benton
One fine day, Benton joined Passed Out PR. And as a new installment to the POPR website, they are the first band to be our "Featured Interview." Read, enjoy, be frightened as Benton reveals career goals, inspirations, and little known facts that should've been kept secret. (We are sad to say Benton is no longer part of Passed Out Promotions. Members in the band have decided to go their separate ways. But, feel free to enjoy their interview!)
Julia: All right! Tell me what you play in your band.
PJ: I’m PJ and I play bass.
Brian: I’m Brian and I play drums.
Julia: So I know you guys have a “fake” bio posted on your website, but can you give us the real story behind your band?
Brian: So, it started off before Benton it was PJ, Lee, our old drummer Matt, and their old singer Tom. And we had old other rhythm guitarist, Eric. They were a band and they fucking sucked, like really bad. Their drummer had to quit and I was in a hardcore band, I played guitar in it, and they were like “Yo. Could your drummer play for us?” And I was like “He probably can’t. But do you want me to play? I play drums also.” So I can to their practice and they showed me their old recordings and I kinda learned the songs. They met Mickey at a pizza place, that’s actually true. Mickey was at a show and after the show Mickey was like “Yo. Come out the back and I’ll sing you guys some songs.” Like two, three acoustic songs. And he was like, “Do you want me to sing?” And they were like yeah, so, that’s pretty much it. About a month ago Eric joined as rhythm guitarist because we kinda needed one.
Julia: Very nice. How long have you guys been together?
PJ: We’ve been together with this lineup since September of 2003.
Julia: Ok. How did you come up with the name Benton? Is there any significance behind it, or did you just put random letters together?
Brian: I’ve never heard this story!
PJ: No, there’s significance. We used to be called Counting the Days, back in the day. The was with our old lineup. They have those websites online where they list thousands of band names that they just make up. And he gave us a list because we wanted to change our name. One of them was Benton, and that sounded cool. And it turns out its this really bad hick town by us, and there’s a lot of, like, inter-marriage, like they can have more than two wives.
Julia: What do you think is the most important part in starting a band? Chemistry? Talent? Same taste in music?
Brian: It’s kind of everything. Like, you have to have a good sound. Everyone in the band has to know how to play their shit. Umm, I guess it’s just chemistry too, like the way you put songs together. You just have to get an original sound.
PJ: It’s important with your band, like if you just want to have fun and jam, or if you you can be in one if you wanna do it as a living, if its that kind, which we hope our band is. You just have to look for people that you know wont have any other things that will interfere and you know will be dedicated. That’s first of all. Second of all, they have to be able to play their instruments, know a little bit about music. And not rip off other band. You have to uhhhh, shit, uhhh. Is that good?
Julia: That’s awesome. How do you manage everything? Music, family, girlfriends, friends, school….?
Brian: It’s always the band before the ho’s! (Laughs) I think all of us pretty much have the band as first priority. I dunno, that’s how I am. I don’t give a shit about school, I care more about my band. Everyone quit the sports they were playing in school. Yeah, and we’re never home. We’re always practicing, like four times a week. Playingg shows like two times a week. Pretty much the whole week, we’re together.
Julia: If there one band that had influenced all of you? That you can all agree to pop in the CD player with no complaints?
Brian: We all like different bands. Well, we all like pretty much the same bands. I dunno. Can I tell you some influences that we do have?
Julia: Sure.
Brian: We listen to a lot of Senses Fail. Pretty much a lot of Drive Thru shit. I’ve always been listening to a lot of Drive Thru shit. A lot of bands of Victory, like Taking Back Sunday. Every band is my favorite.
Julia: That’s funny, because my next question was you see like big Drive Thru fans? So, what is it about Drive Thru that make you such a follower?
Brian: The label or the bands?
Julia: Either or.
Brian: Umm, I’ll take the bands. Ok, not all the bands sound the same, but they all have a really, really good sound. Everything is catchy. I’m a big fan of every band on there. There isn’t a band I don’t like hate or anything.
PJ: The reason it’s one of our favorite labels is because of what we hear from it, they do a really good job of promoting their bands a lot. It’s just like a family. We met Richard a few times, and he’s really cool to hang out with and down to earth. They just like to do everything for the kids.
Julia: If you had the opportunity to play with one Drive Thru band, which would it be?
PJ: New Found Glory.
Brian: No! Actually! PJ said he would wanna play with New Found Glory, Lee said he would want Finch. Eric said The Starting Line. I would say Senses Fail.
Julia: We’ll just have to have one big show.
Brian: Yeah! A festival. Put us on there too.
Julia: Ok.
Brian: I’m a virgin! Put that in the interview, that I’m a virgin!
Julia: What?
Brian: Ok! Nevermind! Don’t put that in the interview!
Julia: You guys lost us five seconds ago.
Brian: Oh yeah, don’t put in anything about the virgins.
Julia: Oh no, every single word of this interview is going online. Verbatim. Word for word. All right. What sets you apart from all the other unsigned bands at the moment?
Brian: I think we have a really good original sound and a lot of bands don’t. All unsigned bands, like, there’s a lot of good ones, and but then there’s the ones that rip off all other bands. Like Senses Fail. Like you hear bands that will copy straight from Senses Fail and all that screamo shit. Like don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of good unsigned bands, but there’s a lot of them that don’t have any originality to it.
