Ben Strong is a singer-songwriter commonly perched on a Hurstbridge hill, blending heartfelt storytelling with soulful melodies and earthy grooves. Known for his rich vocals and reflective lyricism, Ben crafts songs that speak to connection, longing, and the wild beauty of everyday life. Drawing on folk, roots, and a touch of indie soul, his music creates space for stillness, movement, and meaning. At the Festival of Stories, Ben brings an intimate, authentic set — one that invites listeners to slow down, lean in, and feel something real.
Songs
Searching for the Sun
© Ben Strong, 2024
Verse 1
When it rains it pours, is it brick behind the door, that leads you too, down another hall
Is the fire inside you wanna reignite and live, live a little more
Well the kookaburra laughs as the crunching of dry grass, tells me, I might have found the way
Out of my gray room, into a citrus bloom, a scent, from a long lost day
Pre chorus
And as time stands still, and the colours washed through, I’ve given all to make my future bright
And I see my seeds out in the world and I believe, they’ll grow tall to shelter you and me
Chorus
Yesterday’s rain drenched my feet, and caused pain, but here we are, and the seeds are sewn
And today’s a bit the same, but the horizon calls my name, tells me, to reach for the unknown
To tomorrow I say, these roots will hold me on my way, f**k the wind, I’m not gonna run
And these words won’t dry the rain but it’s time to live again, so you’ll find me searching for the sun
Searching for the sun, searching for the sun
Verse 2
For me looking back I see two views of a track, worn well, leading here to now
One of love and sane and another more of strain, but they’re one, and the choice is mine again.
I find it hard to tell if it’s the water or the well, can I trust the driver of this train?
If the fires inside, we need to find that light and burn burn the f’kn frame
Pre chorus
Chorus
Instrumental
Yesterday’s rain drenched our feet and caused pain, but here we are, and the seeds are sewn
And today’s a bit the same, but the horizon calls our names, tells us, to reach for the unknown
To tomorrow we say, these roots will hold us on our way, f**k the wind, we’re not gonna run
And these words won’t dry the rain but it’s time to live again, so come me join me searching for the sun
Searching for the sun
Searching for the sun
Murrindindi © Ben Strong, 2024
Verse 1
Trekking the forest floor
Mushrooms all around
The mountain ash towers above
The rivers magic sound
Runs through our skins
Deep within
Vibrating life, lifts up our chins
As we rebound
The burnt hollow trees
from the fires of 0, 9
Provide a place to rest
for those possums who’ve declined
And the rocks are speckled green with moss and spirits unseen by busy minds
Chorus
Coz What I neeeeed
Is some mountain air and dirt beneath my feet
I’ll receive, as I bleed into this landscape my heart weeps
I’ll be one with the lyer bird with his
instinctive tail and spoken word
Ye I’m Murrindindi bound to hit reset and say g’day to mother earth
Verse 2
A pop of ruby red flowers
sprinkled in the scrub
The yellow back koala climbs her baby up above
The fairy wren begins to dance
putting my mind into a trance
of bird love
Ye my mind full of distractions
Slips into satisfaction and love
Chorus
Coz What I neeeeed
Is some mountain air and ferns around my feet
And I’ll receive as I bleed into this landscape my heart weeps
I’ll be one with the waterfall and the kookaburras Terra toriaaal call
Ye I’m Murrindindi bound to hit reset and say g’day to mother earth
Ye I’m Murrindindi bound to hit reset and say g’day to mother earth
Close
we can all find the space to slow the race and say g’day to mother earth
Swiss Cheese© Ben Strong, 2024
Incarnation brings many things
Sleepless nights, utopian delight, and sometime diamond rings
When news that your hearts a mess and life’s a little delicate
It’s hard to fight the fear of tragic loss
Your heart was made of cheese but now we’re grateful for the time with your ticker now at ease.
Through the medics remedy, you’ll live with me
A babbling mess, the googling stress prevails as the package from the heart kids hits the mail
there’s a sense of strong community in the shared loss of immunity, to what others take for granted everyday.
As the little trackers given anethesia, reality of fragility sets in.
Coz we’re helpless watching innocence
not knowing what the consequence
of cutting holes will be as time stands still
Your heart was made of cheese but now we’re grateful for the time with your ticker now at ease. Through the medics remedy, you’ll live with me
You’ve slept now and doctors take a seat, I’m crying, tears fall from knee to feet.
But the neeews is gold, they’ve saved another soul
from a problem years gone by couldn’t solve
To the science, docs and nurses on the ward, my gratitude flows through a hundred fold
Thanks just can’t express the joy of life of which we’re blessed.
And that’s why this story must be told
Your heart was made of cheese but now we’re grateful for the time with your ticker now at ease.
Through the medics remedy, you’ll live with me
Repeat chursu chords and sing, you live with me 6 times
See your heart was made of cheese but now we’re grateful for the time with your ticker now at ease.
Thank the kids for the remaaaaaady, you’ll live with me