Ben Pearce

Ben Pearce, a house DJ and producer, focused mainly on metal and punk-pop throughout his adolescence before electronic dance music captured his interest during his late teenage years. He began DJing and built an audience by hosting a regular club event in his hometown of Manchester, England. Towards the end of 2011, he deepened his connection to Purp & Soul—the label and agency founded by Chris Farnsworth—taking on the role of label owner. April 2012 saw the release of his debut official remix, which offered a calm, atmospheric reinterpretation of Native Underground's track "Close." In October of the same year, Under the Shade issued his initial single, titled "What I Might Do." Drawing heavily from a sample of Anthony Hamilton's "Cornbread, Fish, and Collard Greens," this track achieved rapid popularity in clubs, gradually entered the U.K. mainstream charts, and reached the Top Ten by October of the following year.