We were lucky to catch up with Ben Defibaugh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Im very happy as a creative. its where i have the most peace and find myself most content. although, i still have my “regular day job”. its a good job and pays bills, but its stressful and drains me daily. so at the end of the day, i find myself tired and unable to fully give myself to my family and it can be just as hard to find time to simply be creative and work on projects. as much as working on projects rejuvenates me, it still requires energy and sometimes im too drained to find that needed energy. so im currently on the path of trying to transition to full time artist. whether its songwriting, gigging, producing or engineering. i feel i have the knowledge and skill in each of these avenues to collectively be able to stay busy and officially replace all my income with my true passion. so to answer this question. i don’t have to wonder what it would be like to have a regular job. i know what its like. and its exhausting and draining. and im on the path to making that change.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I go by the artist name “Tribe & King”. i am a folk singer songwriter, musician, audio engineer and producer. I came from being the front man for a hardcore punk/ska band. originally from the Appalachians of Pennsylvania, i moved to Dallas Ft Worth Texas about 15 years ago. i fell in love with the soulful culture of some of the singers from Texas. specifically the raw sounds of the folk genre. so i changed my songwriting from fast loud and crazy to slow, laid back, and soulful.
ive been honing this new genre for about 5 years now and went solo as “tribe & king” in 2021.
i created a home studio where all of my independent recording is done. i would do all the instruments myself which made me a better player in most of the instruments. because of that i can also hop into bands to earn some extra income.
as i started to grow as a better engineer i decided to open my studio to other small independent artists. its nice to do what i do because i get to pick and choose what artists i want to work with. if i dont like the song., i dont have to work on it. so when i hear a song that i really connect with, im able to fully dive into the song to create the best record possible. engineering is just as fun and creative for me as the actual songwriting and playing. so when someone comes into my home studio, i can personally do most or all of the instrumentation if needed, but also provide valuable producing of the song.
I want fans and potential clients know that what you get from Tribe & King is real and raw. whether youre listening to my own personal recordings, or your a client getting your song recorded, what you get from me is my whole heart and all my technical skills from years of my own failures and successes.
Also 10% of profits support the charity “GODLINK ZAMBIA”. Tribe & King inspires to do more than just songwriting. i want to help the community and the underprivileged. i have messages to say, not just notes on a string.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

i learned that other people’s opinions of me are not that important. i used to be very codependent and so worried about if i was accepted or not. But i’ve learned to let that go. i know my own worth and my value. i know what i bring to the table. im not perfect, but what i bring is good. it may not be good to everyone. but you simply cant please everyone. and that’s ok. you gotta find your people.

i learned this in the struggles of my marriage. i was so codependent on my wife. it caused me a lot of anxiety. now i know who i am.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

independence. self reliance. being able to be FULLY support my family with my passions.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tribeandking.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tribeandking/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeandKing/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tribeandking/videos