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Benjamin Grant Mitchell, generally known as Ben Mitchell, is an Australian singer-songwriter, actor, and writer.
Early life
Mitchell was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, but he moved to Australia with his parents when he was 11 months old.
Music career
Mitchell has independently released three albums: 'The Stars Can See (2006), Chance To Love (2015) and Summer Lover (2016). Mitchell's fourth album, Slow Is The New Fast was produced by multi ARIA Music Awards winner, Matt Walker (Australian musician) and was released on 10 October 2019.
Radio play
In 2016 Mitchell had a Number 1 song on the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project Regional Charts with 'Keep Community Radio'.
Australian Community Radio stations have been most supportive of Mitchell's music, with every track from his Chance To Love and Summer Lover albums receiving radio play at, or soon after, release. In 2015 Mitchell was chosen as the featured Artist for 'Play Vic Week 2015' by the Community Broadcasters Association of Victoria.
Acoustic Trip, London
While living in London in the late 1990s and early 2000s Mitchell hosted an 'unplugged' singer-songwriter night called Acoustic Trip. Mitchell started the club while working as a dishwasher and short-order cook in The Lock Tavern, Camden in 1998, at the beginning of London's 'New Acoustic Movement'. The Acoustic Trip also had residencies at The Fusilier and Firkin/Caernavon Castle and The Purple Turtle in Mornington Crescent. Acts to have appeared at Acoustic Trip included Kate Havnevik, James Blunt, Cookie, Smoke Fairies, Louis Eliot (Rialto) and Martha Tilston.
The Stars Can See
Mitchell lived and worked in London from 1998 to 2004 where he wrote and recorded the songs for his debut album, The Stars Can See. The Stars Can See was released by MGM Distribution MGM Distribution and picked up by independent radio stations in Australia including 3JJJ, 3RRR and most notably PBS 106.7FM. It features Claire Worrall from Robbie Williams band on keyboards, Pete Cuthbert (Rialto) on drums, Ben Sargeant (from The Script) on bass guitar and was co-produced by Mitchell and Ken Brake at Regal Lane Studios, Primrose Hill.
Chance To Love
Recorded in Healesville, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, every song on Chance To Love (2015) received radio play across Australia, mostly from community and independent radio stations. Mitchell played all the instruments and produced the album which was released on 17 April 2015.
Mitchell's 2015 independent release, Chance To Love, featured 17 songs, each of which was played on radio stations Australia wide, and in Ireland and UK. Stephen Walker from 3RRR's 'Skullcave' called Chance To Love his "favourite local release at the moment."; The Music's Jeff Jenkins called it "a late night gem."
Summer Lover
Summer Lover was released on 21 June 2016. It was recorded in Healesville and mixed by mixed by Simon Russell (whose credits include Hiatus Kaiyote, Human Face, The Melodics and Husky). It features Andy Taite on bass, Glenn Maynard (Pollyanna) on drums and Shane Reilly (Tex Perkins, Lost Ragas) on pedal steel and baritone guitar.
Live appearances
Mitchell has performed in Australia, England, Germany, France and The Netherland with appearances at Marysville Jazz & Blues Weekend, Queenscliff Music Festival, Spydafest UK, End of The Line, Maroondah Festival (Croydon), Moonee Ponds Festival and Healesville Music Festival. Venues Mitchell has appeared at include: The Brunswick Hotel, The Corner Hotel, Edinburgh Castle, The Workers Club, Stag & Hunter Hotel, The Retreat Brunswick, The Blues Train and The Newsagency in Sydney. In London, where Mitchell lived for 6 years from 1998 to 2004, he performed solo and with his band (Pete Cuthbert on drums, and Ben Sargeant, from The Script, on Bass Guitar).
Licensing
An independent artist, Mitchell's music is licensed through Open Sea Music.
Acting career
In 1990, Mitchell played Bevan Quinn in the Seven Network police drama Skirts. He also had a role in Bony.
In 1992, after appearing in a production of The Wizard of Oz at the Victoria State Opera, he joined the main cast of soap opera Neighbours as lawyer Cameron Hudson. He previously had minor roles as a Coffee Shop customer and the original Brad Willis. In 2008, Mitchell re-joined the cast in the recurring role of Matt Freedman, the father of Donna Freedman (played by Margot Robbie).
He had guest roles in the independent film, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla (2013), and short film M is for Mutant (2014), both directed by Stuart Simpson.
Generally credited as Ben Mitchell, his full name was first recorded for playing Troy Keogh in a 1996 episode of Blue Heelers titled "Sex & Death".
Writing career
Starting out as a songwriter, Mitchell moved into longer form writing including blogging and novel writing.
He wrote The Last Great Day (ISBN 978-0-646-55032-9), an autobiographical novel released in April 2011.
A long-time fan of Elvis Presley, Mitchell wrote Zippin Pippin (ISBN 978-0-987-38031-9), a comedy-romance-road-trip about Elvis Presley's unknown, illegitimate Australian son.
References
- Rouse, Beverley (15 December 1994). "Review – Cinderella at Preston Guild Hall". Ormskirk Advertiser. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Ben Mitchell - You Can't Fight That". AMRAP AirIt. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- McGeoch, Rowena (28 June 2016). Chart Analysis, The Music Network. Retrieved 24 August 2019)
- Community Broadcasting Foundation. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- Gai, Sarah (12 July 2016). "Introducing Singer/Songwriter Ben Mitchell". IndieLove Magazine. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Everything2. . Retrieved 23 September 2019)
- Phillips, Dom (9 May 2001). "Quiet riot". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- Triple J Unearthed. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- Community Broadcasting Foundation ORG Retrieved 21 September 2019
- AMRAP AIRIT, 10 June 2015 Retrieved 21 September 2019
- AMRAP AIRIT. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- DISCOGS Retrieved 21 September 2019
- AMRAP AIRIT. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- Edinburgh Castle, 8 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2019
- Newcastle Live, 18 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2019
- Live Guide Retrieved 29 August 2019
- The Blues Train. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- The Newsagency. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- Open Sea Music. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- Sutton, Candace (22 April 1990). "Backflips on the tough ones". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hooks, Barbara (18 April 1990). "Introducing 'Skirts'... the long hem of the law". The Age. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fulton, Adam (23 March 1992). "Benjamin changes tune for soap". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- Knight, Lewis (26 July 2022). "Who did Margot Robbie play in Neighbours? Character explained". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- Showcast. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ABCs of Death. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- Australian Television Net Retrieved 6 October 2019
- Sara Bowers, 12 September 2012 Retrieved 8 October 2019