Ben Rusch

Shreyans Bhansali

Savant of all things visual

This collection of images and moments will delight anyone with a set of eyes. Shreyans also kindly provided the artwork for the covers of the OH, YES!! album, the concept album "The story of what happened..." and the last album, "Architects of Time". For some reaseon, I have a feeling that he will have some input on the next album as well.

"Every time you're at the beach you inadvertently eat small amounts of sand. The wind blows it in your mouth, right? Apparently, it's not even that bad for you and that makes you wonder, doesn't it - should I perhaps be eating more sand?".

David Lewis

Dave-in-the-life

Quite apart from being an exemplary and outstanding member of the human race with a powerful brain and a beautiful mind, David is also an accomplished singer and guitarist. He owns one of the most wonderful acoustic guitars I've ever seen. When I play live that's the guitar I play. And when I record albums that's the guitar I play. Since don't do anything other than playing live and recording this means that David and I traded guitars months ago. Hardly an equitable arrangement since I get to play the Excalibur of guitars and David gets to play on a round block of wood with strings. David also promotes live shows and talks people into listening to the music. As a consequence of my infinite moral indebtedness, I am filled with self-loathing. But I've never sounded so good.

"Wow, that's brilliant - you must be creatively exhausted. Which is a kind of exhausted that involves being creative, so perhaps you should be slouched over a giant talking tomato whilst reciting haikus."

Bimbi Urquhart

Viola superstar

This is as good as a viola will ever sound in the context of pop/rock/folk music. Bimbi is not only an astonishingly gifted viola player, but deeply musical and incredibly open-minded about expanding her musical horizons. She also happens to be awesome to work with and I can't wait to do it again soon.

Bimbi has played with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and she will be performing the William Walton Viola Concerto in 2011. Obviously, she has also recorded a CD (out soon) and been on tour with the UK's leading tango ensemble.

One day in late May 2010, I had the honour and privilege of adding some of my own songs to the ever-expanding list of Bimbi's musical experiences. Up until that point, I had been trying for 10 (yes, ten!) years to find the perfect string player for my music and boy, how superbly things finally turned out!

AURALLEPSY!

" Ladies and gentlemen, show your love for... "