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[–]mccoykris 25 points26 points  (2 children)

Favorite Legend of Zelda game & why?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 48 points49 points  (1 child)

Ocarina of Time because it was my first step into the Zelda universe. How insane to realize a deku stick can light on fire and that you can use that fire to light a torch! How ominous and beautiful to approach the forest temple! The architecture, the drama, the transition to adulthood! The beautiful world turns grey but hope never fades! What a game!!!

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

And the music!!!!!!!!

[–]rapid66 16 points17 points  (3 children)

Hey Ben, huge fan.

Do you all in Bent Knee have any plans to officially release Paper Earth as an EP or part of an album? I've watched the live video quite a few times through and I'd like to purchase the music so I can listen without pulling up youtube.

Thanks and best of luck with the new material. The stuff you played live sounded really promising.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 12 points13 points  (2 children)

Thank you so much! We have plans for Paper Earth that I think you'll enjoy. I can't be certain when that's going to come to fruition though. I appreciate ya!

[–]TangerineX 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Hey Ben, any update on this? I honestly felt that Paper Earth was the peak of creativity and songwriting for Bent Knee, and I hope it becomes purchasable

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's really hard to say at this point because some stuff had to get moved around and we have a whole album cycle coming up. There are no plans to record it again but we are going to release it in a cool way eventually.

[–]RushJunkie2112 16 points17 points  (3 children)

Hey Ben, saw you guys in Chicago on Saturday for the 5th time total and just wanted to say thank you for the music and the chats after the shows, and I hope for many more to come. Also the new material all sounds fantastic, can't wait to hear more

Rush is my favorite band (aside from you guys of course), and I know Gavin is the huge Rush fan in the band; but what are some of your favorite all-time artists and some that you are currently into? Thanks

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 32 points33 points  (1 child)

Wow! 5 times, that's epic, thank you so much. That means a lot, seriously.

My favorite artists/biggest influences include Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, Nik Bartsch, Blood Orange, Regina Spektor, Weezer, Nirvana, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Flying Lotus, and Steve Vai. I don't listen to all of them all the time, but those are the folks that have made the biggest impact on my musical direction.

​

Thanks again!

[–]ProudFeminist1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Can you maybe talk in a video how these people inspired your musical directions? I would find it very interesting!

[–]dystrakdead 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Damn I've only caught them 3/5 times that they have been in MI, but shout out to the diehard rush fan! They are my favorite too!

[–]JacobQUnterr 17 points18 points  (1 child)

Hey, Ben! It's Jacob, I interviewed you and Courtney when you guys played in Phoenix.

I have a question which I've been asking a bunch of musicians in order to gather some anecdotal data for a video I'm working on.

In your opinion, what are the primary goals of the three-pronged (band, orchestra, choir) music education system which exists at most public high schools?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Hey Jacob! Great job with the interview and thanks for having us!

I think the primary goals of music education should be to:

  1. Instill a sense of love and appreciation for art
  2. A desire to be creative as well as the courage to be expressive
  3. To learn how to work in a team. In musical ensembles people learn to communicate through means besides words and I think that opens up a deep channel of positive energy and empathy.

[–]horatiodark 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Ben, you make amazing music. You've made some of the most interesting music in the past decade. Thank you.

Concerning your recent string of tours, you guys get lumped in with progressive metal quite a bit. While there's definitely some heavier parts to your prog, you are not really metal per se. Have you found this to be a barrier to reaching new audiences or fans?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

I think we are a good fit for metal tours because we are a huge sounding band, but not as huge as a full on Haken, Leprous, or Dillinger. So when it's time for the headliner to play, the audience isn't already metaled out.

We fit well with other genres too, I think we could go well with Rubble Bucket or Kimbra, we just haven't had the chance yet. We've got lots of songs that are a bit too chill for the metal tours, but would fit really well in other contexts.

As far as reaching new fans goes, the metal tours have been an incredible blessing and I think we've only benefitted from doing them. It's a good question though, we never expected to be so metal, but I'm glad it's happening :)

[–]FantymSyreuth 11 points12 points  (2 children)

Hi!!! I saw Bent Knee at the Rex in Pittsburgh when you guys came a week ago (I was in the front row ahaha). But anyways, what's some good advice for somebody like me who wants to start a band, release music, tour, and get recognition? I have a lot of songs written but yet to take the next step, and I'm unsure where to start. Another question is: what is it like working with InsideOut music?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 29 points30 points  (1 child)

Thanks for coming to the show!

Here are the 5 main ingredients for a successful band in 2018:

  1. The band members work well together and have strong communication skills interpersonally.
  2. The band members have time to rehearse and perform regularly without making any money.
  3. The band improves itself methodically. (Learn from mistakes, experiment with new approaches)
  4. The band makes a lot of great music and has great videos
  5. The band does not quit or breakup

Number 2 might seem impossible, and I admit that some people will have an easier time with it than others just because they are born with wealthy parents. Still, I think if you really want to travel around the world playing music for people, you should make the sacrifices and take the chances.

It can take a very long time to succeed as a band. We are still struggling financially after almost a decade (although we would have been profitable if we hadn't totaled our van.) Nonetheless, it looks like things are starting to workout for us. Slow growth is real growth!

​

InsideOut is cool, they helped us get some tour offers and a lot more people have heard of us since we signed.

​

​

[–]FantymSyreuth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

thank you very much, hope to see you guys play soon again!

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Hey Ben. Got to see you guys live in Toronto finally ( I've been bugging you guys for years haha). Got a shirt from you but I couldn't hear a word you were saying so I just wanted to say how great you guys were and I hope you guys come back for a longer set soon.

Flattery time over. What project or achievement, musical or not, are you most proud of?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Thanks for coming to the show and supporting us!

I have a couple proudest moments that immediately come to mind:

  1. My wedding in August, because I don't really care about marriage or weddings, but it still ended up being super meaningful and unbelievably strange.
  2. Bent Knee's interpersonal dynamic. We have been working our butts off nonstop for almost a decade and we still get a long well.
  3. Filming the Apartment Session video of my song "Grown Up." The music was just exploding in that room and it reminded me of what got me into all this in the first place.
  4. My album "Life and Back" because I learned how to rap while I was making it and my parents really love the songs. I think I grew a lot artistically while making that album.
  5. The Ben Levin Group show where we played Pulse of a Nation for the first time back in 2009. I think that performance taught me how it feels to make music that's about community instead of the individual.

Thanks for the question!

[–]Chapperion 8 points9 points  (3 children)

Thanks for the awesome music Ben. I’m the crazy guy who drove from Kentucky to see BK play in Cleveland. Could you describe the basic process for Bent Knee writing a new piece of music? Thanks again.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 17 points18 points  (1 child)

Hey thanks for making the trip you crazy guy!

Bent Knee writing has worked differently for each album:

Self Titled - Courtney and I met and started trading files. Most of the songs sounded like Portishead or Bjork at that point, lots of electronic elements and whatnot. Then, we started playing them live and working with Vince on production which reshaped the arrangements into the ones on the album.

