Brisbane-based songwriter BANFF (Benjamin Forbes) has released his highly anticipated second EP, Mt Pleasant. It follows a period of tumult and renewal for the much-loved troubadour, for whom the past 18 months saw him leave his job, get married and build a custom recording studio in the back of his house, only to be walloped with a heavy dose of writer’s block. “I walked out with my guitar and laptop in hand, ready to write a defining record,” says Forbes. “But I sat there for hours and didn’t write or record a single note..” 
 Mt Pleasant is the result of BANFF’s personal struggle with creative self-doubt, as he focused in on the moment to help release the pressure he was placing on himself. It’s a lesson that’s telling for our times, as Forbes resisted the temptation to throw in the towel. “As time passed, I released the old expectations,” he explains, “I became more mindful and honest, and the songs started flowing.” 
 Forbes’ 2015 debut, Future Self was a critical hit, while his follow-up singles ‘My Love My Lover (ft. Caitlin Park)’ and ‘Renew’ received significant radio love both locally and overseas. Mt Pleasant, recorded, produced and mixed by John Castle (Hatchie, Jack River, Cub Sport, Gretta Ray, Vance Joy), builds on this, with more colour and shape as one of Australia’s most promising young artists grows into his own skin.