In name only, BendreTheGiant is a playful riff on legendary pro wrestler André The Giant, his iconic role in The Princess Bride and one guy’s lifelong obsession with the film. That guy is Ben Estrada, a Portland, Ore.-based singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who, six years ago, began crafting genre-defying tunes that lean heavily into funk, R&B, jazz and soul without sacrificing accessibility. Over time, Estrada and longtime collaborator Delos Erickson acquired a full accompaniment of capable players, including bassist Eli Hansen, drummer Nate Hansen, saxophonist Ben Harris and guitarist Avery Scanlon—and Bendre the band was born.
Drawn from demos, voice memos and songwriting sketches, the group’s debut LP took shape in various contexts—on the road, at a seaside Oregon retreat and over recording sessions in four different studios. Swollen Eyes moves instinctively between bittersweet balladry, sticky grooves and disco-inspired raw energy. At its core, it’s a celebration of survival.
“This is a record about loss, picking up the pieces in the aftermath and sticking around for another year to see what happens,” says Estrada. “Nothing is perfect, and closure doesn’t really exist. But there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel. If you fall in the dirt long enough, eventually you’ll grow roots and flowers will bloom.”
Estrada and Erickson take us through Swollen Eyes, song by song.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Swollen Eyes”
Estrada: “Written in one day while I was reminiscing about the death of my best friend. I had a dream that I saw them, and it felt like real life. When I woke up, I felt like I was hit with a semi-truck—and I sat at the piano and wrote ‘Swollen Eyes.’”
2) “Take My Time”
Erickson: “This song was born from a moment of realization and clarity about someone in my life. Out of a real eureka moment, Ben and I just started jamming, and I wrote the whole song right then and there. Musically, it’s inspired by a mix of Benny Sings, Herbie Hancock and late-’70s pop music. The lyrics came out of a response to the familiar cycle of feeling love for someone only for it to not be reciprocated—and taking back that time, energy and feelings for yourself.”
3) “Hate To See It”
Estrada: “I wrote this in 2022, couldn’t find a home for it and didn’t want to release it as a single. When we began putting together the album, I knew this song had to fit into it somehow, because the meaning behind the song is extremely close to my heart and it’s a tribute to my late friend John. Because of that, it was very hard to record, produce and think critically while also keeping an emotional core to the process.”
4) “Do You Remember Me?”
Estrada: “I first wrote this about my partner at the time. But when I continued working on the song after our breakup, it allowed me to recontextualize it as a reminder to myself to keep holding on—and to not live in the past.”
5) “I Went To Jump In Front Of A Train But A Couple Was Making Out And I Didn’t Want To Ruin The Mood So I Went Home”
Estrada: “While writing this album—and this song in particular—I was going through a deep depression. When I finished it, it was a declaration of my commitment to life and sticking around for my family and loved ones. Recording it was one of my favorite musical experiences. The way we screamed into the microphone and brought so much chaotic energy into the process was very cathartic.”
6) “Family Matters”
Estrada: “A story about a family falling apart and what it feels like from the perspective of a child watching the destruction. We wanted the recording to sound like it was passing through time, beginning with an FM radio-like sound and then transforming into a modern, almost futuristic production style.”
7) “Do You Feel It?”
Estrada: “This was the first song we worked on with our producer, Justin Yu, and we recorded it entirely at his home studio. It has a different feel compared to the other songs, which were recorded in more established studios. The lyrics compare the feeling someone gets from having a one-night stand—chasing that rush—to a drug. It might feel great in the moment, but it’s empty.”
8) “No New Friends”
Erickson: “Through the life of this song, we found ourselves disliking the path it was on. After many different iterations, we decided to scrap it, start over and truly be ourselves. Born from that is a song pulled right from the ’80s, with a Quincy Jones-esque string quartet, sexy horns and a breakdown straight from Toto/Peter Gabriel—all wrapped in a modern context and production. The song’s message: seeing how far being ourselves can actually get us.”
9) “Voice Inside My Head”
Estrada: “Written from the perspective of a lover addicted to their partner, the verses float through the unhealthiness of a co-dependent relationship and how that leads to an apathetic partner. The chorus acts as a last-ditch effort for the person to have their feelings reciprocated. The ending was inspired by Jamiroquai, Quincy Jones and George Clinton.”
10) “Take My Time (Reprise)”
Erickson: “We wanted saxophonist Nicole McCabe (Dolphin Hyperspace) to play on the album, so we crafted a fun callback and solo section to let our friend shine. She absolutely nailed the solo. We made it a reprise because, in a sense, it relates to the message of ‘Take My Time’ and puts the perfect period on the album.”