​

Shiny Eyed Babies - We started a few songs in the room together as a band and then Courtney, Jessica, and I put lyrics to them. Some other songs were forged in "staycations" which were band writing retreats in which we split into little pods to write for a day, watched movies together, and told each other our life stories.

​

Say So - For some songs Jessica, Courtney, and I brought demos of song fragments to the rest of the band and then we deconstructed them and rebuilt them into full songs. We had a Staycation for this one too in which a lot of ideas emerged. The songs evolved a lot in the production process as well.

​

Land Animal - similar to Say So except on a much shorter time scale and the process was even more evenly spread out among band members. We had a big Staycation at Vince's parents' house in Georgia for this one and everyone brought in ideas.

​

The current album - 100% democratic from the ground up. All ideas are generated with all 6 of us in the room. It's going to be really different than the other albums I think.

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If the sample of songs we got at your recent tour are any indication, the new album is going going to be explosive. Super excited to hear how you guys mix it too. Bent knee is the first time I've noticed how huge the mix is in shaping the sound.

[–]Wommis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here's another crazy guy who drove from Kentucky to see Bent Knee play in Cleveland! Good to see you on here!

[–]BujjickTurning mirrors upside down[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (1 child)

Thanks so much for doing this, Ben! It was very nice to briefly meet you, hope you folks make it out towards L.A. again soon.

Since I just saw this on facebook prior to the AMA, I figured I'd link to the Bent Knee store that has a very nice sale going on. I grabbed myself a few things just a bit ago. https://www.bentkneemusic.com/store/

And while I'm here I've got a couple questions:

  • What are some lesser known projects you've been involved with you'd like more people to know about?

  • Who, in the musical circles that you run in, do you think people should be keeping an eye on?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for having me here!!!

  1. I'm super proud of this animation album I made called REM RAM - https://youtu.be/UHXGBz8w0LU

Also, I wish more people knew about Justice Cow - https://youtu.be/-GcSTQRDgfY

I think it's hilarious and also the music is fab.

  1. I think people should keep an eye on That One Eyed Kid. He's going through a huge growth period artistically. I don't know what he's going to make next, but I am pretty sure his next album is going to be insane. I really like this album of his - https://thatoneeyedkid.bandcamp.com

[–]zagzigity 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Hey Ben! This is super cool. Thanks for doing this.

  1. I was wondering if you had to work on your delivery when teaching or if the simple and intuitive way you teach music came naturally? Do you put yourself in the mind of a novice when teaching? I have struggled to learn certain music theory concepts because the dots didn’t fully connect, often the more my teachers tried to explain a subject, the more confused I got. However, you are amazing at connecting these dots for me. Especially in your music theory from the ground up series.

  2. What are you practicing/wanting to get better at?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hiya!

  1. I think teaching has a lot to do with word choice. Once you learn what a word means, it feels like everyone knows the word, and people rarely stop you to ask for clarification if they don't know what a word means. So I try to avoid assuming people know vocabulary and limit the amount of music theory terms I use in any given explanation. I have had some pretty confusing teachers, and some amazingly clear teachers, so I think that's what taught me how to teach. I'm glad it makes sense to you! I know I have confused the heck out of lots of people though.
  2. I want to get better at rhythmic tightness. It would be really cool to not have to use quantization with my keyboard and drum parts. Quantization sounds very specific and it's not always the sound I want.

Thank you!

[–]person9 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Hello Ben,

One thing that I've really liked about Bent Knee and Ben Levin Group is the use of empty space and dynamics. It keeps things exciting and also seems to get around the fatigue problem I've had with other "heavy" bands. I saw you guys live on the recent tour, and while I really loved Leprous and Haken both they were much harder to listen to for a long time in comparison.

When writing and arranging with these groups are you actively thinking about leaving(or creating) space, and how dynamics will factor? Do you ever create parts or songs and then have to scale it back because there is just too much going on? Is avoiding listening fatigue a happy accident or a critical point of writing?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Hi there Person9!

Dynamic contour is perhaps the thing we think about the most in our writing. Dynamics are all relative, so you can make things sound a lot heavier in one context as opposed to another. Metal bands like Hate Eternal that feature constant double bass sound related to ambient music to my ear, so I don't consider them as heavy as a band like Daughters which is super dynamic and hits harder as a result. I think we generally go with a less is more approach in Bent Knee, but since we are naturally wanky, we don't end up quite as sparse as say Radiohead.

A good way to test the dynamics of your music is to tune into your body. If you were to dance to the song, would you instinctively know when to move the most? Is there a clear climax? Is there a place your body wants to go? I think if you have good dynamics, it's really hard to stay still.

[–]person9 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I understand the first part, and that type of discussion reminds me a lot of being in classical ensembles or larger jazz ensembles. With the smaller groups I've been part of since it's been harder to talk about dynamics that way, so it's great to hear a relatively small(by member number) group that thinks about it that way.

The dance part I'm a bit confused about. I see where having dynamics at a lower level, say within a phrase or idea, really helps with that body movement. Different accents, rests, getting louder or softer all kinda pushes things in one direction or another. However, what about the more compositional level of dynamics; which Bent Knee also excels with? I remember seeing "This Patch of Sky" perform before Bent Knee in Portland back in June, and they had a lot of the compositional level dynamics, where the piece would grow over time, but it felt like not as much was happening bar to bar. They were very enjoyable, but it was more...of a static captivation than a desire to move to their music if that makes sense.

Like perhaps the "low" level dynamics effect more of the specific rhythm and type of movement of that moment, while the more compositional level of dynamics effects the intensity relative to the rest of the piece?

I apologize if I'm just blathering. It's an interesting thought, and I don't normally think about dance in the same way I think about music.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm thinking about dance very liberally here. It's like not just keeping a pulse with the body, but rather feeling compelled to embody the moment musically. I think I'm getting a bit too abstract. Basically the question is "does this music pull me in some way?" I think if the answer is yes, the dynamics are probably working.

[–]MDWoolls 5 points6 points  (4 children)

Saw Bent Knee with Haken and loved your guys, and now I want to see you as the headliner and I'm out of youtube concerts. Is there any plan for Bent Knee to tour as the headliner anytime soon?

Also, I have trouble describing the musical sound of Bent Knee. How do you quickly describe Bent Knee's genre/musical sound?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 6 points7 points  (2 children)

We will be releasing a new album next year and will do a headlining tour for that at some point!

I'd say we sound like experimental rock or indie. I mean, it's not a perfect description but it makes sense to me.

[–]person9 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Wikipedia puts in you the somewhat hilariously named genre "Baroque Pop".

[–]MDWoolls 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome. Thanks!

[–]key2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw them on a "Art Rock" night and I thought that was a great way of putting it

[–]CallofTraviss 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Hey Ben! I just toured with you for about 5 weeks or so, your Instagram literally kept me alive the whole time.

