Benjamin Lee Kenney (born March 12, 1977), is an American musician from Brielle, New Jersey. From 2003 to 2023, he was the bassist for the band Incubus[1] and had previously played in the Roots as a guitarist. He also records as a solo artist, usually recording every instrument and singing all vocals on his records.
Kenney played guitar for the hip-hop group the Roots before he joined Incubus in 2003 after the departure of the bass guitarist and founding member Alex Katunich (aka Dirk Lance).[2] He had previously played with Incubus members Mike Einziger and Jose Pasillas in Time Lapse Consortium. By the end of 2023 he had left the band having spent most of the year in recovery from brain tumor surgery and thus unable to participate in their touring.[3]
Kenney plays at least six different instruments[citation needed] and sometimes plays drum duets with Incubus' drummer Jose Pasillas live on-stage.
26, Maduro, Distance and Comfort, Burn the Tapes, Leave On Your Makeup, and Must Be Nice were all released by Kenney's own record company, Ghetto Crush Industries. Ghetto Crush has also released music for Ashley Mendel, The Division Group, Supergrub, Aleda and Root Valdez. Kenney helped the Smyrk to produce their EP, New Fiction.
Solo career
In 1994 Kenney started a band called Racecar with Jimmie Mueller and Sam Hoffman. In 1995 Kenney started a project called Supergrub that went on to record three albums: Norma & Thurselle (1995), Communicator (1996) and Challenger (recorded in 1998 but released in 2000). Challenger featured Chris Shar on bass guitar, vocals and co writing. Challenger also featured guest vocal appearances by Fred “Ted” Kenney Jr., Joe “Joe None” Mattiola of Second To None/Shattered Realm and Q of Q & The J.P. Struggles.
He has six solo albums, 26 released on December 1, 2004, Maduro released on March 1, 2006, Distance and Comfort released on January 15, 2008, Burn the Tapes released on October 1, 2010, Leave On Your Makeup released on September 17, 2013, and "Must Be Nice" released on December 25th, 2019. Kenney plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and drums while singing and writing every part on the solo records. When touring to support his solo records he plays guitar and sings, accompanied by Ashley Mendel on bass guitar and vocals and Sekou Lumumba on drums. From 2013-2014 Simon Harding from the band Fin replaced Lumumba.
Equipment
Ben uses Lakland, Serek, Strandberg, Music Man, Gibson, and Hofner guitars and basses. He uses Mesa Boogie amplifiers. His instruments are often modded with pickups made by Seymour Duncan and JBE. He uses Dunlop strings, effects and accessories. He uses Canopus and DW drums. He also plays Paiste cymbals exclusively.
Personal life
In January 2023, Kenney announced that he had a brain tumor removed, and that Tal Wilkenfeld would play bass for Incubus while he recovered from brain surgery.[4] It was later announced that he had departed the band permanently and been replaced by Nicole Row.[5]
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer José Pasillas while enrolled in Calabasas High School and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppel; the latter two were eventually replaced by bassist Ben Kenney and DJ Kilmore, respectively. Nicole Row replaced Kenney in 2024.
S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is the second studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on September 9, 1997, by Epic and Immortal Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, and is the second and final release to feature Gavin Koppel, who first appeared on the 1997 Enjoy Incubus EP. It has been occasionally considered the band's proper debut album, due to the nature of their independent release Fungus Amongus.
Michael Aaron Einziger is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known for being co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Incubus, and has also co-written, produced and collaborated with a wide array of artists including Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer, Skrillex, Tyler the Creator, Avicii, Damian Marley, Jason Schwartzman and Steve Martin among many others. Incubus has sold over 23 Million albums worldwide, and in 2013, Einziger co-wrote the hit song "Wake Me Up", alongside Avicii and Aloe Blacc. As an entrepreneur, Einziger is the co-founder and co-chairman of the wireless technology platform MIXhalo, and also the co-founder and CEO of the biotechnology startup Versicolor Technologies. Einziger received his education at Harvard University.
George Alex Katunich is an American musician. He is best known as the founding bassist of the Californian band Incubus. He left the band in 2003.
Alive at Red Rocks is a live DVD and bonus CD by the American band Incubus. It was recorded in Red Rocks, Colorado on July 26, 2004. It was the first DVD showing new bassist Ben Kenney. It was also the first DVD that featured Mike Einziger using a Fender Rhodes piano, on the performances of "Here in My Room" and "Drive."
