by Mary Deluca

“Music has taught me to just take a moment and look around and enjoy everything,” junior Ben Nguyen said.

Ben started his own band called The Ugly Flannel and started playing shows in April of 2016. Ben really got into music with his friends in garages packed with people but is slowly moving up and actually getting more gigs and traveling for his music.

Ben started recording his own music in his bedroom listening to bands like American Footballs, Tiny Moving Parts, and Real Friends.

“The main thing that pushed me to create something that I could call mine.”

Ben started out with acoustic albums he made at bandcamp. Everything started to change when Ben met Shaun Welldon freshmen year after one of his first shows. He saw potential in Ben after seeing him crowd surf and sing alongs bad stage banters.

Ben went on to say how much of an impact Shaun has had on him. Shaun runs youth events and throws shows for people 19 and under like Ben. Ben appreciates Shaun for being there through all of his music, sticking around, and being a great friend and mentor.

Ben loves music and loves meeting new people on tour, drinking cheap coffee, staying up late, and coming up with song lyrics.

Ben works with a lot of different people and learns a lot from his drummer Athen, and bass guitarists Kate and Nick.

“They helped me learn how to improve, how to warm up even, how to record music,” Ben said.

Music brings pure happiness into Ben’s life and constantly makes him happy through his creating and expressing his emotions in songs he wrote himself. The thought of someone else enjoying them is just as much is amazing.

Check out Ben’s own website that sells merchandise and his albums on uglyflannel.com