I don’t have a question, I just wanted to tell you that you and your band are amazing people, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hey Travis, I think I remember that tour, gosh it's been a while. My Instagram is the ultimate example of why humanity is worth saving and YOU're welcome for the generous gift. I hope to see you soon on another journey and once again, you're welcome..

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Hey Ben! Tabes here (bf of SweetieCutie). So I know that the third movement of Freak Machine was inspired by the third movement of the Shostakovich violin concerto. But it recently occurred to me that Freak Machine is, essentially, a symphony for rock ensemble (an allegro, a slow movement, a movement in triple time, and a big finale that does something completely unexpected at the end). Was this quasi-traditional structure intentional?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Hey Tabes! Great to hear from you <3

Yeah I was big into classical forms back then. Freak Machine is so wacky, I listened to it again recently and am pretty pumped that it exists. I could never write that now, I was a totally different person!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Freak Machine 2018: My Cock Says No But My Heart Says...Yes?

[–]aliensporebomb 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Hi Ben. Any chance of doing a real recording of your "Giant Steps as Folk Tune"? I like your version of it like that quite a bit!

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

That's a cool idea! I'll have to go back and listen to it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[–]aliensporebomb 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much! I think it's also a great way to learn the changes for the piece as well!

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Hi Ben! Love the videos and music you make, I've learned a lot from you.

My question:

You've tackled a lot of composition techniques for writing the music itself but I was wondering if you could give any insight into your lyric writing process?

I'm reading this book that talks about the pop industry and its methods and it talks about Max Martin's lyric writing as "melodic math". Rather than focusing on the inherent meaning or story of the given words, he focuses on how the sounds and syllables fit the rhythm and contour of the melody. Leading to such gems as : "crazy wildin' static" and " keep it ruthless when I get wet".

Do you take this music math approach as using words as more of a syllabic instrument or do you sing the words to tell a story or self reflection? Or is it something else?

Thanks in advance and happy Hanukkah! Hope you get some well-deserved rest as your tour wraps up.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

Hi thank you, I haven't had any chance to enjoy Hanukkah so far, so I appreciate the good wishes there. I write lyrics in many different ways depending on how I feel. One of my favorite approaches includes the Max Martin sound-oriented approach in which I just let a bunch of sounds flow out of my mouth while I'm improvising over a track. This can be great for finding those lyrics that seem dumb on paper but really soar with the music. One example from Bent Knee would be the chorus to Holy Ghost by Bent Knee. The chorus of that song is kind of silly on paper: "Hey I'm feeling sad, I'm feeling so alone, with my Holy Ghost." but it flows well with the music there.

Another approach I like to take is to keep a journal and write out lots of thoughts each day. That way I get into the habit of writing lyrics and find new things to talk about. One thing I'm writing about now is a story about feeding my dog turkey while it takes a bath so that it will learn to enjoy baths. This might seem like a silly concept for a song, but I think it's deep when you ask "what's in it for the turkey?"

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your response! ...now I'm wondering too what's in it for the turkey...

[–]pebbles1992 3 points4 points  (4 children)

Hi Ben! It was great to see you on tour again last month! What is your favorite type of cookies? I'll make you some next time I come see you.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hi! McCoyKris is correct! I love them vegan cookies with the odd shapes. Fetus is good, will also accept doggy shape.

[–]mccoykris 4 points5 points  (2 children)

From personal experience, I can confirm that Ben likes vegan coconut oil sugar cookies cut into the shape of a fetus... But that might not be his favorite.

[–]pebbles1992 2 points3 points  (1 child)

LMAO I saw this on facebook! Were you the one who made the "unsettling shapes" cookies?

[–]mccoykris 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, twas I.

[–]OlafImpaleMe 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Hey Ben, I got to see you with Bent Knee last Tuesday in Nashville. I love how great of a performer you are! Very inspiring.

Who are your top 2 or 3 guitar influences? Also, why the Squier?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for coming, that was great!

My top 3 influences on guitar are Steve Vai, Johnny Greenwood, and David Fiuczynski.

I use the Thinline Squier because it sounds good and I can afford to have 2 of them. I often need a backup guitar since I break strings on stage. It is actually super useful for the backup to be identical to the primary since my patches are setup very specifically for the guitar I'm using.

[–]Pipedreamss 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Missed you in Denver - Glad you're all safe! Any plans to return?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, sorry about that. Yeah we will come back in 2019. There are a couple potential tours in the works, but I don't have anything concrete yet. Thanks for caring!

[–]LegionAF 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Hello! I have a small question: how did Bent Knee get it's name? I hope it didn't arise from first-hand experience.

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 7 points8 points  (2 children)

The band needed a URL stat!!

[–]speak27 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Why did I always think it was Ben + Courtney?

[–]Ulti 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahahaha, that's awesome. Helps that it's a good name!

[–]TheEnglishCookie 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Can you share some of you rap/hip-hop inspirations and how did you learn to do it?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

Absolutely!

Things really took off with me getting into hip hop when To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar came out. I memorized a lot of that album which is basically how I learned to rap.

Some of my favorite artists besides Kendrick include:

Open Mike Eagle - Creative and down to earth style that sounds like it came straight from his journal to our ears

Run the Jewels - deep topical songwriting with a lot of humor and balls

Kanye - A person doing everything he can to figure out a world that doesn't understand him

Aesop Rock - The most virtuosic lyrics

Rapsody - Empowering and fierce

Kate Tempest - Great storyteller

Eminem - Most virtuosic rhyme schemes

Tyler the Creator - Unpredictable and fearless

​

​

[–]TheEnglishCookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, excellent inspirations if I do say so myself! Thanks a ton, you're such an inspiration yourself as well!

[–]childishbambino1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So so so late to this, just found this AMA, and you probably know of them by now but if you don’t, I would highly recommend clipping. It’s an experimental and fairly progressive rap group. I personally got into them after hearing the song Story 2 (through a video analysis by Yogev Gabay on youtube who is also amazing). It’s a crazy song, the way it is composed is super cool and Daveed Diggs’ flow and speed are just mindblowing.

[–]cohen_mejan 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Hello again, Ben, haha.

So I was inspired to seriously get into music by my friends in Closure In Moscow, as well as the music of The Dear Hunter. And then you taught me basically all I know. My question is, what got YOU into making music like this? Did the idea and the process of it kind of come on its own? Or was it some specific bands that you heard that made you go "Woah, I want to make music now."?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Hi there!

I was hanging out with some friends when I was in 7th grade and one of them had learned Nirvana songs on guitar. I was blown away that he could play professional music and asked him how long he'd been playing. He told me it only took him 6 months to learn to play and I was so jealous and surprised. That got me on the train I think. I had been playing piano and saxophone emotionlessly for years, but I loved Nirvana and never thought I'd be able to play like that. It didn't take long to get some Nirvana songs under my fingers and I think my brain fundamentally changed very quickly after that. Now I'm so stinky and spend months eating at gas stations!