Live at Lollapalooza 2003 is a live album by the American rock band Incubus, released in 2003. The album's proceeds go to the band's charitable arm, the Make Yourself Foundation.
Live in Japan 2004 is a live album by the American rock band Incubus, released in 2004. The album's proceeds go to the band's charitable arm, the Make Yourself Foundation. It was recorded on March 3, 2004, at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.
Live in Malaysia 2004 is a live album by the American rock band Incubus, released in 2004. The album's proceeds go to the band's charitable arm, the Make Yourself Foundation. The concert was held at Bukit Kiara Equestarian Park in Kuala Lumpur on March 16, 2004 in front of a crowd of 8,000. Notable songs in the setlist are "Pantomime", and the "Everything in Ebb" Jam in the middle of Vitamin.
"Anna Molly" is the lead single from Incubus's sixth album, Light Grenades. The single was released September 20, 2006, on the Sony Music Store almost a month before its scheduled release. However, it was soon withdrawn for unknown reasons.
"Love Hurts" is the third single from Incubus' sixth album, Light Grenades, released in Europe and is the fourth U.S. single. The song received moderate airplay in European countries. The single was released for airplay in the United States over a year after the previous single, "Oil and Water", and nearly two years following the album's release. It became a surprise hit for the band in the U.S., topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming their fourth song to do so. I
Time-Lapse Consortium was an American band formed in 2003. Their sound is described as psychedelic, jazz, and funk. The group consists of current Incubus members Mike Einziger on guitar, José Pasillas on drums, Ben Kenney on bass, Neal Evans of Soulive on Organ, and Suzie Katayama contributing on string arrangements.
"Stellar" is a song by American rock band Incubus. It was released on June 13, 2000, as the second single from their third album Make Yourself. The song reached number 2 on the US Modern Rock Tracks and also reached number 17 on the US Mainstream Rock charts and number 7 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
"Take Me to Your Leader" is the debut single by American rock band Incubus, released in 1996. It is a re-recorded version of the original version from their 1995 debut album Fungus Amongus. The song was later re-recorded again for their 1997 EP Enjoy Incubus.
Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian bassist, singer and songwriter. She has performed with artists including Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Prince, Incubus, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Toto, and Mick Jagger. In 2008, Wilkenfeld was voted "The Year's Most Exciting New Player" in a Bass Player magazine readers' choice poll. In 2013, Wilkenfeld was awarded the Bass Player magazine's "Young Gun Award" by Don Was; she then performed "Chelsea Hotel" by Leonard Cohen.
Monuments and Melodies is the first greatest hits compilation album by American rock band Incubus released on June 16, 2009, through Epic Records. It was released as a double-disc set, the first disc featuring 13 previously released singles from the albums Make Yourself, Morning View, A Crow Left of the Murder..., and Light Grenades, along with two new Brendan O'Brien–produced tracks, "Black Heart Inertia" and "Midnight Swim".
If Not Now, When? is the seventh studio album by American rock band Incubus, released on July 12, 2011 and named after the novel by Primo Levi. Preceded by the singles "Adolescents" and "Promises, Promises", the album represented the band's longest gap between studio albums at the time, and their final full-length release through long-time label Epic Records. Described by guitarist Michael Einziger as "a very straightforward, concise album," If Not Now, When? was recorded in the wake of an extended hiatus, and produced by frequent collaborator Brendan O'Brien. The album's cover features high wire artist Philippe Petit.
Trust Fall (Side B) is the fifth EP by rock band Incubus. It was released on April 17, 2020. Side B serves as a sequel to Trust Fall (Side A), which was released in 2015. It is the last studio material with bassist Ben Kenney before his departure in 2024.
"Nimble Bastard" is a single by American rock band Incubus, off of their eighth studio album 8. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in April 2017.
8 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on April 21, 2017, through Island Records. The album takes its name from being the band's eighth LP. The release of 8 in 2017 saw the longest time between full-length albums for Incubus. The album was previously produced by Dave Sardy, and later re-produced and mixed by Skrillex, a close friend of the band. The album's first single, "Nimble Bastard", peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in April 2017. 8 is the last studio album with bassist Ben Kenney before his departure in 2024.
Nicole Sue Row is an American musician and singer known for touring with Miley Cyrus in 2017 and Panic! at the Disco during 2018–2023. She joined Incubus in March 2023 and was made a full band member in February 2024.
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