PJ: Most unsigned bands just sit there and keep on recording demos and just playing a couple shows. This summer we’re going on tour if we’re signed or not. We’re still gonna release an EP this summer if we’re signed or not. And we just want to do stuff signed bands do till we find the right people.
Julia: Is being signed really important to you?
PJ: No, not right now at the moment. We’re just getting better at what we do. Our live show is getting better. I think eventually we are going to meet a smaller indie label, just help us release a full-length or an EP.
Jacqueline: (Julia and Jacqueline laughing uncontrollably in the background) Sorry you guys. That was a great answer. There was just this squirrel (still laughing) that jumped out of this tree and slammed into this truck, and it was so funny! I swear to god! It was horrible. That was so funny. Sorry. All right.
Julia: I’m sorry, we should be more professional.
Jacqueline: No, we’re not.
Julia: You seems to be moving really fast with everything you are doing. You have the tour, you have the EP. Is there a reason why you’ve been moving so fast? Have you just been working your asses of?
PJ: I think a big reason for it is because of our guitar player, Lee. Because he might be one of the best guitar players we’ve ever heard like under the age of 25. He can write a song in like five minutes. He can write really amazing songs and we owe it all to Lee.
Brian: That has nothing to do with the question that she asked! Scratch that! Lemme tell ya. All right, why are going so fast? I dunno, I think we are just working our asses off. We want to get our music heard really bad. A lot of bands sit around and do nothing and wait for other people to do it for them. You kind of have to get out and do it yourself. (Singing) D-I-Y!
Julia: What is the local scene like in however you say your hometown?
Brian: Local scene in Wilkes-Barre, Pennslyvania sucks! I really don’t have any respect for the scene. Nobody respects music around here in Wilkes-Barre. There are some people that do, but most people don’t give a shit. It’s all competitive around here. If you go to New Jersey, it’s all about helping each other and shit like that. You have to compete with other people. People talk shit and make rumors up. Last weekend we had a show and all these kids were fucking with us while we were playing. It was ridiculous. I really don’t like playing around here that much, that’s why we try traveling more often.
Julia: Awww. We can get you here in Maryland a lot.
Brian: We don’t wanna go to fucking Maryland!
Julia: All right! Then stay in Pennsylvania!
Brian: We’re just joking.
Julia: Nope.
Brian: We love Maryland. You guys have a southern accent down there don’t you?
Jaqueline: No we don’t! Don’t say that.
Brian: It’s sexy though.
Jacqueline: (laughs) Well, ok.
Julia: What can we see from Benton in the future?
Brian: I dunno. Hopefully, we’re trying to work as hard as we can to get our name out there more. We just want everybody to hear our shit. Hopefully in the future more people will know of us, escpecially after the tour. We’re playing an east coast tour, so most people around there, hopefully, will hear of us. Get out name out.
Julia: Ok, this is the fun part.
Jacqueline: All right, now we have some really weird questions that aren’t typically asked of people in interviews. Ok. What is the best M&M color?
Brian: Red.
PJ: Mine’s green.
Julia: Do you know the story behind green M&M’s?
Brian: Yeah.
(laughing)
Brian: Are you guys laughing at us? We’re being interview by two drunk girls.
Jacqueline: No! We’re just happy.
Brian: Ok! Next question!
Jacqueline: Do you like Coke or Pepsi better?
Brian: I like coke, not the drink. No, I’m just joking. I like Pepsi.
PJ: Yeah, we both like Pepsi.
Jacqueline: What’s your favorite movie?
PJ: Dumb and Dumber.
Brian: A Clockwork Orange.
Jacqueline: When’s your birthday?
Brian: June 17th, 1986.
PJ: June 11th, 1986.
Jacqueline: What’s you’re favorite holiday?
Brian: 4-20.
PJ: Uh, Kwanza.
Brian: No, my favorite holiday is Christmas.
PJ: 4-20 when it falls on Christmas!
Jacqueline: That is pretty much all we have.
Brian: Come on! A couple more.
Jacqueline: Have you ever eaten glue?
PJ: One time I was eating glue with my little cousin and ate glue, and he like collapsed. And I gave him mouth and I saved him. And that was the only time I ate glue, because I saved him.
Brian: I usually get bottles of Elmers and just suck it right down.
Jacqueline: Have you ever been arrested for anything?
PJ: I was never arrested for anything, but Brian was.
Brian: I was never arrested, but at a show a couple months ago, and there were these kids in the van doing bad stuff, and we didn’t know, and cops got involved. I dunno. I wouldn’t do anything like that, I promise.
PJ: Oh, by the way, Lee has been taking dance lessons for the past two years because he wants to be an exotic dancer. And there’s a place by our house called Toppers, and its a Chippendales place for Tuesday nights. And he’s starting next month.
Julia: Great. I can put that in the interview.
Brian: So? Is that it?
Julia: Yeah. I think we’re done.
Brian: Man! We had a long interview. We were on the phone for 49 mintues and 30 seconds! All right! We’ll see you guys on Saturday!
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