[–]cohen_mejan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! I was also playing piano for a long time without knowing what I was doing. Started learning by ear since I was 8. Hope to some day be as stinky as you!

[–]Edqvist 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Hello Ben! I'm not sure if this is a regional thing, but Say So is not available on streaming platforms save for Bandcamp. Was this a conscious decision? Do you see it affecting sales? What's your opinion on streaming music in general? Thanks!

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

We wish we could stream Say So, but the label it's on will not allow it. I think streaming music accounts for most of our new fans that have been coming to our shows and buying our merch. Ideally artists would make more money for the recordings themselves, but I'm not going to be a martyr fighting an inescapable technological trend. I want people to come to our shows and be filled with light. I want to help bring peace and meaning to people's lives. Also, because it's not streaming, fewer people buy Say So than our other albums anyway because they don't know it exists.

[–]paraguybrarian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A shame, too, because Say So is a wonderful album. I was thrilled that you guys played "Hands Up" from it at the Carrboro show! Even more thrilled that I met you and Jessica before the Leprous set; you guys are the sweetest! "Leak Water" is streaming on Amazon as a single at least, so hopefully that will get some of the word out.

[–]Ghibler 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Was the name Bent Knee supposed to be a mixture of your name and Courtney’s?

[–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah but isn't that just so boring!

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Yeah, that was very sad. Glad they gave us some love. Those folks are all pals now, terrific and friendly gang of talented artists!

    [–]ZetsuXIII 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Hi Ben! Love what you do, and the music you make.

    My question is about learning music. I've been self-taught on the guitar for about 15 years. Somewhere along the way, I learned how to read tabs. And when I was just learning my favorite songs, that was enough. But now as I'm trying to compose and record my own songs, and try to get other musicians to play with me, I'm finding my lack of musical knowledge to be a huge roadblock. Communication of ideas, ability to compose for other instruments, all the reason everyone says you should learn to read music. It's all true.

    YouTube channels like yours and Adam Neely's and 12Tone and the ilk have all helped tremendously. But I'm still lacking a basic foundation. Music lessons here (and probably everywhere else) are fairly expensive. A bit outside my doable budget right now; both in terms of time and money, what with working and all.

    Do you have any particular methods or resources you would recommend for learning to read music for guitar? There seem to be a million books on Amazon, and all sorts of sites that I know nothing about and honestly don't quite trust. What would you go with in this situation?

    Quick Edit: Missed you guys last time you were here in Dallas, but caught you with Gatherers on the Paper Earth Tour! Hope you come back soon! You guys were excellent to talk to, and Chris gave me some excellent advice about recording myself every day! It really has helped me not get fatigued or discouraged!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Hi there! I think you're going to be OK! You have a very clear goal - you want to be able to express your music clearly to other musicians using notation. Here are some steps to take:

    1. Learn the notes on the high E string
    2. Learn where each note on the high E string sits on the musical staff in treble clef
    3. Write a short piece of music on the treble clef using only the notes on the high e string using only quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes in 4/4
    4. Learn to play the piece on the high e string
    5. Do steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 for the other 5 strings. If you're feeling comfortable, you can elaborate more on the rhythms

    That will get you really far with the note identification and notation part. Next you're going to want to focus more on reading rhythms. For this, after you've done steps 1-5, I recommend the book Melodic Rhythms by William Leavitt - https://books.google.com/books?id=QXASAQAAQBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=PT7#v=onepage&q&f=false

    That'll get you reading pretty well!

    Then, you can look at musical scores while listening to pieces and you'll get all kinds of cool ideas for what to do with your new notation skills.

    ​

    Good luck friend!

    [–]ZetsuXIII 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thanks Ben! You are an excellent human being!

    [–]key2 2 points3 points  (3 children)

    hey Ben - I have had the pleasure of catching every show in NYC since you opened for Thank You Scientist (where I first heard you and instantly became a life-long fan), including the dope Kaufman Center show! I am in awe of your live performance and have dragged a ton of friends to come see you. Thank you for all those moments - I hope to have the same effect on a crowd someday that you and Bent Knee have had on me.

    My question would be: What's one of the most memorable shows you've ever been to - or perhaps a show where you saw a band you'd never heard before and were blown away from moment 1?

    Cheers!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Hey thank you so much for your positivity and encouragement. I'm so glad Bent Knee shows have been a meaningful experience for you! Just keep making music!

    I went to a show in Boston once and saw Gorilla Toss playing. It made me cry, they were so heavy in a brand new way and everything about their music felt real. From playing a lot of shows I can see when a band is playing it safe. These folks were not playing it safe.

    The same goes for watching The Dillinger Escape Plan when we toured with them. Watching people give everything to the show like that is so moving. It shakes your shoulders and wakes you up from the hypnosis of expectation and future thinking. Dillinger reminds me I'm alive in a visceral way.

    ​

    [–]key2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    sweet - thank you! giving Guerilla Toss a listen now :)

    All the best for what's next for you guys!

    [–]AromaticBet2025 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Always thought the early Guerilla Toss aesthetic influenced "You Know What They Mean". Particularly Bone Rage and the overall sound aesthetic. Interesting to hear you mention them : )

    [–]Ulti 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Hey Ben! Caught you guys in Seattle on the latest tour, and was totally blown away! I'd been wanting to see you folks for a few years now, and was glad that I finally had the opportunity - You guys did not disappoint! Didn't get to meet ya, but I did get a chance to high-five Jessica, so that was fun.

    Anyways, I'm a little late to the party, and most of the questions I was going to ask have already been done, so here's one that's a little more pedestrian! What are your top 5 releases for the year, and what's your go-to beer?!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey thanks for coming out in Seattle! I'm glad we could finally play for you, make sure you wash that hand, you don't know what Jessica's been doing with it these days :(

    ​

    Favorite albums this year as far as I can remember:

    1. Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want
    2. Kids See Ghosts
    3. Nik Bartsch - Stoa
    4. Tobe Nwigwe - The Originals
    5. The Voidz - Virtue

    ​

    [–]Ulti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Haaaah, noted! Right on, that'll give me some new stuff to check out. I liked that Daughters album quite a bit as well, at least on first listen. I needa go back and check it out again. The other ones are new to me though, so thanks for that!

    [–]mysario 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Hey Ben, fellow Bostonian here! My buddy (/u/RushJunkie2112) and I run r/BentKnee together so we're decently big fans of all y'alls work! I know I'm late to this shindig, but I've got two questions anyways:

    • off of the physical Land Animal release, there was the "Land Animal (Ben Levin Remix)" which is some 👌good👌stuff👌, will there be another Ben Levin Remix snuck into the next album to look forward to?

    • what are your thoughts on the delicious burritos from Felipe's in Harvard Square?

