Meet The Dares
We're excited to introduce you to The Dares. In this interview, frontman Ben Peterson talks about enjoying the creative process and offers advice to musicians who are just starting out.
Hi Ben, this is awkward. ‘Cuz you’re my boyfriend and all. Anyway, I’m excited to share your thoughts about your experience being a musician and the history of the Dares. To start, can you tell me a little bit about each member and what their role is in the group?
Yes, I can. We have 4 members: Matt, Anthony, Johnny, and me. Johnny is our newest member. He's a talented guitarists and songwriter who plays bass in our band. Anthony is our guitarist and high school friend who's been making music with and around us for about 15 years. Matt is my twin brother who drums in the band but is very capable with almost any instrument in his hands. Together, he and I come up with most of the song ideas which we then bring to the band where it then goes through the brains of both Anthony and Johnny. I play guitar and sing.
Ah, yes, the homies. What would you say you like most about being a musician and what do you like the least?
My favorite part is the process of making music. Creating, writing, recording with my band, and trying to catch lightning in a bottle is the most rewarding part. The fact that they are also my friends is a bonus. In the past couple of years, we've started self-producing and recording ourselves so we've gotten closer having to lean on each other creatively. My least favorite part is what I imagine most musicians who are trying to get their music out there would say, "the grind" or "the game". Self-promotion just never came that naturally to me. That doesn't mean that I think we don't have anything valuable to say, just that I never really got the whole "look at me" part of it down. Also, lugging equipment around kind of sucks.
Can you think of the worst show or tour you’ve played and explain what made it so terrible?
Being in a band for as long as I have, you can't help but collect a ton of experiences of "meh" shows. One that will stick with me is when I lost my voice playing at Soma in San Diego opening for The Almost. This was a while ago but I still remember the frustration. We are finally in the swing of the tour and in front of a new, decent-sized crowd, and my voice just checks out. We had to cut the set short when it was apparent that my high-pitched emo-yelps just weren't cutting it.
You’ve released so many songs already, and I know you’re currently working on new stuff. What do you hope people take away from your music?
First and foremost, I hope it's fun to listen to. We really love making music and capturing big emotions so I hope those feelings are shared by the listener. Recently, we've been going back to our classic sound of being more alternative with elements of pop punk. There is a return to higher energy that I think some of our previous releases lacked. Another thing I want people to take away is enjoying a live show. I think we've become a solid live band and that our shows are a different experience than just listening to our recordings.
And finally, do you have any words of wisdom for newly formed bands trying to get their name out there?
Find a role in the process that you already kind of like, then learn to love it. Whether that's running the socials, songwriting, producing, handling tour logistics, or whatever it is, it's the only way you'll spend enough time getting good at it. It's good to stay organized and have a business mindset in most aspects of the band except when you are onstage, jamming, or in the studio. Make sure you can readily capture that feeling of when you and the band first jammed and thought, "Oh shit there's something here.”
There you have it, folks. Make sure to listen to their new single, “Misdirection” on all streaming platforms, and make sure to stay posted about their upcoming shows and releases!