INTERVIEW: Aaron Bruch of Breaking Benjamin

To hear Aaron Bruch tell it, he’s one of the most fortunate people on the planet doing the job he’s wanted to do since he was fifteen years old. Coming up through the cover band scene of Pennsylvania, he worked his ass off to get to where he is today – bassist for one of the most popular hard-rock bands in the game: Breaking Benjamin. We had the chance to sit down and talk with Bruch about everything from his history in the music business to family life and touring. Extremely humble and ridiculously talented bassists like Bruch don’t always get the attention and spotlight they deserve. And we say, it’s time for that to change.

Aaron Bruch was fifteen when he got his first bass and considers himself a late starter, compared to some other musicians who feel as if they were born with their instruments in their hands. Bruch grew up poor and couldn’t afford much. So, presents like his first bass were a big deal to him. His bass, a black-with-red-crackle C. F. Martin Stinger five string (which he still owns but hasn’t played in years) went with him everywhere. He explains, “I was that kid who walked to the mall to hang out with my friends, wearing and playing my bass as I walked.” His bass was an instant attachment to him. He knew right away that he wanted to play bass for a living.

Understandably, the thought of her son as a starving musician didn’t thrill his mom, who had bought him the bass. “School already wasn’t super important to me, and once she added the bass to my life, she’d hoped it would make me focus on school more,” he says. Needless to say, it didn’t. Bruch had his eyes on the prize, and his bass became his life.

Unable to afford an amp, Bruch was at first hindered from the thriving cover band scene where he lived. He chuckles, “It was just me trying to tune my bass the best I could. I’d sit in front of my stereo and play along with the tape I was listening to.” Eventually, though, the tides turned for Bruch.

In 1996, Bruch tabled the idea of being a full-time musician and got a “real” job in a factory. He and his wife became parents to a baby girl, and priorities had switched. On July 3, 1999, “I went home and told my wife that I was laid off. She said, ‘Well, you should probably find a band and see if you can make the full time musician thing work.’” He feels truly blessed by his wife’s support, patience, and sacrifices for him to do what he loves and make his passion his living. Bruch says proudly, “We wouldn’t be where we are without her.”

As he searched for a band to play with, Bruch consulted a local entertainment magazine. There, he found a booking agency with an ad for bands looking for bass players. One band was a Dave Matthews Tribute band. He was told by the agent that he’d make the most money with them, so he should probably audition. Another band was advertised: Plan 9. The agent told him, “There’s this band called Plan 9. They are not good. Don’t even go see them.”

A few months later, that band changed their name to Breaking Benjamin. Bruch laughs, “And I didn’t even go see them.” He had a kid – he needed something that would pay the bills, and the prospect for playing for a band that wasn’t good didn’t really thrill him. “Don’t necessarily listen to your agent all the time,” he warns. “They don’t know everything.”

As a member of the Dave Matthews Tribute band, Bruch made more money than he did in any other “real” job. It was with this band that he taught himself how to play guitar and started to flex his vocal muscles behind the mic. Bruch was in this band when he got a call from his friend named Bug. Bug asked him to come check out his new band at the Voodoo Lounge in Luzerne, Pennsylvania.

It seems Fate once again had her hand on Bruch’s shoulder as he realized that this band was, indeed, Breaking Benjamin. The night he met and talked with the guys in the band, they called him up to play “Mudshovel” by Staind. That stands as the first song he played with Breaking Benjamin. A few weeks later, he went down and saw them play again. Ben (Burnley) asked him to sing with them and play some more covers. This was the beginning of his lifelong friendship – and working relationship – with Burnley.

Bruch left the Dave Matthews Tribute band due to disagreements about financial dealings. This journey led him to a few other bands before he landed where he is today. Musically, Bruch had hit his stride. In bands such as Our After, State of Mind, and Pan.a.ce.a, he was able to find his comfort zone playing music that aligned better with his musical tastes. “Yes, I like Dave Matthews. I would never say I don’t. Yes, I know how to play way more songs by him than I should,” he laughs.

Bruch took a job where he sold instruments and gave lessons at Wayne’s World Music in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It was here that Bruch discovered a passion he hadn’t known – teaching! He loved giving lessons and helping musicians find their own way with their instruments. Consequently, it is something he also loves doing to this day. It was in the shop, during a lesson in 2010, that Bruch got the call from Burnley that led him to Breaking Benjamin.

