The GRAMMY Museum was thrilled to welcome Ben Abraham for an intimate conversation about the making of his new album, Friendly Fire. The conversation will be moderated by Olympic Skier & Silver Medalist, Gus Kenworthy.

Soon after delivering his acclaimed debut album Sirens, Australian singer/songwriter Ben Abraham experienced the most tumultuous period of his life, a time equally defined by crushing heartbreak and tremendous success. “I’d ended the longest relationship I’d ever had, with someone I’d expected to marry, and it set me off into a dark place where I was really questioning what I believe in,” says the L.A.-based artist. As he weathered the aftermath of that breakup and the ensuing crisis of faith, Abraham saw his career take off exponentially, a turn of events that included co-writing tracks like Kesha’s double-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning smash hit “Praying.” In the thick of all that upheaval, Abraham created his sophomore album Friendly Fire – due out March 11, 2022 — that is composed of a selection of songs that speak to the undeniable possibility for rebirth after incredible loss and pain.

Throughout the album, Abraham reveals the extraordinary gift for songwriting that he’s honed for much of his life. The child of musicians who performed together in an Indonesian pop group, he self-released Sirens in 2014 and soon earned widespread critical praise, which led to the album’s 2016 reissue via indie label Secretly Canadian. Featuring appearances by Sara Bareilles and Gotye, Sirens was promptly hailed by the New York Times as “a debut of remarkable depth,” catalyzing his career as an in-demand co-writer.
With his earlier live experience including touring with country legend Emmylou Harris, Abraham also recently supported GRAMMY-, Tony-, and Emmy Award-winner Ben Platt on his 2019 headline tour—a North American run that followed Abraham’s co-writing several songs on Platt’s debut solo album, Sing to Me Instead.

His full-length debut for Atlantic Records, spotlights the cinematic yet emotionally raw sensibilities that Abraham has previously shown in penning songs for artists like Demi Lovato, Macklemore, and The Chicks. In bringing the album to life, Abraham worked with producer James Flannigan (Dua Lipa, MARINA, Matt Maeson) engineer/producer Jason Agel (Bjork, John Legend), and mixer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer) recording solely at Barefoot Studios (an iconic L.A. spot where artists like Stevie Wonder worked in the ’70s).