Ben Arnold

Michael Jackson had it. Bruce Springsteen has it. Bob Dylan has it. One note and you instantly know who it is. Ben Arnold has that. His voice sounds like it escaped a prison somewhere in middle America in the late sixties. Weathered. Tangible. Defiant. The kind of voice that doesn’t just sing hard fought truths, it drags them into the room by the collar. There’s the grit of heartland rock, the poetic spirit of early Counting Crows, and the swagger of a collision between Bob Seger, Randy Newman and a MacDougal Street beat poet leaning over a bar scribbling truths onto a cocktail napkin. Beyond all of that, Ben Arnold is a lifer. From multiple major and indie label deals to decades spent carving out his own amplified version of American roots music across stages throughout America and Europe, Arnold has spent a lifetime chasing honesty. Not trends, costumes or revivals. Just songs built on sweat, poetry, and authenticity. A Philadelphia treasure, Ben Arnold represents the kind of writer cities quietly build their musical identities around. Ben’s latest record is “XI” on ALP Recordings as well as The Grateful Dead single “Touch Of Grey”