Donny Benét

Operating as Donny Benét, Ben Waples merges vintage style with R&B, funk, and post-disco textures to shape his signature brand of sincere dance-pop. The 2011 debut Don't Hold Back established him as a cult favorite across his native Australia, whereas the ARIA-charting fifth and sixth albums—2020's Mr. Experience and 2024's Infinite Desires—propelled him toward broader commercial recognition.

Born and raised in Sydney within a household of Italian musicians and music educators, Waples drew early and lasting inspiration from his Italian roots as a multi-instrumentalist. Passion for the double bass ultimately earned him a master's degree on the instrument. During the mid-2000s he performed as an accordionist and synth player with several Italian ensembles; in 2010 he became a member of Jack Ladder's group the Dreamlanders, the move that launched his work under the Donny Benét name.

His sound draws from Suicide's Alan Vega, John Maus, Bryan Ferry, Prince, Jan Hammer, and Lou Reed, while centering a deep affection for Italian disco and '80s pop. The outsized persona and provocative lyrics recall Tom Jones and Serge Gainsbourg. After signing with the Australian independent label Rice Is Nice in 2011, he issued Don't Hold Back to widespread critical notice. The follow-ups Electric Love (2012), Weekend at Donny's (2014), and The Don (2018) cemented his reputation as a dancefloor-filling cult hero. Early in 2020 the single "Konichiwa" appeared on the Weeknd's personally curated playlist of tracks that shaped After Hours. That song featured on the album Mr. Experience, which peaked at number 26 on the ARIA charts and received two nominations at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards. Two years afterward came the instrumental EP Le Piano, honored with the Best Independent Jazz Album award at the 2023 AIR Awards. The retro-funk-leaning sixth album Infinite Desires arrived in 2024.