SPILL FEATURE: WAKING UP – A CONVERSATION WITH KEITH WALLEN OF BREAKING BENJAMIN

WAKING UP

A CONVERSATION WITH KEITH WALLEN OF BREAKING BENJAMIN

Reflecting on bands that have indelibly shaped the rock music landscape, Breaking Benjamin emerges as a timeless luminary, evoking a sense of nostalgia for many fans. Formed in 1999 in Pennsylvania, the band initially went by the name Plan 9. However, after a memorable microphone incident, they changed their name to Breaking Benjamin, a name that has since become synonymous with their powerful sound and emotionally charged performances and defined an era of hard rock and alternative music.

Over the years, Breaking Benjamin has enjoyed remarkable success, proudly showcasing three RIAA-certified platinum albums and two gold records that highlight their significant influence in the rock genre. However, their journey has been fraught with challenges that could have shattered even the most steadfast spirits, including a tumultuous breakup that tested the very fabric of the band. Despite these struggles, members like Keith Wallen have rekindled our interest in the band, reminding us of their enduring legacy.

Wallen, with his diverse musical experiences and his path as a solo artist, embodies the theme of resurgence. His resilience not only characterises his personal journey but also reflects his time with Breaking Benjamin. While the band remains a central aspect of his identity, there is an additional layer to his artistry that often gets overshadowed by the success and storied history of the group. As he navigates these depths, listeners continue to discover the nuanced talents of a musician who is continually evolving, giving us ample reasons to celebrate both his individual contributions and the band’s enduring spirit.

“I feel at times people can be a bit rude when it comes to looking at both sides of my career,” Wallen confesses. “I get and I know that Breaking Benjamin means a lot to people and to our fans, it means a great deal to me too. But I have sometimes felt that when I release a track, they think ‘It’s cool,’ but they are looking for something else. They want Breaking Benjamin. Part of me understands where they are coming from, but another part of me feels that one has nothing to do with the other. I am committed to both sides of my career. Solo and as being a vocalist of a band that has given me so much. It’s two different parts of myself as an artist that I want to explore, and they both mean something to me. This new song in my solo career has meant a lot to me for different reasons. I have held onto this song for a while, and in a way, I think you are right when it comes to sharing that aspect with myself and the band. Like this single and the new material with Breaking Benjamin has also taken its time to come to the surface. “Us Against The World” was one of those songs where it didn’t quite fit on the Infinity Now album, even though it was a song I really enjoyed making and was really close to me. I wrote this during a time where no one was really speaking to anyone. We were trapped in our houses, and we were all hating what the world had become. So, for me it was a time to really explore that other part of myself. I had no reason not to. I was like, ‘Ya know what? Let me do this.’ Even if it was just for myself.”

Since their comeback in 2014, Breaking Benjamin along with Wallen have risen from the ashes of the past, reinventing themselves while embarking on a new path to success with the release of compelling albums such as Dark Before The Dawn and Ember, alongside his own line of personal accomplishments from the Allies EP to 2024’s Infinity Now. While the solo artist has been in a constant flow of exploring his musical ventures, Following the release of Ember, the band entered a five-year silence, sparking uncertainty among fans regarding their future.

Now, with the unveiling of their 2025 single “Awaken”, along with the excitement of their upcoming tour alongside heavyweights like Staind, Wage War, and Lakeview, Breaking Benjamin is not merely celebrating 26 years of musical achievement but is experiencing a triumphant return to form. The thrill of this resurgence resonates through their passionate fan base, marking a significant chapter in their iconic journey. In a tour stop in Saratoga Springs, New York, vocalist and guitarist Keith Wallen appears to be happier than ever. Throughout his career, he has balanced various bands and opportunities and has channelled all of these experiences into a new chapter, still successfully contributing to a band that continues to thrive today.

KEITH WALLEN’S SOLO LP INFINITY NOW AVAILABLE HERE

“I can’t believe even now that it’s been 26 years, it’s pretty wild to think about. Breaking Benjamin has been around for a long time. I have also been around the block for a while too. I have not necessarily been with Breaking Benjamin since the beginning, but for the past 11 years, I have been a part of this journey, and it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” says Wallen. “It’s been great, great from the start, I mean, the fans and everybody just has really embraced us, and they are just as stoked as us about the new music. So, I guess that’s a good thing,” he laughs. “We are having fun keeping this going. It’s just been awesome.”

Wallen continues,” I also appreciate the kind words you have said. I am always busy, haha, and I am glad people see that I am doing a lot of different things. I am also at a point in my life where I can happily separate my time with Breaking Benjamin and my own music but it’s also has been really hard on both sides. When you create music, you have to stay relevant and remind people that you exist. That isn’t always easy, but you sign up for that when you become a part of this business, whether it’s my solo career or with the band. You gotta remind people you are still there, and I think for both my time as a solo artist and with the band, that has been the most difficult part of being an artist right now.”