At that time, Breaking Benjamin was finishing their Dear Agony tour. Burnley asked Bruch if he’d come out and play some acoustic solo shows with him while on break from touring. As a band, Breaking Benjamin had taken a break. Meanwhile, Burnley planned to take time off to focus on his ongoing health issues. Burnley traveled to hospitals and specialist clinics across the country in order to gain answers to his health issues. Unfortunately, these answers he still has not received to this day. Burnley had some ideas of some covers he wanted to do that needed more than one voice to sing. And, he knew Bruch had just the voice the songs needed.

Jasen and Aaron — Jasen Rauch and Aaron Bruch

On July 9 and 10, 2010, Burnley and Bruch took to the stage for two acoustic shows – the latter at the now-closed down Showboat Casino in Atlantic City. “That was the most fun I ever had playing music up to that point. In a lot of my previous bands, I was called hard to work with. And people have notoriously said that Ben is as well,” he says, thoughtfully. “I think that’s why it worked so well. We had faith that if we took care of our part, the other person would take care of his. And there would be nothing to worry about.” It was in those two shows that the relationship between Burnley and Bruch was cemented. They knew that they would want to work together in the future.

After the previous iteration of Breaking Benjamin ended, Burnley reached out to Bruch. “Ben was like, ‘We’re going to do this.’ Obviously, from our history together and always wanting to work together, it was going to happen. Me being a fan of the band helped with that,” Bruch explains. Burnley knew that Bruch had the talent he wanted. Thus, they started playing together in his basement with a PA system. Burnley released a handful of videos of the two playing together on the band’s Facebook page. They utilized ProTools in order to fill in the guitar and drum parts on some songs. And, the two jammed together quite well. “We were karaoke rehearsing at first,” Bruch laughs. “It was pretty cool.”

They knew that they were on to something bigger than themselves, so they looked for others to join them. That’s when Shaun (Foist), Keith (Wallen), and Jasen (Rauch) entered the picture. As a result, the band’s lineup was cemented. Bruch says, “Even through the whole process of the limited amount of people we did end up auditioning for guitar players, whatever decisions were made, Ben would always say, ‘we.’ And he never said, ‘me.’ He would always ask for my opinion and thoughts. He didn’t have to do that. Still to this day, we make decisions as a band. He always asks us our opinions.”

Ben and Aaron — Ben Burnley and Aaron Bruch

Something else was also very important to Burnley in making the decisions for the band. He wanted members who could sing as well as they play their instruments. This led Burnley to welcome Bruch (and Wallen) to take the mic and sing during their live performances. “With the addition of the third guitar and other vocalists, it opens up the possibilities of what the band can do and be,” Bruch says. Burnley also showcased Bruch and Wallen on backup vocals on their album, Dark Before Dawn. “Ben has an iconic voice, and for him to allow Keith and I to add ours to that sound is something he didn’t have to do,” Bruch explains. “That was the first time that a voice other than Ben’s was on an album. It was a cool thing.”

On their sixth album, currently in progress in the studio, fans can expect to hear Bruch and Wallen on vocals again. When discussing the new album, Bruch is decidedly vague and a little coy. “I’m really excited about the new album. There are a lot of cool things on it I really like. All I can tell you is that it has songs on it. It contains music.” It is reasonably assumed that all of the secrets he is keeping regarding the album will be better than fans can expect when released.

When it comes to touring, Breaking Benjamin is currently on a break before they head to Europe later this summer. “All I know is that at the end of July, Ben is getting on a boat. And a week after that, I am getting on a plane. And we’ll be in Europe for six weeks,” he says with a laugh. With shows already planned in the UK, Russia, and Poland among others, their second trip overseas promises one hell of a ride for Bruch and his brothers in Breaking Benjamin.

Last year was their first overseas experience. Bruch describes it as surreal. “We’d go to these countries where they do not speak English as their first language, and they sang every word back to us. They even sang guitar parts!” he exclaims, still seemingly in disbelief. The crowds over there were rowdy and amazing. And massive. “Our bigger festivals on the East Coast are Rock on the Range and Carolina Rebellion. But then, we go to Download (Donington, UK), and there were 300,000 people! It was so overwhelming. I was like, ‘What is happening?’” Bruch says that he could feel the weight of the history over there. “Seeing buildings that were older than our country we live in elicited genuine feelings from all of us. It was crazy,” he states.

While Bruch doesn’t have a dream tour lineup he’d want to be a part of, he’d love to tour with Deftones. “We’ve been very fortunate to tour with some of my favorite bands ever, which has been awesome. There is another side of touring that goes beyond being around a band you love to see. You want to be on the road with people whom you get along with.” And, he sees Deftones as a good fit. “Please, Deftones. Let’s do this,” he laughs.

