Ben Rankin Connects With Us On The Release Of “Rewind (feat. Machine on a Break)” And The Emotion Driving His Next Chapter
- STAFF
- Jan 16
- 6 min read
By: Staff
“Rewind (feat. Machine on a Break)” hits with raw honesty, sharp emotion, and a fearless sense of growth that cements Ben Rankin as a voice worth watching.
There is something quietly powerful about a song that does not ask for attention but earns it the longer you sit with it. With “Rewind,” Ben Rankin delivers exactly that kind of moment. The track arrives with emotional weight, restraint, and intention, pulling listeners into a story that unfolds slowly and honestly. It is the kind of song that feels lived in, shaped by reflection rather than reaction, and it sets the tone for what is shaping up to be one of his most revealing releases yet.
“Rewind” captures the tension between wanting closure and knowing better than to reopen old wounds. It moves with purpose, balancing intensity with vulnerability, never rushing its message. There is a sense of clarity in the writing, as if the song exists at the moment when realization finally outweighs emotion. It is raw without being reckless, controlled without losing its edge. The production mirrors that balance, giving space for the weight of the lyrics to land while still carrying an undeniable energy beneath the surface.
What makes the track especially compelling is how it hints at a larger emotional arc. “Rewind” does not feel like a standalone confession. It feels like a chapter in a bigger story, one shaped by reflection, growth, and a refusal to repeat past mistakes. There is an undercurrent of resilience throughout the song, a quiet confidence that comes from understanding when to let go and when to stand firm. It sets expectations for an album that is unafraid to confront uncomfortable truths while still pushing forward creatively.
We spoke with Ben Rankin about the making of “Rewind,” the moments that inspired it, and how it fits into the broader emotional landscape of his upcoming album In Memoriam. In our conversation, he opens up about personal turning points, the balance between vulnerability and self-protection, and how collaboration helped shape the sound and direction of the track. What follows is an honest look into the mindset behind the music and the evolution of an artist who is clearly stepping into a new chapter with confidence and purpose.
Keep scrolling to get into it with Ben Rankin
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Ben Rankin, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview about your release of Rewind! We've had an amazing time exploring it diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more excited to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. At its core, what is “Rewind” really about, and what personal moment or realization pushed you to write it while making “Rewind” the right title to carry the weight of that story?
A. The initial writing process started as writing about a particular person in my life who wanted back in after ending on horrific terms. I’ve written songs based on similar circumstances, but I was using these grand, sweeping metaphors, but never saying exactly how I was feeling. So, I saw this as my opportunity to do exactly that. The title itself comes from a line in the song that goes, “You want to rewind, are you losing your mind?” It just felt insane to me to think that someone can basically go, “Sorry that all of this happened, can we be friends again?” because apparently that’s how the system works.
Q. When that person tried to reenter your life, what finally made it clear you could not allow this to repeat, even if part of you wanted closure?
A. It wasn’t an eventual decision; I knew then and there that this couldn’t happen again, because this all happened around 3 years later, and I just didn’t want to re-live that. When you’ve moved on, you’re happier in life, love, and friends, and then you get a message like that, sometimes the greatest form of closure is by not responding and moving forward.
Q. “Rewind” carries a lot of reflection and restraint. What was the hardest truth you had to admit to yourself while writing it?
A. That I was very ignorant, and I kept letting it happen, being strung along basically. It took multiple people to tell me, “Hey man, this isn’t right,” which nearly led me to lose those people in my life, and that just wasn’t worth it. The biggest lesson here was admitting my own mistakes and ignorance and waking up to reality, basically.
Q. This song walks the line between confrontation and self-protection. How did you decide where that line needed to be emotionally?
A. Well, Rewind has elements of both, but there’s actually another song off this new album called Crown of Thorns that goes into full-on confrontation mode. So, I just decided to split the mood in between two songs, if I’m being honest. With Rewind, it was more looking at what the music was telling me to do; basically, it wasn’t really appropriate for screaming throughout the entire song because there are some somber moments in the song.
Q. You recorded this track in your home studio, a space you call your comfort zone. How did being there, as opposed to a more public or commingled environment, change how honest you were willing to be with the lyrics?
A. I feel like I get my best performance when I’m in a room by myself, and I’m just letting it all out. It’s different when I’m recording a demo because I can just think of ideas on the fly with other people, then I can go into my studio and really flesh those ideas out.
Q. As the second single from In Memoriam, what role does “Rewind” play in preparing listeners for the emotional direction of the forthcoming album, and what parts of the album can you reveal or explore at this moment?
A. It was really hard choosing singles for this album, but I chose the songs that can display every mood that’s on the album. I guess, Rewind shows that there’s an element of fight-back on this album, and if you don’t agree with something, you should be able to express it. In Memoriam shows a lot more of an “I don’t give a s***” mentality.
Q. Your writing often explores anxiety and mental weight. Where does “Rewind” sit for you now compared to when you first wrote it, and does hearing or performing it feel more like healing or reopening the wound?
A. It’s been more or less the same from when I first wrote it, to be honest. If anything, making it has been more therapeutic, lifting off the weight that certain situations have put on me. It’s felt nice to write this song along with other songs on the album.
Q. Collaborating with Machine on a Break brought another perspective into the room. What was the biggest shift the song took once that collaboration began?
A. Well, the entire song was written with both of us in the same room. There was only one thing that I had written beforehand, which was a 4-bar riff, and we wrote the rest together. I have never written a song for my solo project with other people, so it was very different for me. Jessie and I have known each other for 2 years, and we share some of the same favourite bands like Sleep Token, Bring Me The Horizon, and I Prevail, so writing it was quick and easy.
Q. Sharing songwriting duties can be vulnerable. What part of yourself did you end up revealing that you did not expect to?
A. Jessie wrote a majority of the lyrics, so for me, it was actually more of the instrumental and the production side. I saw this as a chance to expand my production vocabulary, stuff like chopping up the guitars and adding more glitching sounds was a really exciting challenge for me.
Q. Looking back at ‘Welcome To My House,’ how do you hear your emotional journey showing up differently in this new material?
A. Welcome To My House, lyrically, was a very personal album for me, but it had to be done. There was so much stuff that happened in the 2 years that it took me to make that record that I kinda just needed to lay it all out. That was more of an “I need to say what I need to say and I don’t care how long the songs are” kind of album for me. In Memoriam, to me, sounds more polished, but I think the lyrics are more, I don’t want to say mature, because I’ve always written about serious subjects, but I think the lyrics on this new album are a night-and-day difference from Welcome To My House. Still love that album, but you’re always evolving and improving with everything that comes next.
Q. We cannot thank you enough for sharing these intimate details. What is next for you, and can you give readers a look at what is coming up and what fans should be excited about hearing directly from you?
A. My new album, In Memoriam, comes out on February 27th, but there’ll be more to come before the record comes out!
Ben Rankin, thank you so much! We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.
Thanks so much for having me!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Ben Rankin’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
