BendreTheGiant is the creative vessel of Portland, Oregon vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Estrada, whose towering presence and imaginative songwriting gave rise to the project’s name. “I grew up watching The Princess Bride all the time,” Estrada recalls. “When I first made an Instagram account as a teen, I wanted a unique handle that represented me. I was a tall kid and a fan of Andre. So, I went with BendreTheGiant. When I began my individual music career after school, I just thought it fit, and now it’s officially stuck.”

Following a troupe of singles and EPs that have been well received by critics and audiences comes the debut full-length from BendreTheGiant, Swollen Eyes. Today, Estrada has released one of the more toe-tapping tracks from the album, “Voice Inside My Head.”

“I wrote this song from the perspective of a lover addicted to their partner, the verses float through the unhealthy natures of a co-dependent relationship and how that leads to an apathetic partner,” Ben says of “Voice Inside My Head.” “It then pushes to the chorus, which acts as a last-ditch effort for this person to have his feeling’s reciprocated. The ending of the song builds to a frenetic climax musically- It was inspired by Jamiroquai, Morris Day and The Time, and George Clinton.”

Estrada began releasing music in 2020, working largely alone until 2024, when he expanded the project into a full band with longtime collaborator and keyboardist / vocalist Delos Erickson, bassist / vocalist Eli Hansen, drummer Nate Hansen, saxophonist Ben Harris, and guitarist Avery Scanlon. Estrada and Erickson first met in high school band and choir. The rest of the group came together through the University of Oregon’s music community and its dynamic range of cross-pollinating bands. After Estrada moved from Seattle to Eugene in 2023, the current lineup formed and began writing together. The project was officially relocated to Portland in 2024.

Much of Swollen Eyes began as Estrada’s earliest demos (Ableton sketches, early writing sessions with Erickson, even iPhone voice memos), some dating back to 2022. To develop the material, the band rented a house in Seaside, Oregon, for a three-day writing retreat, then tested the songs live on a three-month West Coast tour. That run included Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Offbeat Fest in Reno, and a sold-out capstone show at Polaris Hall in Portland.

Recording for the album unfolded across four studios over several months. Supported in part by MusicOregon’s “Echo Fund” artist grant, overdubs, editing, and mixing were completed with producer Justin Yu (Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy). Estrada, Erickson, and Eli Hansen co-produced. The record also features standout guest appearances from saxophonist Nicole McCabe (on “Take My Time-Reprise”) and Katy Ohsiek of Foamboy (vocals on “Do You Remember Me”).

At the heart of the album lies a reflective emotional core. “This is a record about loss, picking up the pieces in the aftermath, and sticking around for another year to see what happens,” Estrada says. And while the band refuses to offer tidy conclusions, Estrada hopes the music resonates on a human level: “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.”