Based in the North East of England, Ben Taylor has been releasing music under the moniker of wrongtvrn since April. Already a well known face in the region’s underground music scene with his more rap orientated project KV$HNOODLE, wrongtvrn sees Ben take a more emo route with his music; taking inspiration from the bands he grew up listening to, he puts a modern spin on that nostalgic sound.
Ben is about to drop his brand new single “Stitches” and is set for a big move to the capital very soon. We caught up with him before he moves to LDN to chat about his new music, what inspires his creativity and who he wants to collab with down south.
Where are you from and how would your describe your home town?
I was born in London and lived there for the first 3 years of my life. My parents ran a pub in Westminster and we lived above it. This time of my life was equally amazing and troubling but I believe it was all character building even if I was very young. I then moved to Newton Aycliffe with my mother which is a small industrial town in the North East of England.
I guess this is where I identify as my hometown. It is quite typical to the North East, very industrial, quite quiet and pretty close minded to anything that doesn’t involve staying in the town and raising a family there. Saying this I found an amazing group of people who are very similar in mindset to me, most of which moved away as they realised the town can’t offer them what they need in life.
How would you describe the music you make?
I like to think of it as nostalgic, flowery, filled with emotion and a sort of a sonic juxtaposition. I want the instrumentation and melodic qualities to uplift you but I want the lyrical content to be a very real expression of inner pain and turmoil. It’s inspired heavily by emo music and 90’s skate culture and is infused with my love of trap music. These things have inspired me heavily as a person throughout my life and I want to push them into the forefront of culture again and give them a new lease of life in my own way.
You’ve only been releasing music as wrongtvrn since the start of the year, what’s the inspiration behind the whole wrongtvrn concept?
I wanted to do something that really spoke to me more than I’ve ever done before, and I wanted that thing to be packaged and delivered in a way that was wholesome and full. It’s a painful life we lead sometimes and I wanted to shine a flowery, rose tinted light on that whilst being completely true to myself.
How has the pandemic effected your creative output?
It’s been up and down but on a whole really well I think. It allowed me to focus on myself and my skills and really fine tune them and learn more than ever about these two things in particular. It’s not everyday you get so much time to yourself and I believe life is a journey of growth so I have used this time for just that. Putting stuff out is the same whether you can go outside or not, it’s always difficult to find your audience but I’ve been able to make some music I’m really proud of and I think people will relate to it…at least I hope so!
Your new track “Stitches” drops this week, what’s it all about?
This song was written last year on my birthday. I had to get stitches in my face for the second time in my life because of an exchange of words which escalated whilst celebrating. It hit me hard emotionally. On that day I had just started to make changes to really change my life for the better and the night dragged me back to earth.
Because of this emotional juxtaposition it got me questioning every bad decision I’ve ever made and how that has affected my path. It’s basically a song about being sick of fucking up and being on the edge of not wanting to continue. Because of the emotional juxtaposition I felt, I wanted that to carry through sonically. The beat is very pretty and lofi and floaty but the lyrics are very self deprecating.
You’re soon moving from the North East of England to London for uni, how do you think the move will effect your music?
I am and I can’t wait! I feel like I’m returning to the motherland! I believe it’s going to have a super positive effect on my music. I’m going to study music production and to be in a city where a lot of things are happening music wise is super exciting. I’m moving in with my best friend and frequent collaborator, Jordan Paterson, who does a lot of the visual aspects of my music, which is also super exciting. We are going there to work hard and make something of ourselves and something we can be proud of and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Is there anyone in London you’re trying to work with?
I love pezzhead and the whole culture death inc. collective. I would love to work with them more, I would also really like to work with lovesept. I think their style and output is amazing. I don’t think he’s from London but another huge inspiration for me is Sullii and to get the chance to work with him would be amazing.
Finally, which underground artists should we be listing to right now?
Apart from the people I have mentioned previously I’ve been really enjoying the music of Jodie Nicholson, KarimThaPeasant, Remo Drive, Elvis Depressedly, Squarms, John Dole, underscores and Bruise Boy.
All fairly different styles, all unique and amazing in their own right and I highly recommend checking them all out.
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