Ben Labat

At 21, Ben Labat hopped onto the music scene as the alluring lead singer/songwriter of The Terms. The band’s debut album, “Small Town Computer Crash”, entered Billboard’s Heatseeker’s Chart at 11. Journalists have likened the band to U2 and numerous publications have selected their album as one of the top new indie albums of the year for 2006. From early on it became evident that Ben Labat’s musical talent could not be ignored. A major culmination in his career was the opportunity to pe...

At 21, Ben Labat hopped onto the music scene as the alluring lead singer/songwriter of The Terms. The band’s debut album, “Small Town Computer Crash”, entered Billboard’s Heatseeker’s Chart at 11. Journalists have likened the band to U2 and numerous publications have selected their album as one of the top new indie albums of the year for 2006. From early on it became evident that Ben Labat’s musical talent could not be ignored. A major culmination in his career was the opportunity to perform ‘These Days’ with musical legend, Jackson Browne. While finishing his degree at Louisiana State University in 2005, Ben was asked to write a song for the school’s national marketing campaign that would run following the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. "Welcome to the Now 'Evo Devo'" was heard during LSU's campaign, which aired nationally on CBS Sports, ESPN, MTV, and NBC. When it comes to radio, Ben made big waves with his single "Big City Concrete Wildflowers". The song was one of the most added tracks on over 90 radio stations across the US. Now a couple years older, Ben continues to be successful and innovative. As a songwriter, several of his songs have been featured in CBS’s Ghost Whisperer, MTV's Real World and Jersey Shore, the Kevin Spacey produced film "Mini’s First Time", and the film "Middle of Nowhere" starring Susan Sarandon. Ben Labat and The Happy Devil came into existence in the summer of 2009 when four music lovers from South Louisiana coincidentally met and decided to try their hand at writing something both genuine and different. On any one of the songs on their debut album, "A Face for Radio" and their sophomore effort, “Soapbox Anthems”, you can hear musical elements that span from reggae to country, pop to folk. The band's appreciation and love for all modes of music inspires their exploration. They continue to venture into both popular and not so popular styles searching for some sound they may or may not ever find, all the while recording the noise along the way. Above all, Ben Labat is a music lover. He lists some of his favorite artists and influences as Kris Kristofferson, RADIOHEAD, Anders Osborne, The Band, Dr. Dog, My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Iron and Wine, The Shins, Son Volt, The Boss, Bob and Jakob Dylan, Queen, Billy Joe Shaver, David Bowie, The Strokes, STP, Spoon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bright Eyes, U2, Willie Nelson, Sublime, Ottis Redding, Soundgarden, Mr. CASH, Band of Horses, CCR, The Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Warren Zevon, Marvin Gaye, Pearl Jam, Bill Withers, Pink Floyd, Kings of Leon, Bob Marley, Josh Ritter, Modest Mouse and Wilco.