Rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Breaking Benjamin, and front man of his self-titled band, Keith Wallen has been making moves in the music industry ever since the early 2000’s. Starting off in metal bands, Keith learned the ropes and found the inspiration to form his own solo band. Most recently, Keith got to be a guest on the music festival on the sea, ShipRocked, for his third year in a row.
Keith joined Breaking Benjamin in 2014, adding his guitar skills to their hard rock sound. In the United States alone, Breaking Benjamin has sold more than 19 million units, earned three RIAA-certified platinum records, two gold records, and several certified singles. Staind and Breaking Benjamin will be beginning their Awaken The Fallen Tour in April. In October of last year, the band released their first single in 5 years titled “Awaken.”
Keith is also pursuing a solo career that began in 2014 with his first EP, Allies. He continued to release singles until 2021, when his first solo album, This World or the Next, made its debut. In 2022 he went on his first solo tour and in 2024 he released his latest solo album, Infinity Now. Keith just finished up his tour alongside Tennessee based alternative metal band 10 Years that included 11 shows across the US.
We got to catch up with Keith Wallen on ShipRocked 2025 where we talked about the highlights of his solo tour, his tour with 10 Years, and his favorite ShipRocked memories.
What were some highlights of your solo tour?
The whole thing is one big highlight to me. It’s just really been amazing to be able to put some new music out and get out there to perform it. I’ve met all kinds of new fans; people that’ve never heard of me and they’re discovering my music for the first time. It’s been really special for me to engage with all of them. It’s been really encouraging and a great, great time.
How’s Theo (the cat)?
Theo is my baby boy, and he is very good right now, although I miss him terribly. But I’m sure mama’s giving him lots of treats until I get home.
What is your bucket list travel location?
Japan. That’s an easy one for me. I would love to go over there to play and visit, get a taste of all the culture and the architecture. The food, of course. That would be number one on my bucket list.
What’s your perfect day in Kingsport, Tennessee?
A perfect day in Kingsport. What a question. Well, I rise with the sun and have a nice cup of coffee. I pet my sweet baby boy, Theo. Maybe step outside for a minute, get a breath of fresh air, come back in, start my day. Maybe write a hit song. Have lunch with my wife, then maybe step out and play some golf and come home and have a nice dinner. That’s a pretty good day I think. Shout out to Riverside Thai in Kingsport. Chop House is pretty good too.
Did you have any impact from Hurricane Helene?
No, we weren’t really affected too badly. Obviously, it’s a terrible, terrible tragedy. I was actually on tour at the time, and it was really hard for me to see everything that was happening right around where I live. I’ve been to Asheville so many times. It was just heartbreaking. The only thing I could do was donate and share the links to lots of GoFundMe’s and donations. I’m hoping things can recover sooner rather than later, but it was just awful.
You just completed a tour with 10 Years. Do you guys have any memories from the early days?
There’s some memories that go back really far with 10 Years. We both started off in the same music scene in Knoxville. I remember playing Prince’s Deli, and it was just this tiny place, basically like a truck stop. It was off the highway and truckers would stop there to get lunch and dinner. They had rock shows. I remember the first time that we ever played with 10 Years was there and it’s long since gone away.
I remember seeing 10 Years and thinking, ‘Dang, that’s a good band.’ We just became friends and we played shows together for a good while there until they got signed and they had a great first number one song and blew up. It took me a little while to get out there too. Then we were able to see each other on tour and connect. They’ve done some tours with Breaking Benjamin, too. It’s been a really cool thing.
Breaking Benjamin has a tour coming up. Are there any cities you are looking forward to visiting? What can fans expect?
I’m really looking forward to playing Bridgestone in Nashville again. We’ve played there twice before. It’s just a special place and it’s cool playing in Nashville. I’ve seen The Predators play there. Fans can expect a good rock show. There’s going to be some great bands there. Staind, of course. They’ve got their whole catalogue of just smash hits.
We got Lakeview who are a great up and coming hard rock country band. They’re killing it, too. Wage War is just absolutely a great band. I’m friends with all those guys. Cody’s just an amazing writer. I was able to actually get with Cody and we co-wrote one of my songs, “Headspace Holiday.” It’d be cool to connect with him on the road, and hopefully we could write some more stuff.
I saw you at Sonic Temple most recently. What’s your favorite song to play?
I guess I would say “Breath.” That’s a pretty fun one. All the hits. Those are the most fun because people really react to them. It’s a fun time.
I was happy to see all the fire back in the stage production.
Oh that too. I will say this. You can feel the fire. We’re really just like putting sunscreen on the back of my neck so I can perform.
Is there anyone you’ve been writing with? Have you got any hit songs coming out in 2025?
I haven’t been writing too much. I’ve been working on Breaking Benjamin stuff for a while and working on my stuff for a little bit. There may be some stuff in the new year. Some co-write stuff, but I don’t have it nailed down yet. I’d say the goal every time is to always try and write a big hit.
I feel like every time you sit down, if you’re like, ‘all right, we’re going to try and write a hit song’ it never happens. If you just write and take it seriously but let things kind of organically happen, I feel like a better song comes from that.
Any favorite ShipRocked memories this time or things that have happened in the past?
Getting to sing “In the Air Tonight” with The Stowaways was pretty dang cool. That’s my number one favorite song of all time. Just being here on ShipRocked again for my third year in a row and being a part of The Stowaways, it’s always fun, but it’s always just an honor being asked back. I’ll come back as long as they want me. Even if we take some breaks, I’ll come back whenever.
What’s the craziest place you’ve ever slept as a band?
My drummer in my solo band, Blake, I’ve seen him sleep outside on a pile of leaves. That was the craziest thing. We were waiting to get into a venue. For some reason we were there early. They were kind of locked, or there was a time restraint that we had to load in at a certain time. He was a sleepy boy, and he was like, ‘There’s a nice pile of leaves’ and just laid down on the ground. We were like, ‘Can you put some cones around him so a car doesn’t just, like, run over him?’ But that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.