Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Peterson.
Hi Ben, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The Dares have been through multiple iterations and lineups through the years. We started as a duo, with my twin, Matt, playing songs we first wrote together as kids growing up in Burlington, Vermont. Through our teen years, The Dares were a pop-punk band based out of Whittier, CA. As we’ve grown into adults we kept making music under the same name but with different members and musical styles. Simply put, we can’t stop making music together. Every era of our lives is documented with a correlated song. Our current lineup consists of Anthony Aguirre (guitar), Johnny Haggerty (bass), Matt Peterson (drums), and Ben Peterson (guitar/vocals).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve had our share of struggles and successes. Matt and I got signed to a major label when we were in high school, which spawned an album that was never released. Essentially, we were “shelved”. That was probably the most frustrating moment in our musical lives. Since then, we’ve been going at it DIY. Even recording ourselves with our latest releases. Honestly, being in a band has gotten easier as we’ve gotten older. Maturing has a way of showing you how to be comfortable in your own skin and, more importantly, deal with interpersonal issues in a healthy way. We truly enjoy making music together.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most recently, our releases have been completely DIY. We started recording ourselves in 2021. A skill we decided to develop due to the limits of what a band could do during quarantine. The latest releases are our ideas expressed closest to how we envisioned them when they were written. I think one thing that makes us unique is that we sound like us. Though we have obvious genre signifiers, it’s the style of songwriting and the voice of the stories that set us apart. Now, we are just trying to get the recorded music to be as well defined. We’ve always seen ourselves as a constant work in progress.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If you like what you hear, please check out our older discography in between our latest releases. There have been multiple “eras” of this band, and each has a slightly different sound. Other than that, we appreciate the support we’ve had over the years.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedaresband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/thedaresrock
Image Credits
Lily Ordunez
