Spoken Word Singer-Songwriter Ben Zaidi Signs To Nettwerk

Harvard-educated poet, songwriter, and producer Ben Zaidi is excited to announce he has signed to Nettwerk. He is known for crafting spoken-word lyrics over lush electronic beats from his New York City bedroom.

Today, he shares an acoustic version of his popular track, "3,000 Miles From Home." Ben explains, "Growing up in Seattle, you get uneasy when the sun shines for too long. I moved from Seattle to Brooklyn a few years ago, and over the past few years have spent a lot of time on the road & out in California (where I'm writing this now). It's strange the things you miss when you're away from the place you grew up. It's not always the happy things. Like when a person leaves your life, sometimes the things you miss about them are their little flaws or annoying habits. I guess that's how I feel about rain, and its grey, melancholy smell. I guess that's why I wrote '3,000 miles from home, but I can smell it when it rains.' When it rains, it doesn't matter where I find myself--for a moment, it's like coming home."

Growing up in Seattle, Zaidi was surrounded by the evergreen beauty of the Pacific Northwest. At 15 he began writing songs that caught the attention of local record labels and, ultimately, Harvard University, where he enrolled to study music and poetry. In his dorm room, he honed a unique sound that blended the confessional songwriting of Blue period Joni Mitchell with the digital minimalism of James Blake. In 2019, he worked with Seattle multi-platinum producer Budo on their collaborative album Abandonism (rated top 20 albums of 2019 by the Seattle Times), performed a KEXP in-studio session, signed with APA, and completed his debut national headlining tour, selling out shows in Seattle, New York, and San Francisco.

In 2020, he continued the momentum with monthly singles, leading to his signing with Nettwerk Music Group in the fall. Now, Ben is in the process of completing his debut studio album with legendary producer Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Bob Dylan) -- a collage of love, the loss of innocence, and social crisis rendered with heart-splitting honesty.

Listen here: