If you have been following Alec Benjamin over the years, you would know that he has a gift for crafting earworms. 

Armed with his trusted recipe, which contains melodies that are impossible not to sing or hum along to and thoughtful and relatable lyrics, the American singer-songwriter has captured the hearts of many who eagerly await each new story he has to tell. 

This year, the artist behind 'Let Me Down Slowly', 'The Way You Felt', and 'Water Fountain' will continue to share his stories with his listeners through his globe-trotting The (Un)Commentary Tour. With shows in North America, Asia, and Australia, the tour is the latest milestone in the remarkable journey of Benjamin, whose time promoting his music in concert venues' parking lots now feels like a distant memory.

In an interview with Bandwagon ahead of his upcoming shows in Asia, the 28-year-old unveiled the inspirations behind memorable lines from his songs and talked about taking his music on tour. 

ON THE INSPIRATIONS BEHIND MEMORABLE LINES FROM HIS SONGS

“I’m a dopamine addict, I can’t break the habit. Runs in my head, psychosomatic.” (‘Dopamine Addict’)
I guess I feel like I constantly need to be stimulated. And I think maybe that's because of the Internet [and] because of how quickly everything moves these days. It can be quite exhausting. So that's what the song is about.

“Punch my face. Do it 'cause I like the pain. Every time you curse my name. I know you want the satisfaction, it's not gonna happen.” (‘Boy In The Bubble’)
Even when people are bullying you and getting hits on you and breaking you down, if you don't let them get a rise out of you, then ultimately, you know, that's the best [form of] revenge.

“I built a friend. With three pieces of plastic and a pen. I made him on the table in the den. I gave him my old cell phone for a head, for a head.” (‘I Built a Friend’)
True story. I built a friend. I made a little friend out of those things [and] I wrote a song about it. It's about leaving the old things behind, so it's more of a metaphor. But, you know, as you grow up there are certain parts of your life that you leave in the past and certain friends that you leave behind — sometimes family — and [that] can be a sad thing.

“Is your heart just preconditioned for brevity? I don't mean to accuse you of refusing longevity. But I cannot excuse you for abusing my empathy” (‘The Way You Felt’)
Well, it was about somebody that I was with that I was only with for a short period of time, and it felt like they were in a lot of short relationships. And so it was a question of like, “Is it possible for you to be with somebody in the long term or not?”

ON HIS THE (UN)COMMENTARY TOUR

What is the best part about being able to tour again?
I'm getting to see old friends and people that I haven't had the opportunity to connect with in a long time.

Is there anything interesting that your fans can expect at your shows in Asia? 
[My shows are] pretty much just like the album. It's just me performing the songs that I wrote. I think the cool thing is that I get to be there in person. It's not about like the frills or like the exciting, crazy things that happen. I think the exciting thing is the community of people that [the shows] bring together.

Do you have any words for your fans in Asia?
Yeah, thanks for waiting for me. I'll see you guys soon.

Alec Benjamin will perform in Manila, Taipei, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Yogyakarta, Singapore, and Bangkok as part of the Asia leg of his The (Un)Commentary Tour.

Stream (Un)Commentary here: