(Image via ftpunks.com)
Staff Writer: Rena Danho
Email: rdanho@umassd.edu
Two upcoming artists from Chicago have a sound you will never forget. Nick Wagen and Benten make music that will always leave you wanting more.
Most recently, Nick and Ben opened for Mickey Darling on their most recent tour, and although they were just an opener, they still left a lasting impression on concertgoers.
Nick has created a unique discography with a few EPs and even an album, Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night. Despite not having any EPs or albums, Ben has singles with such catchy beats that they will be stuck in your head after one listen.
I was lucky enough to interview Nick and Ben, get an exclusive inside look at their music, and learn where they hope to be in the future.
What inspired you to make music?
Wagen: “I grew up playing piano, my parents always helped me in piano lessons. So it started there, and then I got really into indie music and mostly like The Neighborhood in high school. Then I wanted to learn guitar because of that and slowly started learning how to produce music, and then really fell in love with finding new artists and listening to a whole bunch of things that have inspired me to make the sound that I am today.”
Ironside: “Initially, I wanted to be a producer and make beats because I love rap music. So I grinded making YouTube-type beats, and I would sit on my computer during COVID and just make beats, and I was really bad at it too.”
What is your process for making music?
Wagen: “There’s days that I feel like really inclined to sit down and start working on a new song, or I wait for inspiration to strike. Something in my life is happening. There’s been times where I’ll immediately go try to make a song just to get the feeling of whatever I’m feeling out onto a song. I kind of just wait for the moment to strike. I’ll sit in my room for like three days and just power through an entire song. Then I won’t work on it again. I’m pretty quick. I’ll work on it for a couple of days and then move on.”
Are there certain bands that inspire you that you hear in your own music?
Ironside: “Today it’s John Robert. He’s got a beautiful voice. That’s the guy that I’m not trying to mimic but low-key mimic.”
Wagen: “Yes, definitely. I really have been listening to The Flaming Lips recently. They’re one of my favorites. I like the band Vansire a lot. Off the top of my head maybe like Briston Maroney, Del Water Gap Is a great one, but people in that sphere.”
Ben, I know you play not just for Nick but for Adan Diaz, too. What is it like playing for Nick and Adan? Are they similar or different?
Ironside: “It’s so different because Nick is the only other person up there and Adan’s got a whole band. It’s a much different experience, playing with other people as opposed to just the aching tracks. I prefer the backing tracks; it just makes it more fun. There’s more opportunity to be creative with different sections of the song. Adan is also one of those people who’s like if it sounds good, he’s gonna put it in. Whatever we can do to make it sound the best is what’s going on in the show, which I really respect. Love playing for both of them, it’s two totally different experiences that I’m so thankful for and so flat I get to be a part of.”
Nick, I know you play guitar for Ben when he performs, and then when you sing, Ben plays guitar for you. Do you see a big difference between the two?
Wagen: “I love both, but it’s different. I love playing guitar for Ben because I kind of just get to be not like in the background, but a little in the background. I’m just sitting there, chillin’ and playing guitar. I can interact with the crowd more and just have a good time, sit back, relax, and get to watch my good friend do his thing. I also love performing too, because I love having the spotlight on me. It’s my time to shine. It’s fun. I love both of them. I hope I get to continue playing guitar for Ben, too.”
Ben, the Brooklyn, New York show was your first live performance. How was that?
Ironside: “It was really scary. I was watching Mickey Darling’s soundcheck and I was up on the balcony section. I was like, ‘Yes, I’m going to start crying right now’, and ran to the green room. I called my mom and was like, ‘Yo, this feels crazy’, and she said, ‘You’re not at the Grammys, Ben, just relax.’ and I was like, damn, you’re right. Then after that, I was good, but it was so scary and definitely one of the craziest feelings I’ve had.”
How much has opening for Mickey Darling helped you get your music out there?
