It’s with deep sadness I report that Benjamin Curtis of The
Secret Machines passed away today at the age of 35 as a result of his yearlong
battle against cancer. The bulk of the news articles being published pay the
most attention to his recent project, School of Seven Bells, but it was his
work alongside his brother, Brandon, and Josh Garza in The Secret Machines that
will always endear him to me.
After being utterly floored by TSM’s late night performance
at Bonnaroo in the summer of 2005, the budding music journalist in me wanted
nothing more than a shot at these guys. Their publicist at Warner Brothers told
me she’d give me access if I’d provide some press for Taking Back Sunday. I
played ball.
While this horse-trading was an unpleasant intro to the
music industry, one on one, Benjamin was as kind and gentle as an artist can
be. I had the chance to interview him and his band mates on a few different
occasions and he always remembered me and thanked me for my coverage. The
reporter in me these days brushes things like this off as an attempt to gain
favor with the media, but as a 19 year old who could barely hold the recorder
straight, this meant a lot to me. He was my first interview.
In 2007, Benjamin left TSM at their height to join School of
Seven Bells, a group that he got more professional success out of, and he never
played with The Secret Machines again.
The national blogs are focusing on his work with School of
Seven Bells and the hometown press from Dallas are making note of his work with
local acts like UFOFU and Tripping Daisy but The Secret Machines remains one of
my favorite acts of the early 2000’s. It always disappointed me that the group
sort of fizzled out when they had such potential but for as long as it had been
since they’d made any news, The Secret Machines’ Now Here Is Nowhere remains one of my favorite albums of all time.
Benjamin was an innovative guitarist with a sound all his
own, a voice that radiated with warmth, and a kind presence that endeared him
to fans.
He will be missed.
