As the younger brother—by four years—of SuRie (the British Eurovision contestant who had the microphone snatched from her hand by an activist in 2018, only to power through a performance of her song "Storm" with a replacement mic), 32-year-old gay singer-songwriter Benedict Cork is careful to avoid being chewed up and spat out by the music industry. Ever since his debut EPs, *Piano Tapes Vol. I + II*, Cork has been sharing his melodic ballads with audiences on his own terms. In doing so, he has not only built a steadily growing fanbase through grassroots efforts—as evidenced by the *Live From Bush Hall* EP—but has also caught the attention of high-profile figures like Elton John (who praised him on his radio show as "a name to remember") and Adam Lambert (who hired him as both a backing vocalist and a support act). Before releasing the follow-up to his acclaimed album *Notes On A Hopeless Romance*, Cork is putting his new material to the test during a tour of intimate club venues.