Wagen: “Tour was definitely a cool experience. Definitely made me better as a performer. Looking at videos from like the first show in DC to the last show in LA, Ben and I both definitely. It was interesting to see him step into being a better performer and just being a lot more confident. I think because I definitely felt that, too. I had done a couple of shows with Mickey Darling beforehand, but this tour really solidified what I was doing each time I was getting on stage, and I wasn’t as nervous as I had been in previous shows.”
Ironside: “Literally so much. I probably owe Nick all of what’s happened with Benten, I owe it straight to Nick because he would give me a lot of feedback. I didn’t start taking music seriously until I met Nick. I was like, oh, that’s how you conduct yourself as an artist, and this is the amount of work it takes. He’s shown me so much. That’s not even mentioning him allowing me to play songs at his show. Like, who else would do that? That truly is a really special thing to do. I am beyond grateful to him. It’s a blessing.”
What is your favorite song you’ve made so far, and is it any different from your favorite one to perform?
Wagen: “The first song that comes to mind is Lay Me Down. So I’d say that one is a really special one to me. It’s different from some of my other stuff, but also I’m releasing one soon after my collaboration with Austin comes out that I’m really proud of and really excited to showcase a new type of sound or era, if you will. My favorite to perform, I really liked doing Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night, or My Bad. Both of those are two of my favorites to do right now. My Bad is a recent one, too. So that one’s really fun to go out and play because I’ve never really had that one to play.”
Ironside: “Probably an unreleased one that I’m hoping to release at the end of March, maybe early April. I try not to have favorites that are out because our opinions will change based on how well the song is doing. Which is so dumb. I’ll hate a song going into a release, and then it’ll do better than I expected. I’ll like it more.”
Where do you hope to see your music in the future?
Wagen: “I don’t know. I fiddled around with the idea of moving to LA to pursue music and everything. I’ve been trying to take more life experiences and put them into my songs and really focus on getting better at writing lyrics. With this new song that’s coming out, I think it’s like the mark of a new sound, more indie rock, a more sophisticated sound. We’ll see where it takes me, but I’m really excited to kind of try to explore new areas and new genres.”
Ironside: “I really want to continue making music with my friends and surround myself with awesome people. I really wouldn’t be anywhere without them. I’d love to possibly try and do some more traveling, not touring, traveling. Just try to experience a lot of things, and also just try to actually focus on life stuff like relationships.”
Do you have any advice for people trying to get their music out there?
Ironside: “Try your best to make friends that do the same thing as you and take it seriously as you, but there’s no doubt you can’t do it by yourself. You don’t need the new piece of equipment, or the new piece of gear, or anything like that. You can sit in your room and make amazing music. It’s really easy to get discouraged when you see all these people blowing up on TikTok, and they sound amazing, and you’re just you. You feel like it’s impossible, but it really is possible. I think it’s really important to stay focused on yourself and on what you do. Help where you can, meet as many people as possible, and try to talk to as many people as you can.”
Wagen: “I would say, like, the biggest thing that has helped me is just constantly reminding myself that it’s the long run. It’s not like blowing up overnight. It’s so easy to get discouraged, looking at other artists that just blew up out of nowhere on TikTok, and they’re all obviously very talented, but it can be just discouraging because you’ve been working for X amount of years or whatever. I would just say, just keep with it, and stuff will eventually start happening. If you keep putting yourself out there and keep trying to reach out to new people, as long as you’re a people person and constantly meet new people, things will eventually happen.”
Do you see yourself doing your own headlining tour in the near future?
Ironside: “I’d love to tour with Nick, and my dream is the Nick and Ben Tour. That is the dream. Cross country. Just me and him and obviously whoever else wants to come, but that’s a huge goal of mine. When will that happen? I have no clue, but I’d like it to happen.”Wagen: “I would really love to. I’m just kind of looking at doing different one-off shows in Chicago and other areas. However, Ben and I have talked about maybe doing some sort of CO headline tour, or, you know, there’s other artists friends that I have that I’ve been interested in doing that with, but it’s mostly just a matter of finding time and having some help setting that up. I think it’s definitely a realistic possibility.”