they’re grunge sensibility sets off this exploration into agony perfectly and
exploration into agony perfectly and
exploration into agony perfectly and makes for some wicked rock-and-roll
makes for some wicked rock-and-roll
makes for some wicked rock-and-roll hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with Breaking Benjamin
so why don’t we start by having you tell
so why don’t we start by having you tell us the origin story of Breaking Benjamin
us the origin story of Breaking Benjamin
us the origin story of Breaking Benjamin started as like a cover band in
started as like a cover band in
started as like a cover band in northeastern Pennsylvania
northeastern Pennsylvania
northeastern Pennsylvania wilkes-barre/scranton area just
wilkes-barre/scranton area just
wilkes-barre/scranton area just basically tried to find the best guys I
basically tried to find the best guys I
basically tried to find the best guys I could in the area and I wound up you
could in the area and I wound up you
could in the area and I wound up you know finding the current members and we
know finding the current members and we
know finding the current members and we started doing three hours of covers
started doing three hours of covers
started doing three hours of covers because that’s what you do at the time I
because that’s what you do at the time I
because that’s what you do at the time I just slipped my originals in there and
just slipped my originals in there and
just slipped my originals in there and band took off
and growing up did you have any musical
and growing up did you have any musical idols Nirvana has really been a huge
idols Nirvana has really been a huge
idols Nirvana has really been a huge influence on me kind of got me into
influence on me kind of got me into
influence on me kind of got me into playing guitar and got me into really
playing guitar and got me into really
playing guitar and got me into really paying attention to music rather than
paying attention to music rather than
paying attention to music rather than like just listening to music I idolized
like just listening to music I idolized
like just listening to music I idolized Kurt Cobain as a teenager and you know
Kurt Cobain as a teenager and you know
Kurt Cobain as a teenager and you know like had my wall covered in in his face
like had my wall covered in in his face
like had my wall covered in in his face and the band I’d kind of just used his
and the band I’d kind of just used his
and the band I’d kind of just used his mentality in his way of writing and what
mentality in his way of writing and what
mentality in his way of writing and what I do now
what is your writing process like I mean
what is your writing process like I mean at what point did does the melody the
at what point did does the melody the
at what point did does the melody the riffs and all that stuff come into play
riffs and all that stuff come into play
riffs and all that stuff come into play the process usually I’d say about 99% of
the process usually I’d say about 99% of
the process usually I’d say about 99% of the time is just a basic chord structure
the time is just a basic chord structure
the time is just a basic chord structure with a vocal melody then the basic chord
with a vocal melody then the basic chord
with a vocal melody then the basic chord structure gets complicated by a riff for
structure gets complicated by a riff for
structure gets complicated by a riff for Paul mute or whatever it would just try
Paul mute or whatever it would just try
Paul mute or whatever it would just try to make something that’s easy more
to make something that’s easy more
to make something that’s easy more complicated to play but it’s all still
complicated to play but it’s all still
complicated to play but it’s all still based off of that same chord structure
based off of that same chord structure
based off of that same chord structure and you know then I’ll add a riff and
and you know then I’ll add a riff and
and you know then I’ll add a riff and then I’ll write lyrics last
how do you think breaking Benjamin’s
how do you think breaking Benjamin’s sound has evolved since the beginning
sound has evolved since the beginning
sound has evolved since the beginning I’m the primary writer in the band so
I’m the primary writer in the band so
I’m the primary writer in the band so I’ve pretty much written all the album’s
I’ve pretty much written all the album’s
I’ve pretty much written all the album’s myself though I have collaborated on a
myself though I have collaborated on a
myself though I have collaborated on a few things but for the most part it’s
few things but for the most part it’s
few things but for the most part it’s been pretty much just me and you know
been pretty much just me and you know
been pretty much just me and you know I’ve grown older and more mature and I
I’ve grown older and more mature and I
I’ve grown older and more mature and I think when that happens you can’t avoid
think when that happens you can’t avoid
think when that happens you can’t avoid it being in the music
what were you guys going for under agony
what were you guys going for under agony well dear agony is the first album that
well dear agony is the first album that
well dear agony is the first album that I’ve ever written and recorded
I’ve ever written and recorded
I’ve ever written and recorded completely sober so it’s kind of a new
completely sober so it’s kind of a new
completely sober so it’s kind of a new adventure for me
definitely a challenge because I relied
definitely a challenge because I relied heavily on alcohol for influence and
heavily on alcohol for influence and
heavily on alcohol for influence and inspiration stuff you know dear agony I
inspiration stuff you know dear agony I
inspiration stuff you know dear agony I think is more personal because of the
think is more personal because of the
think is more personal because of the clarity of being sober it kind of really
clarity of being sober it kind of really
clarity of being sober it kind of really made me focus especially lyrically in
made me focus especially lyrically in
made me focus especially lyrically in making things vague but at the same time
making things vague but at the same time
making things vague but at the same time making them that make more sense than in
making them that make more sense than in
making them that make more sense than in the past
the past
the past I can’t get away with anything I can’t
I can’t get away with anything I can’t
I can’t get away with anything I can’t drink away any inadequacies and the
drink away any inadequacies and the
drink away any inadequacies and the lyrics you know so before it’d be if I
lyrics you know so before it’d be if I
lyrics you know so before it’d be if I was unhappy with a line I just take a
was unhappy with a line I just take a
was unhappy with a line I just take a shot and might be fine with it
now it’s somatically the album seems to
now it’s somatically the album seems to follow kind of the same line of thinking
follow kind of the same line of thinking
follow kind of the same line of thinking was this a conscious decision this one
was this a conscious decision this one
was this a conscious decision this one in particular I can’t really compare it
in particular I can’t really compare it
in particular I can’t really compare it to ones in the past so I think in the
to ones in the past so I think in the
to ones in the past so I think in the past anything that really kind of made
past anything that really kind of made
past anything that really kind of made sense thematically was was a coincidence
sense thematically was was a coincidence
sense thematically was was a coincidence more so than anything else and this one
more so than anything else and this one
more so than anything else and this one is definitely focused and definitely has
is definitely focused and definitely has
is definitely focused and definitely has vague subject matter
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