Songwriter Jamie Hartman has penned hits for Will Young, Faith Hill and Beverley Knight. Now he is teaming up with leading artists Jason Mraz, Natalie Imbruglia and Joss Stone, who have collaborated with his band, Ben’s Brother on their new album.

Called Battling Giants, the album — already one of iTunes’s top downloads — was financed by Mr Hartman himself after the band was released by EMI Records. “Something changed in my life this year,” Mr Hartman, who is in his early 30s, tells People. “I went from searching for something to finding it. I think that Battling Giants is a real reflection of that.” He adds: “The recession can be good for people. It is the time to do what you really want to do. If we were still with EMI then we wouldn’t have made this album.” The band has since been snapped up by Island Records — home of U2 and Bob Marley.

He describes their genre as “balladeer with balls”. The album’s first single, Apologise, was co-written with Natalie Imbruglia. Last year, the band was nominated for an Ivor Novello songwriting award in the category of Best Song for Let Me Out.

Ben’s Brother is currently on tour in the UK and includes performances from Joss Stone. “She [Joss] has an amazing voice. I asked her if she would perform and she said yes.” London-based Mr Hartman set up his first band when he was at school.

Ben’s Brother is showcasing in London tonight at the Islington Academy.