Career
Ottewell came into contact with Ian Ball (vocals, guitar) while the two were studying law at Sheffield University. Ball was impressed by Ben's big voice, and along with Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Paul Blackburn (bass), and Olly Peacock (drums, synths, computers), they formed the band Gomez. Ottewell's deep, soulful voice has gained him some acclaim and has drawn some comparisons to''Shapes & Shadows''
Ben Ottewell's first solo album, ''Shapes & Shadows'', is not a huge departure from his material with Gomez, but it has its differences. It is more low-key, melancholy, and acoustic driven than Gomez. One music critic says "lyrically and thematically, Shapes and Shadows (the album) is a very thoughtful and mature recording, as if Ottewell is taking issues of love and relationships discussed in Gomez's back catalogue to another, more mature level".''Rattlebag''
In an interview with Guitar World, Ben revealed "When it came to writing for Rattlebag I started afresh and all the songs were written specifically with the album in mind over a 12-month period, perhaps making the album a little more cohesive. I'm a great believer in the power of the riff, not just in the bombastic Zeppelin sense but also the more cyclical blues or folk licks, and most of the songs are written with a riff as the foundation. Once these ideas were formed, some as just a verse, some almost full songs, I'd take them to Sam is writing partner, Sam Genders, formerly of English folk band Tunng, now of Diagrams (band)">Diagrams A diagram is a symbolic representation of information using visualization techniques. Diagrams have been used since prehistoric times on walls of caves, but became more prevalent during the Enlightenment. Sometimes, the technique uses a three- ...Personal life
Ottewell was born inDiscography
Studio albums
* ''Shapes & Shadows'', 2011 * ''Rattlebag'', 2014 © Tarka Records * ''A Man Apart'', 2017Gomez discography
Studio albums
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ottewell, Ben 1976 births Living people English male singer-songwriters English rock singers English rock guitarists English folk singers English folk guitarists People from Chesterfield, Derbyshire People from Bonsall, Derbyshire 21st-century English singers ATO Records artists 21st-century British male singers