Singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin is getting fans warmed up for his summer festival gigs with a new song, “Jesus In LA.”
The 25-year-old, who plays Montreal’s Osheaga on Aug. 4, has explained that the track isn’t about faith or religion.
“It’s about searching for hope and happiness and realizing those things aren’t always where you think you’ll find them,” Benjamin said, in a release. The song was inspired by his move to California.
“When I first got to LA I thought that I was going to finally find the happiness that I had always been looking for,” he recalled. “Not long after I arrived, I signed my first record deal. Got dropped. Lost friends. Spent all my money… and had to move back in with my parents.
“It was then that I realized the thing that I was looking for most was in front of me the whole time. My true friends and family. Even at my lowest point, being back home with my family is what made me truly happy.”
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Earlier this year, Benjamin told iHeartRadio.ca about his songwriting process. “I try not to put too much of a filter on myself,” he said. “Usually whatever comes out naturally is probably the right thing because… I try not to think about it.
“Ultimately if it’s something that my friends or fans or family really like, I’ll just put it out.”
Check out “Jesus In LA” below: