Singer-songwriter Clara Benin will be staging her second solo concert titled befriending my tears, a Clara Benin concert this September 22 at the Music Museum.
This concert will chronicle Benin’s musical maturity shaped by her experiences and growth and coming to terms with self-acceptance and healing through the years.
Benin beamed that whenever she writes a song, she always makes sure that her listeners will feel comforted by her songs, to make them feel less alone, and process their feelings.
“I want my whole concert to feel like a hug. I want them to go home after the concert and feel lighter,” she said during the press conference on September 15.
She told SoundStrip that she will be performing all her new songs on the album for the first time. “I’m very excited for the live arrangement, I think it’s going to be a lot more emotional and it’s gonna be a journey,” Benin also looked forward to singing a few fan favorites from the past.
Benin has been in the music industry for almost 10 years and is considered the “indie darling” for her serene and laid-back voice which goes together with her melodic acoustic guitar.
She’s the voice behind the international fast-food chain’s jingle “Hooray for Today” in 2014 followed by the debut her first self-produced album Human Eyes the next year.
Benin is known for her acoustic-folk songs “Parallel Universe,” “Closure,” “Tila,” and “Right Time” with Johnnoy Danao.
Her recent album, befriending my tears, was released last August 11, in which she poured both sad and happy tears as a major part of the process. She cited that every song in the album comes with a challenge and learned that sometimes, less is more.
Among all the tracks, her current favorite is “imposter syndrome” because she feels she goes through it every day, especially now with her upcoming concert.
“Every day, I have to battle that feeling of self-doubt, insecurities, ‘Kung kaya ko ba to?’, if I mess up on stage, what are people going to think?” Those are some of the things she thinks about, faces, and battles every day—and yet, she’s holding on to the progress she made.
“I’m very very grateful that people still care, still want to come to my shows, and listen to my music,” the artist said.
She will also be joined on stage by her father, Joey Benin of the OPM band Side A, to perform a few songs during the concert.
Growing up, she and her dad bonded over listening to music and jamming at home. She only started her musical journey during her teenage years when her family moved to the province and eventually, she learned to play the guitar which led her to write her own songs.
She admitted, “Every time I have a big show, I always make sure that I get to perform with my dad because that’s something very special for the both of us.”
“My dad has always been very supportive and I never feel pressured by him at all,” answered Benin when asked by the media about the pressures of being the eldest daughter of a fellow musician.
On the valuable lessons she learned from her father, Benin said, “It’s remaining humble and stay grounded. He’s one of the most humble musicians that I know and it’s very inspiring because he’s such a talented guy and very down to earth,” she revealed.
Eclectic pop artist ena mori and singer-songwriter syd hartha, who Benin described as her current inspirations in the OPM scene, will also be opening the show.
“They’re the two artists that I really look up to and be really inspired. I’m really happy that they agreed to perform in the show next week,” she beamed.
Talking about her future plans with SoundStrip, Benin said she’s excited to tour around Manila, the Philippines and explore more provinces, and outside the country. “Hopefully this won’t be my last concert. I’d love to perform everywhere.”
She’s also anticipating exploring other music genres, specifically pop “just for fun” and collaborating with P-pop artists which she deemed as a “fun challenge.”
Benin staged her first sold-out concert, two-night residency at the Teatrino Greenhills in 2016 and a back-to-back concert with Ben&Ben in 2018.
She also collaborated with Singaporean artists Charlie Lim for “Wine” and Gentle Bones for “A Day at a Time,” and performed in festivals such as Wanderland Arts and Music Festival in the Philippines, Music Matters in Singapore, and Zandari Festa in South Korea.
befriending my tears, a Clara Benin concert is presented by CNCA Media Concepts Inc, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, and with sponsors from Dunkin’, JBL, and GNN Entertainment Productions.
Tickets are almost sold-out and available via SM Ticket online and select outlets nationwide.
Image credits: Reine Juvierre Alberto
