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Ben DeHan’s ‘Waiting For You’ Cuts Deep and Takes You Higher

By Cynthia Gross

With his latest single “Waiting For You,” Baltimore, Md.-based artist Ben DeHan delivers one of his most honest, emotional songs yet. Ben, who creates a unique sound somewhere between Machine Gun Kelly and Angels & Airwaves, reminds audiences everywhere that the best things in life are still worth waiting for.

Ben notes he wrote “Waiting For You” in February 2020, just a couple weeks before the world would retreat into quarantine during the height of the pandemic.

“It took me 30 minutes to finish the lyrics and structure,” explains Ben. “Flash forward nine months, and Lauren and I were in a month-long holding pattern between apartments and living at my parent’s house.” During this time, Ben and his girlfriend and bandmate Lauren White were also preparing to travel to San Francisco, where they would create their first EP with Sam Pura.

The prophetic nature of the song and ubiquitous themes of waiting, longing, and uncertainty add depth and significance to “Waiting For You.” Ben’s emotional delivery and vulnerability lend an urgency that audiences feel deep and believe instinctively. The atmospheric string arrangements, compliments of Lauren, and overall musicianship create a tension with nostalgia at the heart. The steady build progresses at just the right pace from stripped-down acoustic guitar and vocals to a full-blown powerful experience.

“’Waiting For You’ is about being on a train and knowing there’s a strong possibility it will crash but not being able to get off,” says Ben. “Nothing has necessarily gone wrong, yet something isn’t right. I remember writing the bridge vividly. I felt trapped, and I had to get out of that room, which was over cluttered with an apartment’s worth of belongings.”

No stranger to the music scene, Ben has more than a decade of experience, including as a former member of Baltimore-based pop punk band American Diary, where he played the 2008 Warped Tour. He later re-emerged with his own sound as a solo artist and has been featured in New Noise Magazine, IndiePulse Music, Hype Machine, and more.

Introspective lyrics throughout “Waiting For You,” including “waking up while I’m breaking down” encourage listeners that they can make it despite the challenges they face. Ben explains, “It tested both of us, and we grew because of it. We got out, we carried on, we stopped waiting.”

Ben DeHan’s “Waiting For You” is a lovely offering that cuts deep and takes you higher.

Follow our Alchemical Weekly Spotify Playlist for this and more great music featured on the site.  

Cynthia Gross

Cynthia Gross is a freelance writer and award-winning spiritual pop artist based in Maryland. With more than a decade of experience as an executive ghostwriter, she understands the power of each individual’s voice to create positive, meaningful change.

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