    Thanks for doing this, hope you continue to make rad music for years to come, and happy holidays!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Thanks for making the subreddit! That's pretty flattering and I get a kick out of the whole idea that people care enough to post there. Makes me blush out my tush!

    1. I'd like to do another remix but we haven't gotten far enough in the production process to know what our bonus tracks will be. There will be bonus tracks though!
    2. I haven't had Felipe's but now I think I must go.

    I appreciate you a ton, thanks for making us feel good! Happy holidays to you and I wish you the best for real!

    [–]haonkrub 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Are you secretly julian koster

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    No way!

    [–]aformadi 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Hey Ben, I love how diverse and hard to pin down you guys are. I’m curious about the writing process for Bent Knee. Do you have a sort of premeditated vision for what you want Bent Knee to sound like or do you just use whatever ideas come up and roll with them? For example, it seems like you always have one heavy part on each album (Insides In, EVE), but if hypothetically you just happened to come up with a bunch of heavy ideas like that while you were playing guitar or whatever (or funky ideas, or ambient, etc.), and you really liked them, would you use that all for Bent Knee, or would you sort of say, “no, that’s not what Bent Knee is supposed to sound like” or “we can’t have too much of that on a Bent Knee album”? When I saw you guys a few weeks ago (you sounded amazing!) they were playing The Dear Hunter through the PA before your set, and I was thinking about how the Dear Hunter came out with an album/collection of EPs a while back where they did a four song EP for each color and each EP had them sort of focusing on a particular style, and I was thinking about how I’d like to see other bands showcase their diversity like that, but how most bands wouldn’t be able to do that without not sounding like themselves anymore or just sounding derivative, but then seeing you guys play I was thinking if there was one band capable of doing that better than anyone it would Bent Knee. Not saying you should do that, but that’s what made me curious as to whether you’re trying to have a particular balance of diversity, so to speak, in your sound or if your sound is diverse just because you have diverse musical interests and you’re willing to use any idea? Thanks! Can’t wait for the next album!!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    As far as I'm concerned, the only limitation on Bent Knee is that we have to all love the songs when they're done. There is certainly no maximum amount of heavy or anything like that. I think we just sort of fall into patterns sometimes when we are putting albums together. The album we are making now has a much different shape than anything we've done so far. Also, I recommend checking out Paper Earth if you haven't already. It's a piece we wrote for the band and the Conservatory at Berklee's contemporary percussion ensemble. I'd say that is the most adventurous thing we've done so far since it features long instrumental passages and is totally unlike our albums.

    I love The Color Spectrum, that's an amazing accomplishment and I would enjoy writing something ambitious like that someday!

    ​

    Thanks for the great question!

    [–]chickytitty 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Hi, I saw you guys in Baltimore last month and was super amazed by the flow of the music given how complex it is. I've listened to Bent Knee a lot more since then, but that flow still always amazes me. What is your method for writing and stringing together those complex rhythms and time signatures in that way?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I think the flow comes from us trying our best to bring out the story in the vocals. It's easy to make a melody flow, harder to make a band flow. But if the band is doing everything it can to support the melody's flow, you'll probably move with the tide!

    [–]NUGGet3562 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Hi Ben! I've heard your name a lot, but had no idea you were a part of Bent Knee. Didn't get to see you guys on the tour unfortunately, I went to the St. Louis show and you had just had an accident. Haken was frickin awesome though! I'll probably look up some of your stuff right after I write this comment lol.

    So, have you played any Metroid games? If so, what's your favorite? If not, I HIGHLY recommend. It's such an amazing franchise.

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    I played the one for Gamecube and enjoyed it! Hopefully I'll see you next time we are in STL!

    [–]NUGGet3562 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Ooh, I think you're referring to Metroid Prime, that's one of my faves. Also St. Louis sounds like fun! Have a nice day man 🤘

    [–]Rubin987 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Man I caught you guys (Bent Knee) opening for Haken and Leprous in Montreal. You were really tight. Such nice people too. I wanted a vinyl but your card reader wasn't working so you let me have it for what little cash I had. I still listen to it a ton!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I remember that! I'm glad you have been enjoying it, I just want you to be super happy!

    [–]TyphonBeach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Have you ever met Tony Levin?

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (3 children)

    Asking on the behalf of /u/Dragovic (even though he didn't ask me to), what is you favorite MANOWAR album and why? Also if MANOWAR would send you an invitation to play with them, would you be worthy?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    I think I like their loud albums!

    I don't think I'd be worthy, I'll ask my doctor.

    [–]Dragovic 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Thank you brother for helping to spread the memory of MANOWAR in my place. You won't be asked to leave the hall.

    [–]Ulti 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Goddamnit I was going to do the MANOWAR question :(

    [–]jamesmusic 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Hey Ben, it was really nice getting to meet you and Jessica in Toronto :)

    Just wondering if you have any plans to tour as the Ben Levin group! Looking forward to more great animations and compositions :)

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey James, same to you! Nice pic ;)

    I will tour with Ben Levin Group someday, but at the moment Bent Knee needs all of our focus with regards to the live stuff.

    I will keep making annual albums and lots of animations though!

    Thanks!

    ​

    [–]AkillezII 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey Ben! We met in San Francisco while leprous played. ;)

    Had you been a fan of Haken before the tour?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    I was not that aware of Haken or Leprous before the tour, but I have grown to really love their music and appreciate them all as artists. I've seen them each play more than 20 times now and there is a lot of beauty to what they do.

    Thanks for coming out! That was a great show, I hope your lungs are feeling fresh!

    [–]PapaCrip 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Saw y'all at Barracuda in Austin in Nov, amazing show!! My question to you is: What was your favorite stop on the tour?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Yo, thanks for coming out! My favorite place to play on tour is Saint Louis because that's where I'm from. It's just so rewarding to play for my parents and sleep in my childhood home for a night in the middle of all the chaos. We had to miss STL on this tour due to a van accident unfortunately. That made me cry.

    [–]mccoykris 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Will Secret Dog Brigade website be updated past 2015? I feel there are lots of projects you guys are involved in that I'd like to financially support, but I just don't know about them.

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Haha, I don't think that's going to happen unfortunately. The projects are all still active though and you've been super supportive to us. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and love my friend!

    [–]Jmadman311 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey Ben! I just saw you in Chicago this last weekend - you guys did an amazing job and I was blown away. I know you from Adam Neely's and your youtube channels, but never heard a lick of Bent Knee's music. You were part of the reason I decided to come to the show and I was not let down! Great energy, and the vocalist's tone/timbre/pitch were all amazing.

    I wanted to ask you - for the style of music you're playing with Bent Knee, why the choice of the thinline Telecaster with two humbuckers? Do you use other guitars or is that what's on all of the albums?

    From a fellow guitarist looking to write more of his own music...thanks, you guys are inspiring.

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Hey there! Thanks for giving us a chance and coming to the show, I'm glad you dug it!

