteen I wanted to be a footballer hahaha, but then I realised I'm too short, slim and aren't actually that good so I had to change it up a bit. I got into music when I was fourteen, so since then, it was a dream, that only became a reality when I was about seventeen and discovered I was actually alright at it.
They're pretty polar opposite aspirations - how did you discover the creative side that encouraged you to do music then?
Yeah hahaha. I was always into my art, that was something that has been with me since I was tiny, and so I think I've always searched for a creative outlet, and it naturally came about as I grew up. Throughout school, I always loved the creative subjects and hated the academic ones. Also, my parents always played music around me, but I think that's pretty standard really.
Your family seems to be poignant in your music and aesthetic - would you say they've always been supportive of your musical aspirations? What kind of music were you surrounded by as a kid?
Yeah they have to be fair, obviously they're wary of me having a back-up plan which I kinda do have, but now that they can see that I've got a clear plan and know what I'm doing, they're all for it, cos I'm still young too, they see I've got time. There are so many influences that they've given me, it's mad. I'll always remember my dad only played one CD in his car for years, which was Red Hot Chili Peppers' album, 'Stadium Arcadium' - that really stuck with me. They both grew up in the nineties so obviously, every nineties artist across all genres have always been around. Me and mum used to listen to a lot of indie, whereas my dad has more hip-hop / grime influences, he loved Dizzee Rascal's 'Boy In Da Corner'. I've been spoilt with music growing up.
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| Source: @Betterpolo on Twitter / © Paul Moreau |
What kind of music are you into now? Have you stuck with the music you grew up with or have you used these as starting points to branch out to find your own favourite artists?
Oh yeah, one hundred percent! My music taste has changed quite a lot this last year really! I used to be into loads of indie between like fourteen to seventeen but it's changed quite a bit now. My favourite albums this year have come from Loyle Carner, Skepta, and Slowthai. I still listen to indie occasionally and go to gigs a lot still, but when it comes to choosing what I listen to, like in the car and at home, it's more stuff like that, hip-hop, grime, etc. It's obviously the modern-day punk, and it's exciting. My girlfriend is into indie a lot more which helps keep my ear to the ground that side, which is important. It's good to be able to listen to a wide variety of genres. Sticking to just one genre limits yourself unnecessarily.
Speaking of genre, how would you define your music?
Defining my music is gonna be the death of me! (...) I'd say it's spoken word / low-key rap over chilled indie / hip-hop beats? I guess? That could work!
If you were to describe yourself and what you stand for using one or two of your own lyrics, which would you use and why?
There's this verse in 'Rude Boys' that goes, 'I'll place blame in the way life hides the truth / From me as a kid life hit me quick / Now this smoke's turnt to shit but this roach I can fix' and it kind of sums up a lot of the moods of my songs really, and why I write if you know what I mean? There's another couple of lines though, in that same song, that go, 'Maybe it's just the smoke that surrounds us still / But this camera that captures us never runs out of film' and I quite like that as something to sum up me doing music and everyone who is involved in it, from my mate Brad who runs the sets on his decks, to my girlfriend who helps out a lot, to anyone listening and locking in.
Do you have any future plans for The New Consistent?
Yeah, a lot haha! I'm just finishing up my second EP now, but I don't wanna drop it until some point next year, cos I'm gonna be focusing on building more of an audience at the minute. I've got a few gigs booked and a couple of live sessions with certain platforms to get recorded and drop too. I'm just gonna try and get my name in as many places as possible really, then I've got a big announcement for the end of the year!
Long term... I know where I wanna be in three to five years and what I want to do, obviously every artist has a bucket list of things they want to achieve and do. I just want to make sure I continue to grow and gain the success I want to achieve. The dream is to obviously be able to afford to look after my mum and dad but that's talking long, long term.
How would you encourage budding artists to have the same motivation as you? What kind of tips would you give?
You have to enjoy every aspect of what you're doing, don't expect anything instantly. You gotta learn to have more patience than you've ever thought possible to, cos, in reality, being a musician involves one hundred boring or uninspiring days, then one insanely exciting day that'll repeat until you're Ed Sheeran. Also, if you ain't waking up every day and looking to work on yourself in music then it probably ain't for you. Make it your life when you can and you'll probably get there. That's what I'm hoping, anyway.
Where did you come up with the title, 'The New Consistent'?
The New Consistent was the name of my first single and when I was getting it mixed, I still didn't have a name for my music as a whole. So the guy I was working with, Ozzy (from Swim Deep), and his girlfriend and I were trying to come up with stuff over text and he text me saying that his girlfriend was like 'what about The New Consistent' cos obviously she'd heard the song. I didn't like it at first but it kinda summed up what I was about at that point in time and so it kinda just worked from there!
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| Source: The New Consistent Official Facebook Page |
Follow The New Consistent on Twitter, Facebook, and Spotify. This artist's unapologetic drive is not going unnoticed and will surely propel him to where he wants to be, 'I'm just gonna try and get my name in as many places as possible, really.' This guy's got exciting things coming, and I'm nothing but rooting for him. You should too!
