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

Ben, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Free Friends has been the most meaningful creative project I have worked on, as it is an opportunity to create music and perform with my wife, Lauren DeHan. In fact, a large consideration in changing our band name from Ben DeHan to Free Friends was because Lauren became a permanent fixture of the band. For the longest time, we actively tried to keep music and relationship separate. We didn’t want being in a band to “jinx” our relationship. However, over time, we have learned that it has been the strongest thing for our relationship. We’ve both grown so much as a couple and musically through working together.

Free Friends is also meaningful for us because introducing this band name has really allowed us to hone in on our mission, beyond creating music, of creating an inclusive, accepting music community full of free friends! Our music often focuses on mental health and we often hear from our listeners that these songs have helped them through a difficult time. Nothing could be a greater compliment. We also want our listeners to know that we are always here to provide a listening ear. If you are ever in need, message us. We are here. We are your Free Friends.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Free Friends was only established about a month ago, though I have been in the music industry for several years. In the 2000s, I was part of the band American Diary, which was fairly successful and toured twice with Warped Tour. I took a break for several years as I felt I needed a “real job,” but learned I couldn’t abandon my musical roots. In 2019, I took the leap back into music as a solo artist under my name, Ben DeHan. Then, in what started as a lockdown project during the Covid 19 pandemic, my now-wife Lauren, who plays cello, began playing and writing music with me and we began performing and eventually touring in 2020. We decided this May that we wanted to transition to a band name as we had added Gil Perez as our drummer, and Free Friends was born.

We have a unique pop punk sound that we have been honing and exploring for the past 3 and a half years and Lauren’s cello is a surprising twist in the pop punk genre. We are focused on creating a collaborative and inclusive music community.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Today’s method of music and entertainment consumption is so different than it was even 5 to 10 years ago with the emergence of social media. Often, people don’t understand just how much work goes into getting our music heard–from social media and marketing campaigns to reaching out to and talking with listeners on a daily basis. We frequently have friends and family ask how they can support. First, coming out and supporting local musicians at their shows is the biggest way to show support. But there are so many smaller ways as well: following the band. on streaming platforms, liking and sharing songs to different playlists, interacting with social media posts. These things might seem small, but they really go a long way and make a huge difference! We are so grateful to the many people who have shown us their support in both large and small ways. We do this for our listeners and we wouldn’t be where we are now without them and hope to continue to make them proud as we continue our musical journey.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal of Free Friends is to create a collaborative, inclusive, and accepting music community. I have struggled with mental health and our songs often reflect my experiences and journey. Additionally, Lauren is an occupational therapist who works with individuals with disabilities gain independence and better quality of life. We want to help individuals who might be struggling through our music. Music can be healing and we hope that ours will continue to help those in need. Furthermore, we want everyone who might be feeling alone or struggling to know that we are here. You can always reach out to us through direct messages, email, however, and we will be your free friend.    

Contact Info:

• Website: freefriendsrock.com
• Instagram: @freefriendsrock
• Facebook: Free Friends
• Twitter: @freefriendsrock
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeFriendsRock
• TikTok: @freefriendsrock

Image Credits
@randomeyecandy @dangermaus