Emily Tan is always bringing me the goods. But this time she threw a curve ball. A few weeks ago she asked if I wanted to interview Ben Rauch. I didn’t know the name and assumed he was some up-and-coming DJ with a new release to promote. Nope… He’s not a DJ at all. He’s the guy behind “The Emoji Song.” Before you hit the back button, listen to the song. It’s fun and really hits home to a guy that spends his life on a mobile phone. The song is great and it was fun learning more about Ben. This isn’t dance music, but it was a great interview. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Ben Rauch.
“The Emoji Song” is awesome. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. But you hit a home run with this. What inspired you to write a song about emojis?
I am fascinated by how much of modern dating involves communication over texting – and how much we lean on emojis in the process. Given how easy it is to misrepresent tone over text, it was fun to imagine a relationship going off the rails because the guy was a little too emoji obsessed!
That song is the first single on your album Tales From The Turnpike. Tell me more about that album and what other songs we can expect.
The songs hopefully do paint a comedic portrait of my experiences growing up as a Phil Collins obsessed musician in New Jersey – which includes anything and everything ranging from songs about my experiences at my favorite awful diner to strippers with sciatica – to what it means to observe a Jersey Christmas! But it’s also an exploration of dating in a tech-obsessed world (example: one of the songs is called “You Poked Me.”)
Your album is coming out on Mama’s Boy Music. Tell me more about that label and what your experience has been like working with them.
I’m an independent artist and independently formed the label… Because I have the technical ability to produce music for myself, as well as others, it made the most sense for me to make this operation my own! Plus it allows for complete creative control – a huge benefit.
“The Emoji Song” has won several awards including “Best Comedy/Novelty Song” and “Best Music Video.” What do these awards mean to you and do you foresee more awards coming as the album is released?
I am incredibly proud and grateful this song is getting the kind of acknowledgment it already has. It’s validating for an artist because you often feel you are working in a vacuum (which is dusty, and a little isolating!) But what I am most excited about in terms of the awards is its helping the song to find a global audience, and hopefully its reach keeps expanding every day.
You are also an actor. You’ve been involved with a lot of big productions including “Jersey Boys” and “Gossip Girl.” Are you working on any acting gigs right now? Do you have plans for new projects in the near future?
I most recently shot a role in a film called “Can you Ever Forgive Me?” starring Melissa McCarthy and was lucky enough to score a role on “Mr. Robot.” The goal is to keep the acting and music careers firing simultaneously always, as I love them both!
There are a lot of great music venues in NYC. What are some of your favorite places to see a show?
Hammerstein Ballroom and Madison Square Garden for the history and spectacle. Have seen some cool stuff at Beacon Theatre, too!
Who are some of your biggest influences? I would assume guys like Weird Al are on your list!
“Weird Al” Yankovic for sure! He is absolutely brilliant! Love Ben Folds (who has a great first name BTW), Lonely Planet, Adam Sandler – all who fuse comedy with music – but also pure singer-songwriters like Billy Joel and Darlene Love, who I recently had the honor of playing keyboard for on her national tour.
What is your songwriting process like? I mean, how did you come up with the lyrics to “The Emoji Song?”
It’s really about hearing a hook first that doesn’t leave your head no matter how hard you want to shake it… And the concept and story expands from that phrase or melody. In this case, it was the phrase, “I sent too many emojis/for being a guy.” The rest of the music comes after and is a process that is fun because it involves a lot of collaboration and effort to perfect the sound.
If you had to choose, would you pick acting or music?
That’s Sophie’s Choice! And given I am Ben, I have no business making choices for Sophie. The truth is… I love them both. I could never choose.
I don’t see any tour dates listed on your website. Planning a tour this summer/fall?
A tour is being organized primarily in the college market right now, but I am looking forward to playing some shows here in the US and eventually internationally as well.
Emily Tan is a rock star. Have you enjoyed working with her?
To say she is unequivocally the BEST is a massive understatement. She has incredible experience working with top-tier artists combined with an unbelievable work ethic. So incredibly grateful for her!
You also do voiceover work. How did you get into that? Seems neat!
It is! I really love doing it. It came about pretty organically when I first started auditioning for on-camera acting work, I began auditioning for voice work too.
You are also involved in theatre. Is there anything you can’t do?
Well, kayaking… I suck at kayaking. I love theater. It is the foundation for nearly every aspect of public performance. That and a shameless desire for the spotlight! When I saw my first live theatrical performance as a kid I was hooked and I tried to recreate it in my parent’s basement. After that, I started doing community theater and my passion for it grew from there.
What’s next for Ben Rauch?
I am looking forward to playing this album live and to bringing joy to the audiences I get in front of! Also, we are making a concerted effort to get “The Emoji Song” played in professional sports stadiums and arenas. Finally, I am looking forward to hearing any and all stories of how emojis made or broke people’s relationships. Although I hope for humanity’s sake there are more “happy faced” emoji stories than the sad ones…
Thank you so much for doing this. That was fun. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thank YOU for this interview. It would mean the world to me if everyone reading this goes out and gives “The Emoji Song” a listen. I’d be honored to make it on your playlists!
Connect with Ben Rauch:
Website: http://www.benrauchsite.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenRauchUpdates/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/benrauchmusic
