The Bennett Brothers – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

The Bennett Brothers – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

I reached out to Liam Bennett of The Bennett Brothers for a chat. This is how it went.

RRX: How does practice go? Is the road practice enough, or do you have a practice shack? If so, how does it look? What’s on the walls? What cool sh*t is in there?

For years, we practiced around the house—on the living room couch, around the dining room table. Recently, we’ve been practicing on a bench in a nearby park (Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, NY). The natural scenery has always brought new musical ideas to both of us.

RRX: Tell me about your most recent song, album, or video (you pick.) Tell me a story about what went into making it. Not a process, but a cool story that took place within the process.

We have a song called “Have You Learned Your Lesson.” It’s a simple arrangement, and it really hits home after a few adult beverages. It started with a few chords I was strumming alone for about a week. We sat down to write some lyrics, and it was laughable. We were busting each other’s chops for a bit, and out of the blue, my brother Owen (vocals/rhythm guitar) asked me a valuable question: “Have you learned your lesson?” From there, we wrote about self-reflection in the aftermath of a nasty breakup. Do we ever learn our lesson?

RRX: We let it out differently when we play music. The happy, sad, good and back; it can all be put out musically. Overall, do you feel better when you sing about the better times, or the worser times? Is there a difference you can describe?

We like playing and singing the blues. Lyrics aside, it’s the instrumentation that allows us to fully express whatever emotions we’re feeling under the lights. Most folks don’t hit the barroom because they’re jumping with joy. If we can connect with them and give them a few minutes of peace, then we’ve done our job.

RRX: Let’s talk about your next project, your next few. Just not the ones you’re working on now. The ones you have your eyes on for the future. What’s coming to us?

We are planning on releasing weekly sessions on our YouTube profile—raw acoustic stuff. A lot of what we do is improvisation, so every session will be different from the last. It will also give viewers a chance to see into the process we use to develop our craft.

RRX: We have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place.

We played a motorcycle meet on Saratoga Lake a few years back—the two of us, and our cousin on drums. We were under-practiced and didn’t have enough material for the event. At that point, you have to ask yourself what your musical heroes would do. We had a few beers, cranked the amps, and played some of our most memorable performances.

RRX: Artists, musicians, we immortalize. We set it in stone. Is there anyone who has passed that you feel you have immortalized in your work? If so, can you tell us a little about them?”

Hendrix is the first artist that comes to mind. Musical stigma aside, the music he left behind has taught us to treat a song like a painter’s canvas. A performance needs its hills, its valleys, its darks and lights, its clouds and its sun. The crowd is there to judge the piece.

More from Liam Sweeny…