Hirsute blokes bearing tattoos down their arms really shouldn’t have voices this sweet. It’s highly disarming. Yet Ben Poole‘s new single, ‘Empty‘, finds the guitarist with his guard down, laying bare feelings over a subtle, gently rolling ballad framework prior to a sharp kick up the jacksey about halfway through as a great dirty solo bursts through.
Picture Savage Garden‘s Darren Hayes crooning over a semi-orchestrated Santana blues number. That shouldn’t work, but this does.
‘Empty‘ is the second single taken from Ben Poole‘s first studio album of brand-new material in eight years, Post-Midnight Behaviour. Rooted in blues rock, the new album also sees Poole explore new musical territory.
“‘Empty‘ was one of the first songs we wrote for this new album and really helped shape the direction we took going forward with the songs from that point,” said Poole. “I wanted there to be a mix of darkness and light throughout as I’ve always valued dynamics both emotionally and musically in music.”
“I honestly feel this is one of the strongest songs I’ve ever written. We poured so much time, care, and energy into every detail, musically and lyrically, and I can’t wait for people to hear it. I really hope listeners feel the passion behind it and connect with it on a much deeper emotional level.”
Talking about actually writing the song and then its recording process, he said: “I’ve always loved that rush you get when a song lifts from minor to major, and it was exciting to really push that idea in ‘Empty‘. The verses sit in this solemn, emotionally heavy E minor sequence before everything opens with a dramatic dynamic and musical shift as that huge E major chord kicks off the chorus.
“I employed a similar approach on an older song of mine, ‘Hanging In The Balance‘, but this time I wanted to make the lift even more powerful by landing the first note of the vocal melody on a major third. It’s also a thrill to play with that contrast in the guitar solo, and I already know this is going to be one of my favourite moments to perform live on the upcoming album release tour.
“I used my Gibson Les Paul on most of the rhythm guitars and in the guitar solo. I really love the dynamics you can get with a Les Paul when switching between fingerstyle and with a plectrum. It can be smooth to aggressive depending on the approach and the technique. We used a Volt amplifier on this one, and a key pedal in the solo sound was my Fuzzrite by Mosrite, which is an incredible vintage fuzz pedal from the 1960s.”
You can read more about Ben Poole‘s Post-Midnight Behaviour on RAMzine. The album is released through Gypsy Soul Records on CD, vinyl and digital on 25 September 2026, with ‘Empty‘ available across all streaming platforms.
