On September 12, Andrew Bennett shattered his right leg.
Also known as the award-winning experimental musical artist Factor Eight, Bennett was teaching dance and working on choreography in his hometown of Saskatoon when the injury happened. At the hospital, Bennett said the doctors told him he might never be able to dance again.
“I never believed that for a second,” he said. “It was this intuitive knowing in me that things were somehow going to work out.”
Instead of allowing those feelings to weigh him down, Bennett did what artists do: he channeled his emotions into creation.
The result of that effort? Factor Eight’s first-ever live solo performance on Dec. 11 at The Refinery in Saskatoon and a new single, “ALIVE,” dropping the following day.
The live show was in the works prior to the injury, but the new single came about while Bennett was recovering at home. Bennett said the title itself was meant to be a statement to the world post-injury; a declaration that his work as an artist is far from finished.
“After the injury, the word ‘alive’ just felt right to me,” Bennett said. “It came really organically. It’s a way of saying: I’m not going anywhere, I don’t believe for a second that these passions of mine like dance and music are going anywhere.”
The music of Factor Eight has long been characterized by rich harmonic elements, pulsing percussion and intense ambient soundscapes. His work has included producing music for movie trailers including blockbuster hits like “Gladiator II,” “Warfare” and “Women Talking.”
“ALIVE” expands Bennett’s work in new directions. The upcoming single and much of his newer work in the live show are more beat-driven and less film-score, Bennet says, and are inspired by dance and noise music he experienced on a recent trip to Germany.
“ALIVE” also marks a turning point for Bennett’s original music with the inclusion of lyrics. While he’s no stranger to adding vocals to songs — Bennett has long layered his own voice into his music for energy and effect — this will be only the second ever piece he’s created with full, original lyrics written and sung by himself.
Bennett said he doesn’t set out to create music of a particular genre when he works. Instead, he simply creates what his current emotional state inspires. Bennett said that, despite his injury, his mind has been more energized than ever.
“I feel, in many ways, more like myself and more optimistic and more happy than I have in a long time,” he said. “I think you can hear that in the music I’m making now, and to get through something challenging like this I can’t just dwell on what’s unfortunate. I have to dig deep and find that strength in me to get through it, and the kind of music I’m making right now is capturing that strength.”
It’s that new energy and finding new avenues of expression that compelled Bennett to explore a live show as well as the new single. Bennett said there were nerves for a first live solo show, but also that he was excited to be able to take his work and its inspiration of lived experiences into a live performance.
Bennett has never been one to shy away from giving voice to personal topics. As he puts it, much of his own mental health journey is paralleled in the music he creates. The goal, per Bennett, is to be as authentic as he can to himself in the moment, but also offer the same kind of energy that helped propel him through these past few months.
“My goal with making music is always, primarily, to somehow move my audience emotionally,” Bennett said. “That’s still my hope, they just might be moved in a different way than they’d typically expect. The kind of music I’m making now could be something people listen to to energize them or psych them up.”
Roughly three months since his visit to the hospital, Bennett said his leg is recovering better than anyone had dared hope so far. Wherever the recovery from his injury may lead him, a new chapter has begun in Factor Eight’s musical story — and he gets to share it all, from the debut live show to the debut of his new single, with his home community.
Bennet is creating numerous signs for the show to connect with his audience. One of them simply reads, “Thank you for being here.”
“It’s a long time coming, and for everyone coming to this show, these are all the people who have had my back and been at my side for the last 12 years I’ve been making music,” Bennett said. “I am incredibly grateful for the community that’s supported me.”
“ALIVE” will take place at the Refinery on Dec. 11. Tickets can be found at ontheboards.ca.
