Through hardships come inspiration – and Ben Labat has had no shortage of inspiration. Being a Louisiana native, Ben has had to endure some of the most tragic events in recent history. While Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast oil spill ravaged the heartland, Ben persevered. Instead of packing up his bags and moving out Ben decided to stand his ground, using the events as inspiration for his music. According to Ben, these kinds of experiences “put your perspectives in a different order, knowing that things can be taken away from you at any moment. Things can disappear as quickly as they come.”

Although he calls Louisiana home, Ben has performed all over the US in the some of the most amazing venues. From the House of Blues and Tipitina's in New Orleans to The Cutting Room and The Bitter End in New York City, and from The Viper Room and The Mint in Los Angeles to the Exit/In in Nashville, Ben has rocked them all.

Ben slammed onto the music scene as the alluring lead singer/songwriter of The Terms. The band's debut album, "Small Town Computer Crash", produced by iconic rock producer and Grammy winner Greg Ladanyi (Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne, Don Henley), entered Billboard's Heatseeker's Chart at #11. Journalists likened the band to U2 and numerous publications selected their album as one of the top new indie albums of the year.

Now a few years older, Ben continues to be successful and innovative. As a songwriter, several of his songs have been featured on MTV's top rated Jersey Shore, CBS's Ghost Whisperer, MTV's Real World, the Kevin Spacey produced film "Mini's First Time" starring Alec Baldwin, and the film "Middle of Nowhere" starring Susan Sarandon.

Ben made big waves on the radio with his single "Big City Concrete Wildflowers" -- one of the most added tracks on over 90 radio stations across the US.

From early on it became evident that Ben Labat's musical talent could not be ignored when he was asked to write an original song in his home state for Louisiana State University's national campaign "Welcome to the Now 'Evo Devo'". This was heard during LSU's commercial campaign which aired nationally on CBS Sports, ESPN, MTV, and NBC.

More recently, Ben has been in the studio with The Happy Devil recording a bunch of new tracks. Although he says that there's enough material for three more full albums, right now he's focusing on the upcoming release, “The Revival.”

He is also honored to be playing the 8th annual 3-day Voice of the Wetlands music festival. Voice of the Wetlands is the only wetlands restoration and preservation organization made up exclusively of Louisiana natives, and is dedicated to raising awareness about the loss of the wetlands in southern Louisiana.

Ben describes his music as alternative/folk/pop, and and his influences range from classics like Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen to more modern acts including Band of Horses and Radiohead. A highlight in this rising star's career was when Jackson Browne invited him on stage to perform a few songs with him.

Despite the difficulties that Ben has endured he has made the best of it all. He takes inspiration from everything that happens to him, and his spirit of soulfulness and perseverance shines through in his music. “Every other year we're slapped with some kind of bullshit,” Ben says. “Bad shit happens and you've gotta keep on rocking.”

Official Website(s)

myspace.com/benlabat

Discography