California based indie-rock band Benches (f.k.a. Ignant Benches), has taken many forms since its creation. The band was formed in 2014 when lead singer Anson Kelley was just in middle school. Since then, the band has evolved tremendously through its various iterations and have opened for big names like Foster The People and Ultra Q. Now with over 245,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, they are creating a name for themselves as the inventors of the self-proclaimed sub-genre “Bench-Rock.”
Bench-Rock encapsulates the unique style of music, and is how the band identifies themselves. “It’s something that is ever changing,” bassist Charlie Baird said. “We are always taking influences from whatever music we are listening to… it starts in many different places and is just a product of whatever we’re inspired by.”
The band embraces open-mindedness when constructing their sound, not confining their new music to specific influences.
“We don’t really even know what Bench Rock is, and that’s kinda the point. It’s a lack of understanding but a willingness to just do whatever happens and just go with it.” Lead vocalist and lyricist Anson Kelley said, “It’s anything and everything.”