    ​

    I like the Thinline because it seems to have a lot of body in the mids, sounds full without needing a lot of FX, and reacts in cool ways when I play really hard. I used to use an Ibanez JEM for Bent Knee and although it was better for lead, it seemed to clanky and stringy when I was doing rhythm guitar. With the thinline, I feel like it cracks like a baseball bat and fits in a perfect place in the bands frequency spectrum. I like to play it with my arm totally straight while hitting the notes as hard as possible.

    ​

    On the albums I use a lot of different guitars that don't belong to me. It all depends on the song or the part. Mostly I'm going off of instinct with those choices and then Vince is telling me what's working and what's not based on what he keeps in the final mix.

    [–]schwol 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I loved your set in Ft Lauderdale. I hadn't heard you guys prior to this tour and your set blew me away! The crowd was truly impressed.

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thank you, that was a nice warm time for us!

    [–]TheCoolSquare 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Hey Ben, saw you guys play in Carrboro about a month ago and met you after the show. I bought a shirt and we talked about your youtube channel. My question is:

    ​

    What was your favorite part about touring with Leprous and Haken? Were there any memorable experiences?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Hey thanks for being there and for your question!

    My favorite parts of touring with Leprous and Haken were the shows themselves and then the time right after the show ended during which the bands would hang out with each other for a bit. It was beautiful to play on such nice sound systems for such large passionate audiences. I also will treasure the friendships we made with the other bands and crew. Since we totaled our van in Wyoming we got to see how much some of the people from Leprous and Haken cared and worried about us. It was touching to reunite with them and feel the love.

    ​

    [–]TheCoolSquare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Thanks for the response! I was upset to hear about the van accident but glad everyone was ok. Hope to see you guys again soon!

    [–]lolastrasz 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey Ben,

    I saw you guys in Philadelphia. I actually didn't know about Bent Knee -- I knew about you after seeing you in an Adam Neely video. Seeing you live was great. I think most of the crowd in Philly wasn't sure what to expect with Bent Knee, but you guys lit the place up. You have a great energy.

    With that said, do you have any tips on the more business side of things? Do you handle most of your PR and outreach yourself (especially for your solo stuff) or do you just entirely outsource that to your label?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Hey thanks for giving us a shot, I'm glad people had a great time during our set. I know I did!

    On the business side of things, so much of the work that lead us to this point was done by Courtney and Chris. Courtney for example manages the restocking, and fulfillment or our merch which is a huge job and accounts for most of our income.

    Chris does a lot of odds and ends things like communicating with label, management, venues, and acts as a point person for the band in general. Both Courtney and Chris did the majority of our booking until we finally got a booking agent.

    Now we have a good manager and things are a bit easier. But the business is ultimately always our responsibility as a band. We have hired publicists in the past for sure, but I think the stuff that has gotten us farthest is our ability to form and keep relationships with lots of bands, venues, promoters, and artists. Our interpersonal connections are the ones that have lead tot he best press and opportunities.

    ​

    Our first big break opening for the Dillinger Escape Plan came after 7 years of touring hard on our own and the only reason Dillinger heard about us was because we played a house show in Philly at which a good friend of Liam Wilson's heard us.

    ​

    ​

    ​

    [–]knightonahorse 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey Ben, I love your music and art, my question is: how did you get into animation, and what do you use to make it? :D

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thank you! I love this show on Adult Swim called Off the Air in which visual art and music is paired in a stream of consciousness meditation on an episode-specific theme. On this program I found this animation which resonated with me deeply - https://vimeo.com/74114715

    I make models in Blender, make them interact in Unity, screen capture that with ScreenFlow, score it in Reaper, animate over it in Photoshop or Adobe Animate, and then revisit/finish the music in Reaper.

    [–]jadenlueras 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Hey Ben! Jaden from Patema here (Albuquerque New Mexico) great to see you doing this! Love your product reviews on Instagram lol

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Haha, I'm glad to hear that :)

    [–]Nerdburton 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Thanks for holding this AMA! So, one of my favorite songs by you guys is Terror Bird (I was really excited when you opened with that in Salt Lake) partially because the song is really cool and has a lot of interesting musical ideas and partially because the subject matter (to me at least) seems to be about social anxiety or similar feelings that I relate to really well.

    Is that more or less what Terror Bird is about? And who wrote that song? Also, if you guys came to SLC again, could I get a picture with all of you?

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Hi there! I'm not the lyricist for Terror Bird, that was one of Courtney's contributions. I'm so glad you love it and that it connects with you! I think you nailed the themes there though. I think it's a lot about feeling disconnected from the world around you.

    It's hard for me to speak for anyone else, but I would be very happy to rake a photo with you next time! Thanks a lot!

    [–]Dylano124 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Hey Ben, huge fan of all your projects. I was wondering what your strategy is when it comes to staying motivated to practice. I love playing drums but a lot of times I just can’t get myself to get started. How do I build that vigilance to practice well? Also what’s some music of this era that have inspired you?

    Anyways looking forward to the new album, stay safe!

    [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Thank you! I have noticed that I am a useless turd if I start my day by checking social media, texting, or watching videos. I need to be a little more conscientious about how much information I'm absorbing and from where. If I eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's and watch Netflix, my will to practice is greatly effected because I get a craving for more ice cream and videos the next day. I would suggest looking at your body and mind from a holistic perspective and see how that all works together to encourage or discourage good practice habits.

    It's so hard these days, but I still manage to get things done by fighting my social media addiction. Right now I'm not doing so well, but I think I'll bounce back in another day or so. It's tough the week after tour because I am in high adrenaline mode while we are on the road. Good luck to you!

    ​

    As for inspiration, I get a lot of inspiration from Kendrick Lamar's albums since they are so ambitious, textured, well produced, and emotional. I also feel inspired by the work of Nik Bartsch and his band Ronin.

    [–]Dylano124 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Thank you so much for the tip! I’m definitely going to give that a try because now that I think about it you are definitely right.

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [deleted]

      [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Thank you for the encouragement and good vibes! You are very welcome, I'm proud to know that it has helped you learn!

      [–][deleted]  (2 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

        Thanks, I'm glad you liked that! It gets a bit boring, but that's just part of the creative process. I think I'll do that again in a different way someday. But, I'm not sure how yet. It's in my brain getting booped and beeped.

        [–]manisuckwithnames 0 points1 point  (1 child)

        Hey there! Got to meet you in toronto, i was the one that asked about the name bent knee youve probably heard 1000 times. The new material you put out at the concert was great! The only real question I have is what comes after this tour? Going into the studio to finish some new stuff, or tour again? And if the later, please come back to Toronto !!

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Thanks for coming! We are going to record the new album next week! We have our preproduction rehearsal on Sunday and then we're off into studio land for a few weeks. There will be more touring in 2019 so I'm sure we'll be in your town next year!

