With more than two decades behind them, Black Stone Cherry have established themselves as one of the most consistent bands in modern American rock. From their early days in Kentucky to sharing stages with legendary acts and touring around the world, the band has built a career based on honesty, energy and a strong connection with their fans.
Now the band returns with “Celebrate”, a new EP that shows both their uplifting side and their most personal and emotional moments. On the occasion of the release and while preparing for an extensive European tour, we spoke with Ben Wells about the band’s early days, the key moments of these twenty years and what still makes stepping on stage feel exciting every single night.
David Aresté
M.S: Hi Ben, it’s a pleasure to have you on our page. How are you?
I’m good, thank you. How are you?
M.S: In a few weeks your new EP Celebrate will be released, where you say it’s important to celebrate even the best moments of the day. But you can also celebrate 20 years of your musical career, right?
That’s the meaning of the song, and yeah. The more you look around you and find things in a world that wants to just be dark and gloomy.
M.S: What do you remember about the release of your first album?
I remember it just a ton of excitement. All of our families and friends were lining up in the store at midnight the night it came out to go and purchase it. We were on tour, I believe in Cleveland, Ohio, the day that it came out. It was really cool to release something on a major scale like that to the world, something you’ll never forget, knowing that what you’ve worked so hard on is now available for anyone to go and listen to. It’s an incredible feeling anytime you release new music, but especially that first one.
M.S: If you could go back and tell something to the Black Stone Cherry of that first album, what would it be?
That’s a good question. We didn’t have a tour bus, we were just trying to get by. I guess I would say to enjoy every little thing that came our way and not sweat any of the small stuff that we maybe at one time thought was really big, but when you look back on it, it’s just a small obstacle that you had to get over.
M.S: Months ago we interviewed Johnny Van Zant from Lynyrd Skynyrd and he told us he saw you and Blackberry Smoke as interesting proposals within Southern Rock. On a personal level, looking back, how do you see everything you’ve achieved with the band?
I’m so thankful for everything that we’ve been able to do. Headline arena tours and tour with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and be able to call those guys friends. Those are things that you just couldn’t comprehend early on. To think that we’re still here in 2026 getting ready to put out new music, it feels very refreshing. I’m very grateful that we’re able to still connect with people and tour, and be able to have this platform to release music.
M.S: The years have gone by, you’ve released several albums and perhaps one of the band’s milestones came when you were able to record a live album at the Royal Albert Hall. What do you remember about that?
When we got the show we knew it was a very special moment for us. We always wanted to play that venue, and apparently there’s a big waiting list and a lot of things you have to go through to be able to play there. Once we landed the date, we knew that we wanted to record it so we could always remember it and make it a special event not only for us but for all the fans who were there. Our families were there to experience it with us too. It was really cool to play that show and now have it forever so we can go back and watch it anytime.
M.S: You haven’t changed your lineup in all these years. How do you manage to achieve that in a band?
For us it was just like a godsend. Our bass player Steve is from our same area and has brought so much to the band. Our whole mentality with Black Stone Cherry has always been moving forward and not backwards. When you cross a bridge like that you just have to figure out what to do next, and thankfully we were able to move forward in a very positive way. Now we’re still here, still doing it.
M.S: Going back to the EP, Celebrate is positive, but Deep comes from an extremely personal experience. When you turn something so painful into music, is it more cathartic or more difficult to relive every time you play it?
We haven’t played that song live yet, but it is a very personal song, especially to myself and my wife. It is cathartic. I’m thankful that we have music as an outlet to say some of the things that we’re feeling. I know that song is special for us and I believe it will be special for a lot of other people as well who might hear it and think they’re feeling the same way but maybe are too nervous to express it. Songs like that are the most special because they’re the most powerful.
M.S: The music video for “Neon Eyes” shows a real day on tour, culminating at the Maid of Stone Festival 2025. Which moment from that day best sums up who you are as a band?
A lot of it really. It shows us all doing our own things. Some of us might be outside talking to people, some might be in the dressing room relaxing or going over songs. It was a show we flew in just for that one performance. The weather was perfect and it shows excitement and a high-octane rock and roll performance. It really shows both sides of the band within one day.
M.S: You continue to produce your own material. Does that help you get the most out of the songs?
Yes, we’re all very involved in the writing, recording and production of everything we put out. That makes it really easy to self-produce because everyone contributes.
M.S: Why did you decide on an EP? Didn’t you have more songs? Will more be released later?
The plan is to put out this EP, Celebrate. If we can finish the rest of the material, we would release a second EP maybe around this time next year.
M.S: You close the EP with a cover of Simple Minds. Why them?
We’ve always been fans of Simple Minds, especially that song. Everybody loves The Breakfast Club. We actually played a festival with them in 2019 and got to see them perform it live. When we cover songs we try to stay true to the original but also re-envision it as if we had written it ourselves, adding our own edge to it. We also had Tyler from Theory of a Deadman sing on it because that whole band has been friends of ours for many years. It’s a timeless song, and if we can bring it to a new audience with our own style, that’s fantastic.
M.S: Could you summarize the EP in five words?
Transparent, raw, emotional, heavy and fun. There are emotional songs like Deep, but at the end of the day it’s still a fun listen. We like to balance the ups and downs of life in our music and always try to leave things with a positive outlook.
M.S: You’re going to tour Europe for more than two months. What makes European audiences special for you?
They have always been on our side since the very first time we toured Europe in 2007. We’ve invested a lot in that part of the world and they reinvest back into us. We have a special relationship with our European and UK audiences.
M.S: On this part of the tour you’re not coming to Spain, and it’s been four years since you last visited. Do you think you might return in the future?
We definitely have plans to. We love touring Spain and we love playing that part of the world, so we absolutely want to come back.
M.S: What can fans expect from this tour that they haven’t seen before at a Black Stone Cherry show?
What people see and hear on stage is 100% authentic. We don’t use backing tracks or anything like that. If we mess up, we mess up, and that’s just part of the show. I think fans appreciate that honesty.
M.S: After 20 years, what still feels new when you step on stage?
We still love it. I still get a little bit of anxiety and those nervous butterflies before every show, and I love that because it means I’m still excited. We want people to leave feeling like they got more than their money’s worth.
M.S: I don’t know if you’ll be celebrating those 20 years with a reissue, since you already released a live album in 2022?
We’re trying to figure out some cool ways to celebrate it, maybe with merchandise or even a re-release. We’ll definitely do something special so fans can be part of it.
M.S: We’ve reached the end of the interview. Thank you again for your time. If you’d like to leave a final message for our readers, this is the moment.
Thank you so much for your support and for believing in Black Stone Cherry and what we do. We could not do this without you and we never take that for granted. We’re very thankful.
David Aresté