Benét is a singer-songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, currently based in New York. His latest record, Make ‘Em Laugh, is out June 20, 2025 on Bayonet.
Benét is a singer-songwriter based in New York; Margaux is a singer-songwriter based in New York, too. Margaux features on Benét’s track “Radio Silence” — from his new record, Make ‘Em Laugh, out this Friday on Bayonet — so to celebrate, the collaborators met up at her place to catch up, and put together an Animal Crossing LEGO set.
— Annie Fell, Editor-in-chief, Talkhouse Music
Benét: I’m Benét.
Margaux: I’m Margaux.
Benét: I’m wearing a green shirt — well, blue-green — and black jeans.
Margaux: Right now, I’m wearing a paisley shirt and jeans.
Benét: I used to think I could see germs as a kid, but it was just paisley. I thought that was fucking germs. Doesn’t it look like germs?
Margaux: Yeah, like under the microscope.
Benét: Exactly. And so when I was a kid, I’d be like, “Mom, I see germs.” I used to say that all the time. And it was just paisley.
Margaux: That’s so funny.
Benét: OK, we’re doing a LEGO set while we talk about music stuff.
Margaux: It’s Animal Crossing, the town square.
Benét: It’s “K.K.’s Concert at the Plaza.” Set 77052. [Laughs.] Let’s open it… Wow, this is a bit of a big set. This is 550 pieces.
Margaux: I’ve never done a set where you, like, have to follow a book.
Benét: You’ve only ever built your own?
Margaux: Yeah.
Benét: What are you, a fucking architect?
Margaux: [Laughs.] OK, so, the song.
Benét: We did a song called “Radio Silence.” Have you ever been ignored? That’s kind of what I was [thinking about]. Like, weirdly ignored — like they were just kind of mad about something—
Margaux: So they stopped talking to you. I feel like I’ve had that in little bouts with people, or people that I’ve dated. It makes me so anxious. I hate that feeling so much.
Benét: When I was writing “Radio Silence,” the first part, I was like, “I just assume you’re dead,” because I would literally be like, They died, right? That’s the only reason I can think they would not be messaging me. They literally passed away.
Margaux: That’s so scary.
Benét: Wait, who is this? She’s gorgeous.
Margaux: She is gorgeous, oh, my gosh.
Benét: We’re talking about one of the characters.
Margaux: She’s a fox with eyeliner… But, yeah, the feeling of constantly checking your phone to see if a text has come in.
Benét: I would text multiple times, and then I’d be like, Oh, my god, I’m so embarrassed, when they didn’t respond to any of them.
Margaux: Do you feel like most of the songs on your album are to do with emotions that you’ve had?
Benét: [Laughs.] Yeah. They’re all based on one days of my life — like, specific days.
Margaux: Interesting.
Benét: Because I’m like, Oh, this day was too much. And I had to write about it.
Margaux: I feel like that’s what happens to me, too, with writing songs. I’m often doing it as a way of self-soothing.
Benét: Yes. I’m like, I can’t suck my thumb anymore, so I’m just gonna write. Your record Inside the Marble came out last year. I love it.
Margaux: Oh, thank you.
Benét: You know I love it. You were my top artist last year. It’s the best record ever.
Margaux: Oh, my god, that’s so nice.
Benét: It’s just true.
Margaux: I don’t know if you ever feel this way, but I think because some of the songs, I wrote them when I was feeling extremely emotional about something, now having them out there in the world, I’m like, Damn, I feel like I just ripped out a page from my diary.
Benét: And then you have to sometimes talk about that shit. I’m like, “Listen, whoever wrote this song, I don’t know who the fuck that is.”
Margaux: [Laughs.] Yeah. And sometimes I feel like when you’re asked to give an album summary… I could find a way to make it be about one overarching theme, but also it’s just that I was feeling things at a particular moment, and it’s just a collection of that.
Benét: Right. And I feel like usually, the songs I write are based off people that I like romantically, and then it feels like my whole life is about being in love or something. I’m like, “That might be right, but I think I’m more than that. I just don’t want to talk about all that shit with y’all, and it don’t play as well in song.” I could talk about a lot of stuff, but then I’d be making transgender music, and I don’t want to do that. [Laughs.] So of course I wrote about the girl I was dating.
Margaux: I feel that. I feel like I write a lot about relationship stuff too. But I feel like I just take stuff really hard, and that’s why. [Laughs.]
Benét: Are you touring more this year?
Margaux: I think I’m doing something in September, just a few days. Which will be fun. But I was so down about touring and the money stuff…
Benét: Dude, it’s hard.
Margaux: I love that you were like, “No, I’m not going to do it.” Just being upfront about, “This is what I need to make this work.”
Benét: Yeah. I feel like that’s the only way you can survive at this point of our careers. I feel like we’re both very desired acts — people really like our stuff — but we’re still at a level where they can underpay us. You save more money saying no at this point.
Margaux: That is true.
Benét: And then the right thing will come. I had to learn that.
Margaux: How was it working with Carlos [Truly, who produced Make ‘Em Laugh]?
Benét: Working with Carlos was awesome. He’s just like me. I just feel like we both are romantic little guys who keep to ourselves. But we’re, like, the GOATs.
Margaux: [Laughs.] I love that.
Benét: [Laughs.] I mean that very humbly. Like, we’re just awesome. We’re just both so locked in. We were just bro-ing out in the studio for three months. It was great. I actually think about it and miss it quite often.
