Meet Ben Darwish in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Darwish.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ben. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Portland, OR and I’ve been obsessed with music for most of my life. I started piano lessons when I was six (thanks, Mom) and have been playing ever since. I began to get serious about studying jazz piano when I entered college and since then have released several jazz albums as a leader. My love for jazz has always played a role in my sound even if I’m working in different genres.

A few years ago, I found myself hitting a ceiling in the Portland scene and for me, it was an obvious choice to move to LA. I have a love for R&B, electronic and experimental music that Portland just couldn’t provide. So, I saved up some money and moved down here with nothing lined up and little connections. I did my best to network and introduce myself to people which eventually paid off. After about nine months of being in LA, I got asked to work with Mike Posner who was getting ready to release a new album and tour. Aside from being an artist, he’s penned hit songs for Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 and more.

I started working with Posner at the beginning of 2016 and within a few months the remix of his song “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” started charting. Soon enough, it was #1 in several countries taking us around the world to places like London, China, Dubai and even India. We also performed on several tv shows including Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and more. “Ibiza” ended up being the 2nd most played song on Spotify in 2016, racking up almost a billion streams.

Since then, I’ve worked with KD Lang, Natasha Bedingfield and others. My studio is in Hollywood and host songwriting sessions weekly and compose for various projects.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The career of a musician is never steady. After I moved to LA, I ran out of money after about 6 months. I found myself borrowing money from friends to pay rent so I could continue to chase my dream. Fortunately, I landed the touring gig with Posner and have paid my friends back since. But even above money, the main obstacle for me has been the process of meeting people in a new city. I get 90% of my work through recommendations so knowing a lot of people is important. But you can’t just shake hands and get a gig, you really have to prove yourself. In addition to that, you have to get along with the new people you meet, you can’t just be skilled in what you do. If it feels like networking, you’re doing it wrong.

Please tell us about Ben Darwish.
As a musician, I’m very versatile. I play all keyboards, sing, compose, write and produce among other things. I am known for my harmonic and melodic depth as well as unique sound design. In addition to performing, I compose for film and TV. I have a company called, Sublimity (www.sublimitymusic.com) that provides music scores for commercials. I am constantly trying to chase new and unique sounds in everything I do which sets me apart from others.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Summers in Portland. They are hard to beat.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bendarwish.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ben_darwish
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bendarwish
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/bendarwish
• Other: www.sublimitymusic.com

Image Credit:
Tynan Daniels, Zach Allia, Matt Chatigny, Jeffrey Brant

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.