Meet Ben Cotton | Artist/Producer/Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Cotton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
They say do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. From playing instruments to producing and mixing Im basically entirely self taught just because of how fun Ive always thought it was. And after years of just doing it in my room for fun, I realized how good I had gotten when people started coming to me in high school to mix their rap songs or make them beats, which would be exchanged in the hallways on our little school-issued flash drives. I chose to pursue this as a career because I’m going to do it forever even if I never made a dime. I can remember being a kid and putting my books in an arch on my bed and hitting them with toy drumsticks trying to imitate the drummers from the concert videos my parents used to watch on VHS. I was like 5 years old when I started playing on real kits and started my first band when I was about 16. Not too long before playing in bands I remember I got ahold of a cracked copy of FL studio 7 and learning how to make beats. Since I grew up playing drums it came sort of naturally. I learned how to record and mix my bands’ music on FL studio also primarily as a writing tool so I could write songs and then show the parts to everybody. Nowadays Im still running a studio and providing mixing services for artists from Palm Beach to Miami out of my house

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Today I produce all my own beats and record/mix everything myself. I run a studio from my house and do the same for other artists based in South Florida. I moved to Florida from Louisville, KY in 2016 and it was a bit of a culture shock because of the unity and comradery that is present in the underground scene here. I’m still not used to the amount of love and support people here give so freely in that regard. If you’re willing to put the work in, the opportunities are there. I still find myself having to surpress the defeatist/pessimistic attitude that originates in my hometown, which really stems from a lack of interest in a local scene in that area. One of the most important lessons I have learned along the way is that nobody is going to do this for you, and you have to carve your own path before it gets carved for you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anytime family or friends come to visit me I always take them to Tacos Al Carbon in Lake Worth, easily my favorite and I always want to share it with loved ones. I also frequent the 500 block on Clematis in downtown West Palm, mostly places like Lost Weekend and Respectable Street.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Cal Eden out of Miami is another DIY renaissance man out of South Florida who is an all around creative genius, artist, and an excellent producer. I very much consider him a teammate and partner on this journey

Instagram: @nvbby502

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXa6XAnNw3NibOTdcJQtNqQ

Other: All beats on my youtube are available for lease/purchase, and the best way to reach me for tracking/mixing servicess is via email or IG message