A singer and guitarist who is striving for honesty above all else in his music will play tracks from his upcoming EP at a new festival this month.

Ben Newbury, who signed to London-based Downtown Artists last summer, will be playing four slots at Art in the Park at Stevenage Town Centre Gardens on May 27, as well as running the sound stage.

The former Stevenage Nobel School pupil, who studied theatre and performing arts at Hull University, has at 22 a strong performing history in the town. He has played the Mayor’s charity concert, the town carnival and Stevenage’s Got Talent as well as Gordon Craig Theatre musical performances with the Fusion Community Arts group from the age of 14.

The singer, pianist and guitarist said this is where he found his confidence to strive for a career in music.

“I started seriously to write music at 17 or 18. I got bullied quite a lot at a young age for having singing lessons and people didn’t believe in me. I want to prove I can do it.”

He is currently working on an EP called No Lies Just Love with producer Itay Kashti with a stripped down, sweet, yet powerful sound based around his 12-string electro-acoustic and straight vocals.

“It’s all about total honesty and the things people grow up with. I’m quite a genuine guy. I’m not in it for the money. I just love performing.”

And with a love of “everything from Johnny Cash and The Beatles to modern bands” Ben is working hard to get his music out there with a string of gigs and radio play.

He will be at The Wheelbarrow in Camden on Saturday, The Man in the Moon in Stevenage on May 18. And as well as the Art in the Park event he is organising a Ben Newbury Variety Show at The Gordon Craig Theatre on October 8 and will play live on BBC 3 Counties radio in June.

To hear Ben go to bennewburymusic at Facebook.