Supergroups form all the time, and quite a few of them are very short-lived. That’s not entirely shocking, either. If you make it in the biz, you likely form friendships and creative partnerships with other contemporaries who have also made it big. A supergroup can be loosely defined as a few famous musicians who are pals and get together to jam on occasion. That was more or less the case for The Bens. Though, we did get an EP and a short tour out of that particular supergroup partnership.
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This group only lasted less than a year in 2003, but the project yielded at least a few solid songs.
The Story of the Bens, the Indie Pop-Rock Supergroup That Lasted Less Than a Year
The Bens was an indie pop and indie rock supergroup formed in 2003. It was composed of members Ben Folds, Ben Lee, and Ben Kweller. Ben Folds is best known for his solo work and his time with Ben Folds Five. Ben Lee is known for his work with the Australian outfit Noise Addict, as well as his solo career and acting stints. Likewise, Ben Kweller is known for his solo work and his time in the band Radish.
Naturally, when a few Bens get together with a common interest in music, it’s only natural for a Ben-related supergroup to form. This one, though, was short-lived. The supergroup formed and disbanded back in 2003.
Thankfully, this supergroup didn’t leave us with nothing. The group released a self-titled EP that year, and they embarked on a tour of Australia as well.
“Well, actually, our fans noticed that we all had the same first name and had said for a long time, wouldn’t it be great if we all played together,” Kweller said of the supergroup’s origins. “So we thought, maybe we should do that. It would be fun, and we were all friends going into it. It was just a cool spontaneous thing, you know.”
Outside of their EP, the band would also contribute a cover of “Wicked Little Town” to a tribute album for the musical Hedwig And The Angry Inch. Sadly, The Bens have not toured together as a group since 2003, nor have they produced more music. At least we have a solid little four-track EP to enjoy, even though this supergroup is no more.
Photo by Robert Eng/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
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