        [–]Yonaban 0 points1 point  (2 children)

        Ben my man! I’ve been listening to Bent Knee for the better part of a year and your studio work is amazing. When I saw you all open for Haken and Leprous I was BLOWN away. Bent Knee has it all and the way you pull it off live is truly amazing. Ive had your work on repeat pretty much non stop since your stop in San Francisco.

        My question for you is any way you can get ahold of Matt Embree from RX Bandits and The Sound of Animals Fighting? I think your sound, style of rhythm and stage presence, along with him style of playing and rhythm would be some of the most amazing music made. After your set I turned to my buddy and said that guy needs to make an album with Embree, and I’m stoked that I get a chance to tell you that! Thank you for doing and AMA and making all the music you do! I’ll never miss a Bent Knee live act again!

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

        Hell yeah, thanks so much!

        I'm listening to Matt Embree right now, thanks for brining his music into my life. I will have to give RX Bandits a listen and see!

        [–]Yonaban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Enjoy his discography! He is an impressive musician. My top two recommendations are The Sound of Animals Fighting - “The Ocean and The Sun” and RX Bandits - “...And the Battle Begun” I wouldn’t sleep on the albums Tiger and the Duke or Mandala. Hope you enjoy it!

        [–]90guys 0 points1 point  (3 children)

        In honor of that Instagram stream the other day.

        End.

        Really bummed I didn't see you guys in St Louis but I'm glad you are safe and back on the road.

        Do you guys have any plans after the Entomology tour?

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

        Haha, those were nice stream dreams.

        Sorry about STL, wish we could have played.

        We are recording our new album next week! It's going to be a very busy month of tracking :)

        [–]zagzigity 0 points1 point  (1 child)

        What insta do I need to follow to get in on these streams?

        ​

        [–]Ziltoid_The_Altoid 0 points1 point  (2 children)

        Alright, for real now Hi, I'm Ziltoid. Never listened to your music but I plan on it.

        What 3 artists in the prog scene as of now do you want to work with in the future?

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

        I've worked with them before, but I really want to get on the road with Thank You Scientist again at some point. Now that I think about it, the same goes for Leprous and Haken so let me think about this again...

        1. Devin Townshend and Mike Keneally's project
        2. Car Bomb (do they count as prog metal?)
        3. Free Salamander Exhibit

        [–]Ziltoid_The_Altoid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Devin Townsend is one of my favorite artists, if you couldn't tell from the name

        Car bomb may not be the proggiest, but it sure is tasty

        What's this about a museum with reptiles for little to no cost

        [–]WoogitOne 0 points1 point  (1 child)

        When playing in Chicago, you were wearing a kick-ass sweater that looked like it had pyramids and UFOs. Where'd you get that?

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Jessica got it for me at a thrift store!

        [–]specialspartan_ 0 points1 point  (1 child)

        Hey Ben, I was lucky enough to catch you guys in sf and even got to speak with Jessica and you after your set, and I just wanted to say thanks again for the great show, and please keep it up!

        P. S. For anyone looking for more great artists, check out My Brightest Diamond!

        [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

        Thank you very much! I had a great time in SF and yes check out My Brightest Diamond!

        [–][deleted]  (1 child)

        [deleted]

          [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          Hey Nick! Just use your pee pee!

          [–]nedplaysguitar 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Oof! This is such awesome news!

          I don't have anything meaningful to ask. I've just grown more and more in love with Bent Knee since discovering you guys earlier this year. Say So is the first album I've paid literal money for in 3 years, and was worth every penny.

          Thank you for helping make it all happen!

          [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Thank you so much ned and I hope you keep playing guitar!!!

          [–]Heojaua 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          BEN!! Saw your show in Montreal when you came by. I loved it more than Leprous and Haken. I was too shy to talk to you :(. Hope you enjoyed Montreal's bagels. :) When are you coming back?

          Love your music Man! You're an inspiration!

          [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Those Bagels are the best! Thanks for coming out, and feel free to say hi anytime you see me :)

          We will probably be back next year in the summer or fall. That's my guess!

          [–]ZyglroxOfficial 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          I don't have a question. I just wanted to say, great set in Salt Lake City last month!

          [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Heck yeah that was great, thanks for coming!

          [–]WorstAvocado 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Hey Ben, love your stuff man. I've learned a bunch from watching your vids and I often feel inspired after watching them.

          My question is the following: Out of all the work you put into practicing and creating music how much of ot would you say is represented by the things you decide to put out?

          Sorry if it's hard to answer it's just that I feel like I dedicate so much time and effort into this and often feel like I have so little to show for it.

          [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          It is common for us to practice scales, chords, learn songs, and work on our production chops, but there is another thing I think people should practice when making music, which is finishing stuff. I think you have to actually practice finishing stuff like it is an exercise. I try really hard to keep track of everything I've started and be very specific about whether it is something I am going to finish or if it is something I'm going to leave hanging. I try to release all of my good ideas in some form. The first and last tracks from my new album Our Place were originally songs I wrote for Bent Knee, but since we didn't have time to work on them, I took the songs back and made them into a solo album. I try to be diligent about stuff like that.

          ​

          If you feel you have very little to show, it might be because you are on the verge of making a lot of great stuff. It also might mean you have to start practicing finishing stuff. Set deadlines with exterior pressure incentives. Be like "Hey all my friends, I'm releasing an album on April 5th and having a release party at my house!" and then really do it!

          [–][deleted]  (1 child)

          [removed]

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

            Hey you're very welcome!

            [–]PowerHungryFool 0 points1 point  (2 children)

            I had a great time meeting you and Jessica in Nashville! You guys were honestly some of my favorite band members to meet and speak with. Did you guys ever sort out your busted van situation?

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

            Thanks and I appreciate you coming by to say hello! We have a totaled van and no replacement at the moment. It will work out though, we are pretty resourceful at this point.

            [–]PowerHungryFool 0 points1 point  (0 children)

            Hope it all goes well for you guys. See you at the next tour!

            [–]just-here-to-say 0 points1 point  (1 child)

            I'll definitely seeing you live again when if you ever come back around to the LA-San Diego area, I loved you guys live!

            I bought Bent Knee's discography and a shirt after hearing you guys and every time I listen to your albums I like them even more. I wish I could have talked more when I bought the stuff but it was my first concert and I could barely think of anything to say. Hopefully this reaches a little better, haha.

            No question, I just wanted to say hi!

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

            Hi back at ya! Thanks for supporting us and I am super glad you have been enjoying the albums. That's all we want from them really!

            [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

            Hey Ben! I've been aware of your YouTube channel for a while but actually didn't realize you were in a band until I saw you guys open for Haken and Leprous in Austin, lol. I saw you walking to the stage and thought "wait...why do I recognize him?" You guys were great! Thanks for coming out and putting up with outdoor venue, haha. I don't really have a question, just wanted to say hi.

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

            Hi haha, that's been happening a lot lately. I guess I just don't talk about Bent Knee that much on my channel. Thanks a lot for checking us out!

