Keith Wallen Talks New Solo Music and Breaking Benjamin’s Long-Awaited Album Plans
Breaking Benjamin fans have been anxiously waiting for new material—and guitarist Keith Wallen knows it.
In a recent interview with Loudwire Nights on May 22, Wallen sat down to chat about his latest solo release, “Us Against the World,” while also offering some insight into the future of Breaking Benjamin’s long-awaited next album. The conversation was lighthearted but revealing, especially as Wallen opened up about the band’s creative process and addressed some concerns fans have voiced online.
“We speak in code and smoke and mirrors,” Wallen joked when asked about the status of Breaking Benjamin’s upcoming full-length project. But behind the humor, there’s a real commitment to quality and connection with the band’s loyal fanbase.
“It really comes down to—we’ve taken a while to make this music because we really want to make it right. We just love our fans and we want them to love what we make,” Wallen explained. “We don’t want to phone anything in.”
He acknowledged that the wait has been long, but assured fans that the payoff will be worth it. Last year’s release of “Awaken” gave a glimpse of what’s to come—and the overwhelmingly positive response to that track has only fueled the band’s excitement for what’s next.
“‘Awaken’ exceeded our expectations,” Wallen said. “We were so grateful and just thrilled with the response to our first new track.”
But while Wallen continues to make waves with his solo material, he also took a moment to clarify a misconception that often circulates online.
“In no way does my solo stuff interfere with Breaking Benjamin’s process,” he said firmly. “Sometimes I’ll put out a song and people are like, ‘You’re wasting time with this, we want Breaking Ben,’ which is so damn rude… but I get what they’re saying. It has nothing to do with it.”
Wallen also opened up about what drives him creatively, both as a solo artist and as part of Breaking Benjamin. He described his solo song “Us Against the World” as a deeply personal track, written during the early days of the pandemic.
“I’ve had the song a little while,” he shared. “It wasn’t quite right for the Infinity Now album, but it was something I really loved. I’m really proud of it. I actually wrote it during COVID—when we were all kind of trapped in our house, hating the state of the world. So I was just kind of like, ‘You know what? Let’s just go.’”
As for releasing music independently, Wallen admitted it’s not always easy to stay in the spotlight.
“There’s so much stuff coming out every second, every day. It’s easy to get forgotten about,” he said. “So I’ve got to keep putting music out to stay relevant and in front of people. Just reminding them—‘Hey, I’m still here. Here’s a new song.’”
At the heart of it all, Wallen’s motivation is simple: to make the most of the time he has.
“I know I’m going to be old someday and I’m not going to be able to play music or sing or play guitar. But right now, I can do all those things okay enough to get out there and play. So I’m just getting it while the getting is good.”
Whether it’s with Breaking Benjamin or on his own, Keith Wallen’s passion for music is clear—and the best, it seems, is still to come.