By Ben Tipple
Jan 22, 2016 13:09
A lot can happen in 24 hours. Itâs a truth that Benio Baumgart, vocalist and former guitarist for the soon-to-be defunct Hindsights, swiftly came to understand. Only a matter of months on from welcoming Tom Richfield into the fold, replacing Baumgart on guitar to free him up for vocal duties, and just weeks after the release of their âWitherâ single, Hindsights made an abrupt decision to call it a day.
âIt happened within a day,â Baumgart openly admits, of the moment the band realised that Hindsights would soon be no more, âactually, in a much shorter space of time than that.â On that day Baumgartâs conversation with Billy Hutton, now taking on Josh Bannisterâs duties in Milk Teeth, took a downward turn. Although not a unanimous decision, it was clear that Hindsights could not continue. âObviously itâs really sad,â Baumgart states with evident melancholy, âI think we all collectively knew its time was up.â
The story of Hindsightsâ end is more complex. Although Huttonâs post-breakup Milk Teeth announcement likely had a big part to play, Benio is more broadminded. âWe just couldnât do anything with it anymore,â he says, expressing frustration at the bandâs difficulty in finding an upward trajectory. Despite releasing the critically acclaimed âCold Walls / Cloudy Eyesâ earlier in 2015, their status as a band hadnât quite followed suit. âWeâd done everything we could within the DIY scene, and stretched it as far as it could go. We wanted to take it further, but within the confines of Hindsights we just couldnât do it.â
Benio is keen to convey that this frustration is not necessarily shared by his fellow band members. Throughout our conversation he reaffirms many statements as his own opinion, not least his candid attitude towards the music industry. âItâs definitely the way the industry works,â he nods, discussing the source of these confines. âIf youâre not backed from day one, itâs very hard for aspiring artists to progress.â
Itâs a veiled criticism. Benio expresses his gratitude towards the likes of Big Scary Monsters and Beach Community, both of whom provided huge stepping stones for the band. He even recounts how the first contact with both was a career highlight. When asked whether he has learned anything from his experiences, he shrugs with a laugh. Ultimately, itâs an acceptance that some things are just the way they are.
âItâs luck, isnât it,â Benio muses, arguably spawned by watching many of his friends surpass Hindsightsâ success. âPretty much everything to do with being in a band is luck. If youâre in the right place at the right time, meeting the right peopleâŚ,â he trails off. Perhaps more to the point, like many relationships, the band were just reaching their natural end. The frustration of not finding the right place had taken its toll. âWeâve been around for twice the amount of time than people notice,â he points out. âWe were touring for two years before people had even heard of us.â
The recognition arrived too late. By the time the band gathered momentum the cracks, at least according to Benio, were already there. âWe just thought we canât really carry on as we have been anymore.â With that in mind, it was time to put Hindsights to bed. But not without the memories.
âIt was great,â he says in the same upbeat and honest demeanour presented throughout our entire conversation, âa wonderful experience. I met my best and greatest friends.â Benio recalls moments that have defined him, laughing at a potentially illegal tour across the states in 2014, and reminiscing about key events that wouldnât have been possible in any other industries. It has also definitely not put him off music.
âTom [Richfied] and I are writing new music,â he says excitedly. âWhat genre, or when it will surface, we donât know yet, but weâve started writing. The idea is to build up momentum. Weâll start doing it properly after the final Hindsights show.â
Despite stressing that he wouldnât do anything different a second time around, Benio now has knowledge on his side. âI have contact with a lot of people I didnât know what I was 18,â he admits. âAs well as developing me musically, Iâve also got better at the business side of everything. I think Iâve got a good business head on me now.â
He has understandably reserved hopes for his new musical endeavour. âThe corpse isnât even cold yet,â he jokes, referencing Hindsights, when pressed on the matter. âItâs going to be strange adjusting to not being on tour, or not preparing for a tour,â he adds, looking forward. Still, with lessons learned from Hindsights, and nothing but fond memories and acceptance of recent events, it might not be long until heâs back on the road.