2023 was the most expansive year for dark/pop/folk/prog solo acoustic artist/singer-songwriter David Benson, aka Said Sara, who debuted live in 4 countries. Succeeding the victory of dissemination that was 2023’s Same, Said Sara has created the emphatic but affectionate ‘Then There You Are’ out of pure stardust.

As a child of the 70’s, David grew up on the singer-songwriters of that era of emergence: Baez, Stevens, Croce, Taylor, Buckingham, Mitchell. But Benson was/is a metalhead and then a punk, and then a punk and then a metalhead —  from the 80s to the 90s and beyond. In 2008, he joined crust punk-turned death metal warhorse Acephalix as the drummer. David continues to hold that seat.

There is a 2-way passage between the dark but accessible, acoustic-rooted Said Sara and the aforementioned strains of sonic extremity: Transition. David spent 15 years as guitarist/vocalist-turned vocalist of this genre-obscuring clique, whose sole full-length, 1994’s Spine, was released by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn’s ultra-legendary SST Records.

With the release of ‘Then There You Are’, we were curious to hear more about the meaning of this track, some crazy ideas, and guilty pleasure.

I’m sure fans would be interested in knowing more about your backstory. What was it like in the beginning days of your music career and how have you grown since then?

I started playing guitar at the age of 11 and very quickly began writing metal songs! Power chords were easy to play, and I could build upon the music that I was listening to with relative ease. Fast forward 7 or 8 years, and I was writing guitar parts and vocal parts that made sense together and sounded good – at least to me! Meanwhile, I was learning drums as well. Since then, I’ve learned not to settle with things. I’ve learned to refine my writing, even if it becomes painstaking. I’ve learned to push myself.

What are the elevator pitches for your music that’ll make people have to listen?

Said Sara delivers introspective darkness through classic but progressive acoustic folk.

For newcomers to your music, if you had to pick one track that shows people who you are as an artist, which one would it be?

“Then There You Are” 

What do you hope listeners take away from “Then There You Are”?

I hope that the music is comfortable enough – but also interesting enough – that it draws the listener toward the otherworldly, post-earth theme of the lyrics. Whenever I fall in love with a song, I then want to know every lyric. From there, the song becomes our own. That’s where the magic is.

Please tell us a bit more about your latest track, “Then There You Are”. What is the message you’re trying to convey with this release?

The message, in simplest terms, is to listen to your feelings. Find the answers in nature and in the stars. Accept guidance from loved ones who are on earth no more. They are reaching for you.

Do you have any specific reference tracks that drive your productions?

Great question! Tom DeLonge’s The Invisible Parade is an acoustic song that is perfectly mixed. The guitar (which is doubled) is right up front, giving the song a sense of depth and urgency. Also, “Our Harry” by The Innocence Mission. Acoustic perfection.

What was the craziest idea you had – whether feasible or not – that you really wanted to go forward with?

Though it’s not “crazy” per se, I’m obsessed with backward reverb. Nearly all of my songs have it – whether it leads into a guitar part or a vocal part. I play drums for death metal band Acephalix, and there’s backward reverb on the drums in the perfect spots in some of those songs as well. Luckily, I’ve yet to have a crazy idea that wasn’t feasible!

Guilty pleasure time. What would you say are some of your current most guilty pleasures? All is fair game-food, books, video games, or even cock n’ ball torture, whatever floats your boat. Let us have it.

I wish I had something more interesting, but honestly it’s spending too much money to promote ‘Then There You Are’!

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Still can't tell exactly my origins because of my suspiciously ‘Chinese eyes’.