HHF will have the pleasure of hosting a performance by the Emmy-nominated and Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winning Folk-Rock group, Streetlight Cadence, at its 33rd annual Kama‘āina of the Year™ benefit on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at The Royal Hawaiian.
We connected with band member Ben Chai recently to hear about the evolution of the band since its humble beginnings–literally busking beneath the street lights of Waikīkī. Now based in Los Angeles with a few new musicians on board, Streetlight Cadence continues to thrill audiences with their unique sound and positive energy. Here’s what Ben has to say about their new chapter.
HHF: Your group has a unique origin story. Please tell us about it and share a little about your members.
From left: Brian Webb, Jonathon Franklin, Ben Chai.
Ben: We’re street performers at heart! There’s really no easier way to get in front of people and play your songs for them. That was the idea when Jon started busking twelve years ago, and as we’ve grown as a band, that spirit is still there. Brian and Jon were in the orchestra program together at HPU, and Ben officially joined almost five years ago, but has been a part of the story since the beginning.
Nowadays, you might see Evan backing us up on drums, and Clara joining us on guitar and vocals. Evan’s been a friend for a long time and recorded drums for our upcoming record, “Midnight.” We know Clara because of our time in Los Angeles, where she and we were a part of the street performing collective at Universal CityWalk. We’re all artists in our own right and do things outside of the band – for example, Jon and Brian both have solo musical projects and Ben directs music videos – but when we come together as a band, it’s fulfilling in its own unique, irreplaceable way. And that’s kind of how Streetlight started and where it’s at now.
HHF: I love the organic, almost experimental approach of Streetlight Cadence. Can you please describe it and how your approach translates into your music?
Ben: Busking has its benefits – people who might never go to one of your shows might see you on the sidewalk. We’ve been able to be a band for this long because of the opportunities that have come from encounters that would never have happened otherwise. When we were exclusively street performing, effectively we were playing for free – meaning that some fans would come night after night. So we had to find ways to make it interesting for them. Streetlight’s also been as small as just Jon and as large as I think seven people – it’s a book with many chapters, and we (including the fans) are all a part of it. There was a point in time where our music was largely motivated by the interests of others who wanted to see us succeed, partially for their own benefit – nothing wrong with that, that’s just the industry. But during the pandemic, we were able to do a lot of soul-searching and are really returning to the relentless abandon and sidewalk-jam roots that brought us together in the first place.
HHF: How is your music evolving and what do you envision for the future?
Ben: We’re better songwriters now – but we’ve also embraced the fact that our music, our brand, lies just a little outside of cookie-cutter stuff that works really well on the radio or in commercial placements. We’re here first and foremost to create music for each other and to give our fans something to feel good about. It’s a real honor to have our sidewalk sound amplified in the coolest venues – it just adds to the energy we summon to each show – but at its core, it’s still what it always has been – acoustic and powerful, yet intimate all the same.
This year’s a little different because for the first time, we have the opportunity to enter the festival circuit – we’ll be attending Folk Alliance in May, followed by Newport Folk Festival, Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, and AmericanaFest in September. And of course, we’ll be making frequent appearances in the Islands! We’re taking this as far as we’ve always dreamed, but really it comes down to the individual people who have encouraged us to keep at it for all this time. So many fans, industry people, and broadcasters have described Streetlight Cadence as a band beyond our years – and now that we can actually relate to many of the things we write about, or that our fans have experienced, it feels like we are just beginning.
HHF: Mahalo for your insight, Ben! We’re looking forward to your upcoming performance and expect we’ll be on our feet, dancing along!
Photos at top, from left to right: Brian Webb (on cello), Evan Arashiro (drums), Jonathon Franklin (violin), Clara Stegall (guitar), Ben Chai (banjo); all courtesy of Streetlight Cadence.
Editor’s Note 5/30/22: Mahalo to Ben, Brian, Jonathon, Evan and Clara for their amazing performance! Learn more about Historic Hawai‘i’s upcoming events here.