Benjamin Haycock’s blind audition on The Voice UK was a sight to behold. Streaming with rare, original talent and a heartfelt backstory, this singer-songwriter and guitarist took a huge risk for his first show, performing his own track, “Restlessness.” But with a golden knack for songwriting and a mesmerizingly quirky guitar technique, Benjamin astonished all four star judges before him, prompting them to turn their chairs and fight to claim his groundbreaking sound for their team.
Ben’s original song, “Restlessness” is a percussive marvel of pop guitar flared with rap, grit, etherealism and a Bob Dylan strain of stripped-back authenticity. Its emotive power is fleshed out by its story. As Benjamin Haycock revealed to the judges, “My dad passed away quite a few years ago, so I’m speaking to him about things that we battle with in our mind and the things that we keep in and don’t really want to tell anyone about. It’s almost an open letter, if you will.”
Benjamin’s track certainly connected with the judges. Receiving A* feedback from Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Anne-Marie, and Olly Murs, the stars competed against each other to win Benjamin for their team. With all four options open, Ben picked will.i.am’s team but was controversially eliminated from the show during the next round, which many felt was too soon.
This singer-songwriter had already released an EP entitled “Time’s Trangression” in 2018, three years before his audition. Since appearing on Series 10 of The Voice at — years old, Benjamin’s YouTube channel has fluctuated with music videos for fresh tracks with underlying political twists. “Homeless Winter” treads where most music doesn’t dare, while “Force of Nature” was an environmentalist hit that premiered its message about climate change to over 1000 schools.
Entangled in his music are stories and life lessons from his youth in Birmingham, alongside the “coastal tones” of Devon, where he is now based. His organic guitar work and eco-friendly, political backdrop have soundtracked a number of environmentalist films and exhibitions, featuring at the COP26 Climate Conference and The Tree Council’s “Voices for Nature” exhibition. He has even become a prestigious artist and global ambassador for the guitar brand, Maton, while his second EP, 2021’s “Enigma’s Quay”, reached the top 10 on iTunes’ singer-songwriter album charts.
With over 2 million YouTube views on his Voice UK auditions combined, and nearly 500k on the official “Restlessness” music video, Benjamin Haycock’s mystic voice and talent continue to stun and speak to audiences everywhere.