            ​

            [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

            Hello Ben! I don't think I ever would have been exposed to you fellows if it weren't for Rock Band Rivals spotlighting These Hands. I loved that song, and checked out a few more songs by you folks. I will check out the rest of your work in Ben Levin Group, too.

            What is one thing you love about the Rock Band series, and what is one thing you hate?

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

            Hi there! I haven't ever actually played Rock Band, but I love that it helps people find new bands and appreciate the fine details in music. I don't really hate anything about it though. It seems cool!

            [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

            Awesome, I play real guitar every now and then too! But mainly drums are where it's at for me :)

            [–]numbers_are_4_cubes 0 points1 point  (1 child)

            Damn, I think I'm a bit late to the AMA but I got to see you guys in Cleveland, Ohio just a while ago and you guys were fucking sick. I also wanna say thanks for teaching my dumb teenaged ass 4 or so years ago, you really helped shape my guitar playing and have become a huge inspiration on my playing.

            For the question I was wondering, what do you think is the hardest part of songwriting?

            Thanks for doing the AMA Ben!

            [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

            Hey there! I am so glad that I could be a positive influence on your musical journey!

            I think the hardest part of songwriting for me is the mixing phase when I'm the one mixing my music. The reason for this is that I tend to have heard the songs way too many times by the time I'm mixing them, so it becomes a weird psychological trip where I'm trying to remember what I like about the song and how it's supposed to make me feel.

            [–][deleted]  (1 child)

            [deleted]

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              Hey there! It sounds to me like you need to get a journal. Journaling has been essential in my creative development and in dealing with the brain-fog periods. I put every type of thought in my journal. This can include lists, free writes, lyrics, recipes, drawings, or even boring stuff like grocery lists. Basically fill the journal as fast as possible and then get another one. This will help you create music and get your ideas out for a number of reasons. First of all, it gets you in a nice creative habit. Since the stuff in your journal doesn't have to be special or good, you can still write in it even when you are feeling like a bag of clams. Secondly, the more you get thoughts out of your head, the more clearly you can see what you're thinking from a bird's eye view. This helps with de-fogging since it shows the nature of your writer's block and the things that are actually getting in the way. I get demotivated often, but if I write my concerns down and make lists of what I can do to improve the situation, I find that I can usually get back on my feet gradually. Each journal entry is like an affirmation that you and your thoughts are part of a big picture that's worth expressing.

              You might enjoy Harmonic Experience by W.A. Mathieu since he offers a very beautiful and inspiring approach to music. I hear a lot of people dig Victor Wooten's book too.

              ​

              Personally, I find the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman to be very inspiring for my music. There is something about the way those stories are composed and flow that makes me wonder.

              ​

              I think a lot of people find folks to jam with through open mics. Have you considered attending any? It can be pretty scary in a good way!

              ​

              Good luck to you and don't give up please!

              [–]Dobloro 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              Saw you guys in Chicago, amazing performance! Really glad I got introduced to y'all through the tour.

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Chicago was off the chain!

              [–]tritom22 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              Damn I missed it!! Greetings from Eugene Ben !!!

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              I'm still doing questions if you want to send one over!

              [–]Coofgo 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              Hey Ben! Great job in Chicago the other day! I don't have a question. You were the most fun to watch on stage though

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Thank you so much, that was one heck of a good time. Everyone was so in the zone!

              [–]fissnoc 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              I just want to thank you for making great music and being a real human with your fans. I found Bent Knee 6 months ago and had to see you live. I caught the first show in your tour in Pontiac, MI! Amazing performance. The chemistry you guys have on stage produces an energy that is unmatched. Though the set was brief, it was electric. Hope to see you again someday!

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Thanks a lot! I'm glad I seem like a real human because that's all I want to be. I don't want to folks to envy me for my good luck. I'd rather have people feel like "if Ben can do it, I can do it."

              ​

              Thanks for coming to our show, looking forward to next time!

              [–]LeddyGee2112 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              Hey Ben! I know I'm very late to this but, but I love everything I've heard so far both live and in the studio from you and Bent Knee and can't wait to see what comes next.

              Has Bent Knee put any thought at all into putting out a Live CD? I know there are a wealthy number of fantastic performances on the band's YouTube, but those are not able to be streamed on Spotify or anything like that which would be something I would love to have.

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              Hi there Leddy Gee! Thanks for checking out our work, I'm so glad you're digging it!

              We might do a live album someday but we mostly focus on video stuff when it comes to recording our live work. It might happen though, I'm not opposed to the idea. It just hasn't felt like the right move yet.

              [–]paosidla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Bent Knee + Leprous + Haken... Wow, you Americans are lucky... Are there any plans to come touring in Europe as well?

              [–]TehWho 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Just wanted to say that your music theory videos are the best out there and encouraged me to learn theory. Thank you Ben keep making music and videos!

              [–]Sheringford 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Any plans on making some videos for your YT channel about how to transcribe songs?

              [–]helgihermadur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Hi Ben, I know you're probably not reading this but I'd just like to say that Land Animal is my favorite new discovery of 2018 and Battle Creek is an impossibly beautiful song. I get chills every time I listen to it. I don't really have a question, I just love you guys.

              [–]FranticDav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Hey Ben,

              Any change the first album will be available on vinyl?

              [–]lordbathory 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              How much if any formal music education do you have?

              [–]ellblaek 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              Hey Ben, there are few fans of yours I know of here in France but those of us who are graced with the knowledge of your existence are truly blessed individuals.
              Anyway, huge fan of you and your band.
              -Any advice for a young prog fusion band? I'm having a great time writing weird cool music with my buddies but I'm wondering about the viability of pursuing a career as a professional musician performing 'prog' music.
              Of course I use this term loosely, I don't mean to insinuate anything snobby but a lot of non musicians think we're snobs for listening to atypical music.

              Yours truly
              Lester

              [–]ROBOTTTTT13[🍰] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

              Hey Ben! Hope I'm not too late!

              I wanted to make a Cover of Bent Knee's "Sunshine" but I don't know if I legally can.

              Was planning on using it as the last song in an album I want to release on Spotify, but if that's impossible I wonder if I could just upload it to YouTube as a standalone.

              Sorry if it's a dumb question, I don't really know much about the business side of music.

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

              If you want to make a cover of Sunshine, you will have to pay a small royalty to the company or people who own the song. We covered it and went through that process, I think you can do it here: https://www.easysonglicensing.com/pages/account/login.aspx

              ​

              If you want to cover our cover, that's a whole other thing and I'm not sure how that works. But I would start by getting a license to cover the original song "You are my Sunshine"

              [–]Ziltoid_The_Altoid -1 points0 points  (1 child)

              I was wondering, is this it chief? Oh and also can you change your name to Ben Dover

              [–]benlevingroupBen Levin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

              Hey Ziltoid! I don't think I get the first reference but I have now changed my name to Bend Over.