Margaux: How long have you been working with him?
Benét: He’s got a song on my last record, “Lose You.”
Margaux: That’s honestly my favorite song. I was listening to it last night.
Benét: That’s when I knew — because I had made this record and all the songs kind of sounded the same, but then you have “Lose You” and it’s like, Woah. I like Carlos’s brain, and I feel like he likes mine, even though my brain is limited. [Laughs.] I can only do so much. He’s like, “Do this.” I’m like, “I don’t want to!” It’s so funny. He’s like, “You don’t want to play the guitar on your song?” And I’m like, “Uh-uh. That’s why I call you.”
Margaux: [Laughs.]
Benét: I feel like I’m one of the only musicians that’s like, “I’m good. I don’t want to play.” I’m a singer, though — that’s my thing. I sing, I don’t do nothing else. Because people have asked me to play guitar and I’m like, “What gave you the impression that I was a session guitarist?” I’ve never given that. It’s just so out of the blue to me that people would even think that about me. Now you — they should call you. I’m gonna tell them, “Call Margaux. Don’t fucking call me.” [Laughs.]
What was your first instrument?
Margaux: I guess guitar. And then I did jazz bass for a while.
Benét: No shade, but that’s a really big instrument. You’re small!
Margaux: Yeah, I don’t know why I…
Benét: Do they make smaller ones?
Margaux: I had the smallest one you could have.
Benét: Aw, I wanna see a picture!
Margaux: [Laughs.] But, oh, my god, trying to live in New York and lug that thing around… Everybody making comments like, “Oh, I bet you wish you played the flute!”
Benét: People would say that to you? See, I would be like, “Shut the fuck up.” I’d be so rude. But so you don’t have one anymore?
Margaux: No, it’s at my friend’s place. I couldn’t fit it in here. Did you have a moment as a kid where you realized you had a good voice?
Benét: No. My mom is a singer, so I just was always fucking singing. I really don’t have that good of a memory, but one of the first things I remember doing was auditioning to be in this choir called City Singers. I was in audition-based choirs as a child.
Margaux: Woah!
Benét: I am a choir kid through and through. Then I joined the band, and that’s when I was discovering that I could also make music. But I always had a keyboard and guitar at home, and I took music lessons as a child. It was just constant. I was doing recitals as a kid, singing and playing piano. It’s just been my whole life.
Margaux: That makes sense. I feel like I can’t pinpoint an exact moment that I was like, “Ah, this is it…”
Benét: Yeah, I didn’t discover it on my own. I think I was forced into this life. Honestly, I would probably be doing something else.
Margaux: Yeah, I kind of wish I was doing something else. [Laughs.]
Benét: I’m like, Damn, I could have been an engineer. No, I couldn’t. But I could at the same time… Oh, my god, you got the little K.K. Slider!
Margaux: Yes!
Benét: Can I actually have them?
Margaux: [Laughs.] Have them.
Benét: I wanna take them home. OK, but let’s talk about you. You have some covers coming out.
Margaux: Yeah.
Benét: And the first one is an Imogen Heap cover called “Guitar Song.”
Margaux: Oh, my gosh.
Benét: Hey, I’m a fan! I come from stan culture. I’m not one of those weird people that are like, “Oh, and you said you have an album coming out?” Like, no, I never said that. You know what I got going on. [Laughs.] But are you excited?
Margaux: I am excited, yeah. Those were really fun to record. I did them with Sahil [Ansari]. It was kind of his idea. We did that song, and then we did a Pixies cover, the song “Velouria,” and “Glass, Concrete, and Stone” by David Byrne.
Benét: I don’t know any of those songs, but I’m about to.
Margaux: Yes, you are about to. But, yeah, that was really fun. Usually when we record together, it’s mostly just him and I, but for this we brought in a bunch of people. I feel like I’m not like you, in that I want to play everything.
Benét: Well, you also can. I can’t.
Margaux: [Laughs.] It was interesting, having to take a step back when people were playing stuff that maybe I was like, Hmm. But I was like, OK, you know what? I just need to let it be. And now I’m so glad that I just let people do their thing, because it’s so good and it’s exactly how it should be.
Benét: It can surprise you in that way. Like, Oh, other people are good! I have to remember that I’m not the only good musician on earth.
Margaux: I feel like it’s a control thing.
Benét: It’s your music! At the end of the day, when it comes out, everyone’s like, “Margaux’s song,” even though 10 people might have touched on it. So that’s a good reason to want to control what’s going on.
Margaux: Exactly. But if I do a another kind of band album again, like an album that has bass, drums, guitar, maybe it would be fun to have some of those covered by other people and see what other stuff they could bring.
Benét: Your verse is my favorite part of “Radio Silence.”
Margaux: Oh, that’s so sweet. I had so much fun doing it. I feel like just focusing on a melody was so fun.
Benét: You come in so strong! It’s like a little angel. The melody is actually insane. I’m not the average music listener, so when I heard it, I was just like, There is science here.
Margaux: Oh, I love that.
Benét: And that’s why I had to sing on that part. I just couldn’t help myself. I really wanted to have a moment where we sang together. And it just ended up working so well. I didn’t even ask you — I was like, “I’m gonna do it!” Were you surprised when you heard me?
Margaux: I was, but I was like, Oh, my god! I’m so glad that you did that because it sounds so good. It blends really nicely.
Benét: Wait, 40 minutes! Should we say goodbye? Or should we just stop talking?
Margaux: I think we should just stop talking.
