Ben Barnes (known for roles in The Chronicles of Narnia, Westworld, and The Punisher) is finally embracing his true self and fulfilling childhood aspirations with the release of his heartfelt debut album, ‘Where the Light Gets In.’
Stream: ‘Where the Light Gets In’ – Ben Barnes
As a seasoned actor, Ben Barnes is familiar with life in the spotlight. However, there remains a distance between public perception and his true self, as actors are often associated more with their characters than their real identities. Music introduces a new level of closeness, allowing for a deeper connection between artist and audience. Fans are generally more inclined to feel a connection to the individual behind the music. This is something Barnes is experiencing firsthand as he embarks on his music career with the launch of his first full-length album, 'Where the Light Gets In.'
At its essence, 'Where the Light Gets In' reflects Barnes' understanding that we are shaped by our experiences and that embracing oneself and others is a beautiful journey. Love and life can be unpredictable and intricate. Throughout this project, Barnes explores various emotional highs, lows, and the uncertainty in between, all delivered with a smooth voice and an artfully created sound.
So, what catalyzed this journey for Barnes? While it’s common for actors to explore music careers for various reasons, it's evident that Barnes' motivation is sincere. He is not merely pursuing music because he has the opportunity; he has a genuine passion for it. After witnessing people's connections to certain tracks from his 2021 EP, 'Songs For You,' he thought, “It was a lifelong dream to release music, and now that I've accomplished that, what's next?” His next step was to perform live shows, which he describes as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. This sparked his curiosity to tackle the next big challenge in music.
Ultimately, that challenge manifested as an album—something many artists strive for but he describes as “putting an album together and creating something from nothing, releasing it as a complete work.” Creating this album was a creative endeavor that he truly enjoyed.
With the intent to create a full-length LP, Barnes started collecting previously abandoned songs and lyrics from old notebooks, and proactively sought out friends for collaboration. He approached writing sessions equipped with notebooks full of lyrical ideas and themes to explore. Although he typically wrote all the lyrics himself, he collaborated with various artists to see how their musicality could enrich his work, as he often struggled to translate his ideas on the piano due to his limited instrumental skills.
This project was markedly more collaborative than 'Songs for You,' which was produced during the pandemic and thus constrained by what he could create alone at the piano. The tracks from 'Where the Light Gets In' allowed for more complexity and exploration in their development.
“I experimented with a variety of approaches,” he explains. “I tried pairing music with previously written lyrics, writing lyrics to existing music, and even doing both simultaneously. It was a beautiful and fulfilling process over roughly six months.”
Some of the songs originated long before he seriously focused on music. “Going from not having any songs to developing demos for those that made it onto the album took about two years,” he recalls, adding that he cherishes the memories of writing songs together, creating rough demos late into the night while imagining their potential success.
He then realized he had a collection of songs that, while not a full album yet, captured different moments in relationships—reflecting a chaotic mix of experiences in romantic dynamics. Barnes elaborates, saying the album is not explicitly about relationships themselves but rather about the emotional journey one undergoes when connecting with someone, experiencing turbulence or nostalgia, or craving a different type of love.
As he moved through the process, he assessed what he had at his disposal and crafted a project that felt cohesive. “I aimed to create a complete narrative that represents the spectrum of human romantic experience, recognizing that it’s a tremendous undertaking,” he admits, adding that even Shakespeare struggled to accomplish that.
Reflecting on his creative journey, he found the writing process immensely gratifying. Ultimately, he developed twelve tracks that guide listeners through the various stages of relationships—the romantic, the disheartening, the captivating, and the painful endings.
Discussing the influences behind the album, Barnes notes that great art inspires great art. He cites Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Donny Hathaway, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin as his musical influences since his teenage years, artists whose music resonates with his soul. More contemporary influences, such as Olivia Dean, serve as benchmarks for his artistic endeavors, particularly in the realm of contemporary soulful pop. He also credits Hozier for influencing the edgier tracks on the album, like "Three New Hearts."
Yet he emphasizes the necessity of filtering those influences through his personal experiences. “No matter how hard I try, I won't sound like them unless I imitate, and that isn't the purpose of creating,” he explains
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Actor Ben Barnes is at last embracing his true self and fulfilling childhood aspirations with the launch of his deeply emotional debut album, ‘Where the Light Gets In.’