BREAKING BENJAMIN AND SHINEDOWN
ANNOUNCE CO-HEADLINING TOUR
Band members (from L to R):Keith Wallen, Jasen Rauch, Benjamin Burnley, Shaun Foist, Aaron Bruch
The cross-country trek kicks off on October 16th in Wichita, Kansas and continues until the tour finale on November 24th in Portland, Maine.
http://breakingbenjamin.com/tour/
Ace Sims, RockRevolt™ Magazine contributor, sat down with Ben Burnley, frontman of Breaking Benjamin, to talk about the upcoming tour and their new album.
RR: You have been back out on the road for a little bit. How are you doing? How are you holding up?
Ben: I am hanging in there. It’s no secret that I have had health issues but my family, my band, my friends, and my fans make it all worth dealing with pain and the agony I deal with every day.
RR: I have read that you credit your family, namely your wife and mother for helping you through those dark times.
Ben: My son, and my whole family. My son, he is the greatest.
RR: I have seen where you say your son has you looking more in to the future, keeping you going, keeping you driven.
Ben: Yes for sure.
RR: You just released “Dark Before Dawn” how was that with your healing process, getting you back out into the field?
Ben: Writing music and putting the albums together, that’s just what I do. It’s in my blood and it’s what I’m here for. It helps me and makes me live my purpose in life. I am just really fortunate that I am able to be alive to make and play music. I am even more grateful that there are people out there like our amazing fans that really, really love what we do, and have supported us throughout all these years because of that love. In return, we give that love straight back to them so I think that’s why were able to come back and be successful in our endeavors.
RR: This is your first album to debut at #1, that has to make you feel pretty good.
Ben: I mean it’s awesome. It’s just mind blowing how great everybody has been towards the band, and we look as that as a win for rock music as well, not just for Breaking Benjamin. We owe it all to the fans that are not only fans of the band but as fans of rock music. There are definitely still rock fans out there and there are definitely still lots of them. I don’t think rock is dead and I don’t think rock will ever die.
RR: I definitely agree with you on that statement, and I know the fans are glad to see Breaking Benjamin back out on the road. Now does this album have more of a special meaning to you or are all your albums special to you?
Ben: They are all close to me because they are all my creations for the most part but “Dark Before Dawn” is the best album I think I have ever done and it’s the best time I have ever had making an album. It’s the most fun to play.
RR: I saw where you had this album mostly written before you had assembled the new lineup.
Ben: I think there is a lot of confusion or a misconception as far as things really were functional in the band, but honestly from my perspective I can’t speak to how other people perceived things. I pretty much did the same thing on this album that I did on all the other albums, which is write the whole thing myself. I have always been the primary writer of the band. I have always been the one to sit there on my couch and write the songs, if they had a part that would fit into something I would try and fit it in, if it did not then I wouldn’t. For the most part they didn’t, so it really was nothing different for me writing this one.
RR: “Failure,” your first single of “Dark Before Dawn,” it has that classic Breaking Benjamin vibe to it. It seems to be well received.
Ben: Everything that we have been doing has been well received and we are really grateful for that. We are looking to keep going strong into the future. We are having a great time playing the song as live too, they are really fun to play.
RR: You guys hit the road this spring and have played a lot of big festivals. I have read a lot of great reviews for these shows.
Ben: It’s been going great. We have been so grateful for all of the fans and media that have supported us through this whole thing. We are just absolutely humbled to be able to be among all the bands that we have been able to play with at these festivals and moving forward getting ready to go out with Shinedown. We are just really excited for the future of the band and just getting out there and playing.
RR: Speaking of that upcoming tour with Shinedown, how did that all come together?
Ben: We have known them for a long time and we have toured with them before. It just made sense. They have something coming out and our album came out not to long ago. The timing really worked out for us and the fans are the most important thing in both of our bands, so we wanted to give them the best show we could give them. We thought a mash up of Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin would be something people would enjoy and at the end of the day that is really why we are here is for our fans and that was the main motivation behind wanting to do it.
RR: You just released you video for “Angels Fall.” Is the video making process something that you enjoy?
Ben: I can say that I have had the most fun ever on this one. I have written a lot of the bands video treatments, I have written a lot of the stories for them. I wrote this one as well and it was really awesome to see it come to life and to do it with these guys who are just great people and great musicians. It was shot in Ocean City where I live so I didn’t have to go far. It was awesome, everyone was really focused and really on point and we are really pleased with how it came out.
RR: Do you think it was one of your favorites because you did not have to leave home, or was it the guys in the band. Or was it just the song, and making the video for it.
Ben: I would say that it is pieces of all of that. The song, the people involved, the location. The whole thing was just amazing.
RR: Is there anything you would like to say to the fans out there.
Ben: Just a humongous thank you. You know we would not be doing any of this if it was not for the fans support and their love. We just want to give that love right back to them and we’re just so grateful that they are still with us. We just appreciate them more than we will ever be able to put into words. Just thank you!
For complete tour details, updates, and ticket availability, please visit www.shinedown.com/tour or www.breakingbenjamin.com/tour.
CO-HEADLINING U.S. TOUR – FALL 2015 DATES
OCTOBER
16 Wichita, KS – Intrust Arena
18 Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Amphitheater
20 Rio Rancho, NM – Santa Ana Star Center
21 Phoenix, AZ – KUPD Festival @ Mesa Amphitheater
22 Las Vegas, NV – The Joint
24 Sacramento, CA – Monster Energy Aftershock 2015
26 Everett, WA – Xfinity Arena
27 Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center
29 Bozeman, MT – Brick Breedan Fieldhouse
30 Salt Lake City, UT – Maverick Center
31 Broomfield, CO – 1st Bank Events Center
NOVEMBER
2 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center
4 Cedar Rapids, IA – US Cellular Center
6 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
7 Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center
8 Salem, VA – Salem Center
10 Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Coliseum
11 Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center
13 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
14 Little Rock, AR – Verizon Center
15 Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center
17 Fayetteville, NC – Crown Center Coliseum
19 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
20 St. College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
21 Huntington, WV – Big Sandy Arena
23 Albany, NY – Time Union Center
24 Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