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Another good fit for Breaking Benjamin are their “brothers in Starset.” “We toured with them for about a year – we even drug them around Europe with us. And when you tour with someone for as long as we did with them, and on the next tour they weren’t there, it felt like something was missing. It was very weird,” he reminisces. “They are a good fit with us. They have the science fiction thing going on, and we’re big nerds. So, it works.” And this writer thinks a Starset/Breaking Benjamin/Deftones tour would be one hell of a show!

Bruch says that touring and leaving his family behind is a little bit easier today than in the past. That’s thanks to modern technology. Bands previously would tour and only call home from pay phones or hotel phones. If the call was missed, they couldn’t talk to their family. Now, with Facetime and the like, Bruch can be away from home but still see everyone and feel like a part of family life. “I am on the phone all the time,” he laughs. “Ben constantly picks on me for it. I’ll walk in, and he’ll be like, ‘Shouldn’t you be on the phone?’”

For Bruch, being “just Dad” at home is the best. “With my daughters (one graduating high school and another entering her junior year of college), I played gigs at night. So, during the day I was home. They got to see Dad every day.” He has a son who just graduated Kindergarten, and Bruch almost missed his first t-ball game due to touring. “Thanks to rain outs, I got to see his first game. And he’s such a show-off. He runs the bases and does these little dances when he gets to base. This kid runs around and tries to high-five everybody. He is a walking excessive celebration penalty,” Bruch laughs. It is clear that being the best dad and husband he can be is important to him. When he talks about his family, the smile in his voice shines through.

The other thing that makes Bruch smile is his new bass. Bruch is an endorsed Ernie Ball musician. However, he worked with Matt Kiefer of Better Mousetrap Guitars, who he met at a VIP meet and greet experience for a Breaking Benjamin show, on his new bass. What took Kiefer two months to make is “a work of art. It sounds better than it looks, and I think it’s gorgeous. I love it. I couldn’t be happier with it.” Bruch is so happy with it that he is having Kiefer make him another one. This one is a five-string beauty with glow-in-the-dark fret markers on the side. “I am stoked. It’s amazing,” he says with a slight laugh. This is one bass this writer personally can’t wait to see.

Bruch credits the fans with the longevity of Breaking Benjamin. “Without them, there is no Breaking Benjamin.” Bruch says that they are incredibly blessed, surrounded by fans who really feel and connect with their music. He says the fans’ stories help the band remember that they have the “most incredible job in the world.” He meets and talks to fans from all over, and their stories stick with them.

At a show on their last tour, a veteran presented the band with his Purple Heart medal at their meet and greet experience. “We were all like, we can’t accept that. But, he told us he listened to Breaking Benjamin to get through his deployment and his subsequent recovery and rehab from his injuries. He said that he didn’t feel like he could move on with his life until we had that medal.” Bruch was humbled by that. “We hear countless stories of people facing incredible hardships, and that the band has helped them through them all. It is such an honor to meet them and learn their stories.” Bruch says that these moments move him, and he is grateful to be a part of the fans’ lives.

When it comes to his band, “If I had to pick one thing I admire about them, I’d say first and foremost that they continue to put up with me.” Bruch laughingly admits he can be a lot to deal with. “Things come out of my mouth, and I don’t realize it until I say them.” Through it all, Bruch views the band as a family. “When we finished up this last run, I went up to Ben and said, ‘Dude, we’ve been touring together for three years. And it’s still just as much fun as when we started.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Absolutely. That’s what happens when you tour with your best friends.’”

Bruch says every member of their crew and touring family is positive and upbeat, and everyone is super funny. “We do what we love and what we’ve dreamed of doing since we were children,” he laughs. He says everyone respects everyone else, and there is no drama. He credits their friendship and brotherhood as the reason why everything works as well for them as it does. “Anything that happens to one of us, happens to all of us. We are a family. And we want each other to succeed because when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.”

The strong bond between the members keeps them humble as well. “We have a common goal; there are no egos. We just are who we are and don’t pretend that we’re anyone we aren’t,” he states matter-of-factly. It is because of all of this that Bruch – and his bandmates – successfully maintain their status in the industry and give their all to their fans.

When it comes to the fans, Bruch has a message for all: “Thank you and all the fans out there for supporting us through everything we do. Thank you for all that you guys do on a daily basis to make it possible for us to have the greatest job in the world. We are super excited to get this next album out to you guys, to get back out on the road, and to continue to play for the best fans in the world.” And while I can’t speak for everyone, I can speak for myself when I say, “Thank you, Aaron and Breaking Benjamin, for music that continues to inspire, touch, and connect with each of your fans, all over the world. Keep being who you are; the fans expect nothing less.”