Conversations Missed, the tantalizing EP by electric troubadour, Benny Marchant, is the sound of a hopeful heart that's bruised but still beating. Painting the stages of love and loss, the songs Cold Weather, Been Too Long, A Better Way and two versions of the title track, Conversations Missed, introduce Benny's haunting alternative folk-rock. Produced by Joe Chiccarelli (Radiohead, White Stripes,) it's a four-track tour of the spirit of a musician unafraid to explore his feelings -- and a teaser for early 2011's Cold Weather album that leaves the listener wanting more of Benny's intimate, tuneful insights.

"For me, the best part about recording Conversations Missed as a solo artist was being able to be vulnerable," says Benny. "When I was in bands and in the studio I used to hide some of my soul behind the music and sounds. Now I'm not trying to fit in with anyone else but me -- a new me."

All of Benny's songs confront not just his, but all of our human awakenings and growth -- whether it's the determined positivity of the lonely man in Conversations Missed, who makes himself reach for light in his darkness; Been Too Long's realization that it's finally right to get out of a bad situation, its plaintive sound emphasized by pedal steel guitar; the exultation of allowing yourself to give and receive love in the breezy Cold Weather; and the wake-up call of the vibrato cello in A Better Way's reminder that yes, you can recover from a broken heart -- and now's the time to start.

Benny's yearning anthems float on a bed of harmonies framing his tender vocals and ringing, melodic guitar. On Conversations Missed Benny claims his own personal, emotional sound. The process was eased by the collaboration with Chiccarelli. "He’s a genius," states Benny emphatically. "He helped bring the songs to life and put the pieces together so that ten really good songs grew into an album. He gave me the confidence to go deep."

That hard-won self-awareness and Benny's ability to turn raw emotional realities into compellingly tuneful songs are the fruit of a musical journey in search of his most authentic voice. Testing his musical boundaries as he went, Benny moved first from his native Maryland to Nashville, and finally, California where he still lives beside his beloved Pacific ocean that he hymns so movingly on the Cold Weather album.

In Los Angeles, Benny found his greatest acclaim to date, founding the alternative rock band, Kings Royal. They reigned at hotspots like the Whisky, had a residency at the Viper Room and recorded a well-received album, Beginning. In 2008, Kings Royal toured extensively in support of fellow alt-rockers, Candlebox, whose Kevin Martin was a fan; the two bands even shared musicians. However, juggling dual commitments proved impossible, and Kings Royal broke up the following year, creating an opportunity for Benny to pursue the sound he'd dreamed of.

The Conversations Missed EP -- and the forthcoming Cold Weather long-player for which it paves the way -- are the result of a musical quest that began in Benny's parents' Annapolis, Maryland attic when he was still a high school lacrosse player. After discovering his late grandfather's Gibson acoustic guitar, Benny taught himself chords from a book and started practicing songs he heard on the radio. Soon he was taping his own compositions.

Benny's lacrosse skills got him his first European gigs, playing in matches while attending Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland; but his real major was music. With friends, he formed a jam band called NRG, whose popularity became Benny's apprenticeship, gigging all around the DC area.

After graduation, NRG split as the schoolmates went their separate ways. But Benny couldn't abandon music, and boldly plunged into the unknown, producing his own album, Teller, on a studio he set up in his parents' garage in 2004. "It was the first time I realized you could hire musicians for sessions! I had to learn how to get things done," he laughs. "Teller became my resumé." Despite its limited distribution, Teller's cult following has kept on growing; and now a Teller track, Alone, features on a British TV show.

Encouraged by his local success, Benny packed his life into his battered black Suburban SUV and hit the highway. Destination: Los Angeles, to hone his own sound.

"But on my way to L.A., I stopped in Nashville," remembers Benny. 'Sometimes you get to a place and don't want to leave it. It seemed really right to be there." Indeed, Benny scored a local radio hit with the bright, pop sound of his My Next Ex-Girlfriend. But its success only reinforced Benny's feeling that he still had to hit his own right note. So back he hopped into the old SUV, and completed his Hollywood journey.

Los Angeles was good to Benny. The Kings Royal experience led to Conversations Missed, a great new stage in a journey that will position Benny Marchant as a singer-songwriter to make his generation know their own hearts.

Ardently, Benny says, "I've been working my whole life to be this happy with my own music. I'm always going to be competitive with myself to write that next song, whether it's inspired by my own life experience or something I imagine through a friend's or loved one's eyes. I'll always be searching, reaching further."