UCL Spotlight: James Marriott, Ben Kessler, and Tim Rice-Oxley

There has been an incredible amount of talent across UCL throughout its almost 200 years. This article is the first in what will hopefully be a series, spotlighting and uplifting musical ability at UCL, focusing on both alumni and current students. To start, this edition will focus on three UCL alumni and musical artists, James Marriott, Ben Kessler as explored by Niall Mirza, and Tim Rice-Oxley from Keane covered by Issy Ciavola Mooney, who have made their unique mark on the institution.

James Marriott

James Marriott, 28, is a popular British content creator and alternative/indie musical artist debuting officially in 2020. His latest album, Don’t Tell The Dog, reached #1 on the UK Album Charts earlier this year, and just last week he was awarded the Rock Sound award for Breakthrough Artist.

Originally from Brighton, James studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Languages at UCL between 2015-2019. This course included six months abroad in Granada, where he honed his Spanish and Portuguese skills. While he claims the degree didn’t work out for him, he stresses the importance of higher education and said that it gave him the time and space to work out what he wanted to do in the future. Now, at #1 on the album charts, it’s clear that he’s figured it out.

I discovered James with his first single, ‘Slow Down’. However, he’s since expressed disdain for the song. I became a regular listener with his debut album, Are We There Yet? The album is wrought with uncertainty and quiet contemplation as he navigates where he fits in the sphere of music, interspersed with indie-rock bangers like ‘Going Postal At The Party’ that fill the project with energy.

His latest album, Don’t Tell The Dog, reflects on adulthood through the lens of childhood. This phenomenon perforates the album, and is introduced on the chilling opening track ‘Ventriloquist’. The album consists primarily of indie-pop and pop-rock tracks and serves as an exciting continuation of his former work. My personal favourite track, ‘Plasticine’, is an extroverted indie-rock piece perfect for shouting along.

Despite claiming that university wasn’t for him, we should be proud that James Marriott studied at UCL as he evolves into the future. Currently touring across the UK and Europe, James plays London in two days on the 16th November. With a growing number of accolades and a legion of fans across the world, something must’ve gone right between UCL and now.

Ben Kessler

Ben Kessler, 25, is an artist and producer based from Philadelphia, blending genres such as alt-pop and RnB under his distinct singer-songwriter sound. His latest project, Disturbing, released in January of this year, acts as a continuation of this sound. Six songs, packaged by his unique, mellow vocal tone and dynamic electronic production.

Ben embarked on a year-abroad program at UCL, while studying English at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He joined us in 2019 for one term at the start of the year. It was around this time that he wrote ‘Known Like This’, a song that would be later produced by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park for his ShinodaProduceMe series. The song was written about moving away with no real plans, and feeling the unknown, being away from a home-based identity for the first time. While meeting new people in London, the track reflects on how Ben wants to be known: “I don’t want to be known like this / Falling out of my body / Breaking while everyone’s watching”.

Aside from working with Mike Shinoda, Ben Kessler has been an avid collaborator with fellow Philadelphia indie singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine (who we’ve covered previously in a live review!) They first collaborated on ‘False Art’ in 2020, and most recently on ‘Reckless Driving’. The latter featured as a single on Lizzy’s critically acclaimed 2022 album five seconds flat.

Beyond his connections, Ben has defined a signature sound while consistently innovating. My personal entry point to his art, Cruise Control, serves as the perfect introduction to his solo music. His 2022 EP, Violet, is composed of some of my personal favourite works: ‘Graffiti’ and ‘Default’. Both songs feature boisterous, rockstar choruses, anchored by his incredible production skills. Through singles and EPs, Ben continues to grow, working hard on music that will further focus his sound.

As a study abroad student, Ben was only at UCL for a short time, but his music, particularly ‘Known Like This’, has left its mark. Speaking to a common university experience of alienation, Ben draws inspiration from unique and interesting stories throughout his work.

Tim Rice-Oxley

Writing about Tim Rice-Oxley’s time at UCL could not be complete without first writing about the journey of Keane as a Brit-Award winning band with one of the best album releases in the UK charts. I am of course referring to Hopes and Fears, though in no controversial opinion Under the Iron Sea deserves a similar spotlight in this article as a personal favourite. Hailing originally from Battle, in East Sussex, members Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley had been friends from an early age, meeting other founding member Dominic Scott a little later in his school life. Richard Hughes, also attended that same secondary in Kent, and after picking up the drums at 17 it was later in 1995 that he was invited to join Rice-Oxley. First with the Lotus Eaters, whilst Rice-Oxley was studying Classics at UCL and Hughes was studying Geography, and then Keane following the addition of Tom Chaplin. Another potential feature in our UCL Spotlight. 

I would have liked to write more about Rice-Oxley’s time at university with that being the general focus of the article, though the search for specifics often led me down rabbit holes and what felt like the backrooms of the modern-day internet. In my various side quests I read through fanzines, archived fanpages, and features in The Tab. Each had their own insights. A fun fact from the fanzine: Adam Tudhope (Keane’s manager) attended UCL and studied Classics alongside Rice-Oxley! What stood out to me in particular though was looking at the way fans interacted with bands before the internet took hold of us in the way it has today. Rice-Oxley is even quoted as saying “keep yourself off the internet as long as possible” in his interview in The Tab – noting also that the pressure to post online often leads to bands being over-eager in their production and spending less time actually rafting the hit songs we want to know and love. 

In this essence, Rice-Oxley developed his trademark sound across his life, now most associated with a Yamaha CP70 electric grand piano. Following some classical teaching, he left the lessons behind and spent years developing what he wanted to hear, his way, with his bandmates. Quoted as saying “I see it as my mission to make the piano as much of an icon as the guitar”, Tim Rice-Oxley continued to craft his sound with Keane with the release of ‘See You On The Other Side’ earlier this year. The single was part of celebrating their 20th anniversary of Hopes and Fears. 

Confidence in carving out our own creative paths is something we can all hope to aspire to, I’d say studying here at UCL is an important step of many on that journey. 

We hope you enjoyed the first UCL Spotlight edition, and we can’t wait to share more of what’s happening around the university and in the wider music scene with you.