Ben&Ben says to come with no expectations for 'The Traveler Across Dimensions': 'Just open eyes and ears'
Seven years since Ben&Ben was formed, the indie-folk pop band is staying strong and making music they love.
The nine-piece band, composed of Paolo Benjamin Guico, Miguel Benjamin Guico, Poch Barretto, Jam Villanueva, Agnes Reoma, Andrew De Pano, Toni Muñoz, Keifer Cabugao, and Patricia Lasaten, embarks on a new journey as the drop their third studio album titled The Traveler Across Dimensions.
In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe at the first-ever Spotify Lounge, Ben&Ben said their upcoming release asks a simple yet profound question.
"How must we live? In a single lifetime where we can do and be so much, what does it mean to live a good life?" they said.
"We’ve been through so many life changes together as a band, and with each year that passes we reflect on what we’ve done, what impact we’ve made, how we’ve been to the people in our lives, what comes next."
"That’s the headspace we’re in when we create music these days, and this album is here for us as much as we mean it to exist for the listeners—to accompany the listener in the different emotions they feel as they go through pivotal moments in life," they added.
On Instagram, the band has dropped teasers about The Traveler Across Dimension, some of which evoke fantasy vibes.
When the album drops on Nov. 29, they say to welcome it with a clean slate.
"It would be nice to go into this album with no expectations—just open eyes and ears to take each song and each lyric as they come," Ben&Ben told L!fe.
"Sometimes it takes viewing our very real lives from a fantastical lens to see and realize how colorful our experiences are. The same way our favorite animated films and series are there to entertain us and provide meaningful life lessons, we give our listeners this story and this collection of music to meet you wherever you’re at in life and accompany you as we all figure out how we must live."
Bonds that 'can't be replaced'
This 2024, Ben&Ben marked their seventh year making music together. Their secret? Being good friends in and outside the band.
"After going through so many extremely difficult and [wonderful] moments together over the course of several years, we've formed memories and bonds that just can't be replaced," they said.
As with any group, the band deals with their share of differences, but they work through them by talking and listening to each other.
"It’s so important to air out and share different opinions because through the years we’ve been together, we learned that everyone’s voice matters, and any single opinion has the power to steer things in a completely different direction," they said, adding that they've learned to let things go.
On their music career and the industry
When they were starting out, Ben&Ben shared that there were times they would outnumber the people in their actual audiences. They did gigs and shows in bars and independent events.
It was through streaming platforms like Spotify that they were able to make their mark on the Pinoy music scene.
Now, they describe the Filipino music industry as "up front and center."
"[More] people than ever are going to gigs and looking for avenues to discover more local music," they said.
"That does mean that the competition is harder than ever before, but we genuinely love to see it."
Asked about what they're most excited about with the future of the Pinoy music scene, they said they love seeing what the next generation of artists has to offer.
"To see so many of them putting out such good quality music early on in their careers, we see how much they care about their craft and how much work they’re willing to put in to make something amazing," they said.
"We’re excited for this to become a community of artists who build each other up and keep raising the bar, so much so that the world will eventually have no choice but to listen."