BREAKING BENJAMIN's BENJAMIN BURNLEY Explains Why He Refuses To Fly, Says He Will 'Take A Boat' To Band's European Tour

In a new interview with Jesea Lee, BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Benjamin Burnley spoke about the band's upcoming tour of Europe, which is scheduled to kick off on June 6 at the Rock Im Park festival in Germany. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I'm heading to Europe towards the end of the month. And I don't fly, so I have to take a boat out there, so I have to leave a week earlier than everybody else."

Asked if he is afraid of flying, Burnley said: "Yeah, definitely… And as long and drawn out as the ship is, and as boring as it is, every time I'm, like, 'Oh, man,' I just think about flying and I'm, like, 'Okay, I'm good, actually.'"

He continued: "Honestly, I don't like traveling in a... I'm really in the wrong profession. And I don't like traveling or speed in any way. I don't like going fast. I certainly don't like being high… So I'm not that comfortable with [being on a ship] either. It's just you pick the lesser of the evils, kind of thing."

Asked if that means he will get to Europe a week after the rest of BREAKING BENJAMIN because he will go there by ship instead of flying, Burnley said: "Well, they leave a week later, and so we get there at the same time, pretty much. But I think at the very end they're all gonna fly home, and it just so happened, the schedule of the ship, that I have to stay a few days later until my ship leaves to come back. I'll be in London near some cool shit… So I'll be in a cool spot of London with stuff to do, and I think my son will be with me."

Earlier this month, BREAKING BENJAMIN released a new single, "Something Wicked", signaling the latest chapter for the band and the tease of a forthcoming full-length album.

In October 2024, BREAKING BENJAMIN released a single called "Awaken". BREAKING BENJAMIN's first new music since 2018 was made available via the band's new global recordings agreement with BMG. The partnership with BMG also marked the group's first new label home since releasing BREAKING BENJAMIN debut album nearly 25 years ago. "Awaken" quickly shot to No. 1 on the Rock Digital Songs charts and landed in the Top 20 on multiple additional Billboard charts, including Hot Hard Rock Songs, Digital Song Sales, Hot Alternative Songs and Hard Rock Songs. The single has also since surpassed 131 million streams globally.

In June and July, BREAKING BENJAMIN will be heading to Europe to tour the continent for their first overseas shows since 2017, with support from CHEVELLE and RETURN TO DUST.

BREAKING BENJAMIN's May 9 performance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida marked the band's first live appearance with new drummer Brian Medeiros (RED, OTHERWISE). Medeiros took over from ASKING ALEXANDRIA drummer James Cassells, who has been sitting behind the kit for BREAKING BENJAMIN for the past eight months after BREAKING BENJAMIN drummer Shaun Foist announced that he would "step away" from touring with the band to "focus on healing" in his ongoing battle with Hashimoto's disease.

Photo credit: Dominique D'Costa