While their new single, “Awaken”, signals a band emerging from a lengthy slumber, its title carries much deeper implications than mere resurgence. Since the release of 2018’s “Ember”, both the band and the world around them have undergone profound transformations, grappling with a myriad of challenges and uncertainties. From this crucible of experience has emerged a newfound appreciation for the once-familiar elements of life that many had taken for granted. The song not only marks a musical revival but also reflects a broader awakening to what truly matters in an ever-changing landscape. On both sides of the coin, Wallen sees fulfilment in not just his solo career, but in continuing to be a part of a legacy band that has opened up other kinds of creative doors in his career. While Wallen has been doing this for years, from his time in Adelita’s Way, his solo career, and Breaking Benjamin, like wine, the artist continues to age just fine, enjoying the fruits of his success while he has the time to enjoy it.

“It’s been a long time coming,” says Wallen. “We have and the world has seen and been through some things since the last time Breaking Benjamin released some music. So, we are really excited to finally have “Awaken” out there. The response has just been amazing. It’s a hard feeling to put into words, I don’t know, we are just really excited,” he smiles. “We still have some work to do. We have some songs we still need to work on, but we have a lot done. There are still some more things we need to perfect, fine tune. All I can say is just hope. I hope people can remain patient with the release of this album, because we want to make sure we get it right and take the time to be where we want to be as a band. This record is very special to us; we are all contributing to this. We want to put our best foot forward coming back. This track is a bit of a metaphor. We have been dormant for a little bit, and now we are coming back with new music. We made it through some rough times. It was a hard time for everyone. We started working on this during COVID. We were all thinking, were we ever going to get out and play music again? Will our careers even exist after all of this? So, thinking back to then and now, we have this newfound appreciation for being back. We have woken up. We are ready to get out there and hit the road and get some new songs out there to the world. For me, I am still at a point in my life that I can do all of this. So, I am taking advantage of the time I have left to do this while life and my body is allowing me to.”

KEITH WALLEN 2025 SOLO TOUR DATES – TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

The recent release of Breaking Benjamin’s new single has ignited a wave of anticipation for the band’s comeback, and “Awaken”, in essence, acts as a powerful connection to their previous album, Ember. While Ember stands out as a deeply expressive and introspective exploration of the trials and tribulations inherent to the human experience, Ember is marked by its hauntingly raw sound, delving into profound themes of loss and the relentless struggle to reclaim one’s identity and spirit from the clutches of despair. In a similar vein, “Awaken” not only addresses these crucial themes of identity but also emphasizes the transformative journey of emerging from darkness.

While this dark chapter has paved the way for a brighter phase in the band’s evolution, the new single intriguingly serves as a vital link between their past and present. It resonates with the complexities of the human condition, reflecting the journey of emerging from shadowy depths toward the light of hope and resilience. “Awaken” not only pays homage to the band’s history but also embodies the transformative power of the human spirit, illustrating what it truly means to rise above adversity, both personally and musically.

“A lot of the lyrics Ben tends to play around with, probably 85 to 90 percent of those things come from him. Without showing the cards too much of what exactly the meaning of this album is, we think it’s nice for the fans to develop their own interpretations of what we write. I guess it’s sort of the Nirvana way of writing lyrics,” he laughs slightly. I think the new single, “Awaken”, can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. For me personally, I am always inspired by all kinds of things. I can watch something like Blade Runner or something, and you can write like 10 albums from just that movie alone. It’s such cool, futuristic stuff. I think you touched on it for sure though, this is about surviving the human condition and just making our way the best we can through life, the ups and the downs. Nothing good lasts forever, but also nothing bad does either. So, all we can do is try to lift each other up and help ourselves and others through it the best way we can. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, I’m 45 now, and I feel like I have learned a whole lot in my 45 years of living. There is always something to grow and learn from. We have grown to work well together as a band, as writers, and as performers. I think coming into it, 11 years ago, we all just kind of felt like the new guys, even though we were welcomed with open arms, and it was amazing. You just kind of feel like you know, this is a new thing and hopefully, you will be accepted. Eleven years later, we feel like a band. This is the real thing, we are a family, a unit, both creatively and outside of that. We work well together, and I think this album will show that there’s a reason why it’s been able to for this long.”

“As guitarist for Breaking Benjamin, a solo artist or songwriting collaborator, the common threads through Keith Wallen’s work are honesty, authenticity, and heartfelt spirit.”

Breaking Benjamin Links

Keith Wallen Links