Rob Lundberg Presents “Uncontaminated Sound – The Interviews” EP #9 with Ben Lanz & Kyle Resnick

An artist capable of creating impressive works in many different mediums, Robert Lundberg is a well-regarded photographer and filmmaker known for his artful documentaries covering the worlds of music, comedy, art, and film. After growing up in Massachusetts, Lundberg moved to New York City to fully invest himself in his career in art and film. An individual who never balks at taking on new challenges, Lundberg has immersed himself in perhaps his most challenging project yet, the new documentary series titled Uncontaminated Sound – The Interviews.

Debuting in February, the series follows comedians, musicians, fine artists, and actors in an effort to gain an inside perspective on their creative process which can only be fully captured by going behind the scenes. The purpose of the series is to offer an intimate look into all of the rarely seen or known “little things” that take place during interviews and other similar encounters with artists and performers. Oftentimes, most features are heavily edited, capturing certain moments often heavily vetted by those in charge of the content’s creation or final product. But that’s not in Lundberg’s nature. He makes sure to bring you all of the raw, authentic moments that you would never otherwise get a chance to experience and enjoy.

Here we are in June at the beginning of the summer and it’s again time for another new episode of  Rob Lundberg Presents: Uncontaminated Sound – The Interviews. For episode nine, Lundberg caught up with Ben Lanz and Kyle Resnick, two men who have been instrumental in the musical and commercial success of some very well-respected bands. Lanz and Resnick are two of today’s most sought after horn players and multi-instrumentalists who have gained widespread recognition for their work with The National, Beirut and Sufjan Stevens. Both classically trained, Lanz and Resnick met nearly 20 years ago in Brooklyn, New York when they found they had a lot in common. Despite these commonalities, they have marched their way to success on very different pathways. Resnick initially began to find his way through playing with several different ensembles and orchestras including the EOS Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theater, International Contemporary Ensemble, Mark Morris Dance Group, Russian National Orchestra, and various Broadway shows. He’s also been actively playing in a few regular New York City-based freelance orchestras.

Originally from Connecticut, Lanz moved to New York to attend SUNY Purchase where he was trained in trombone, drums, and electro-acoustic sound collage. His career as a musician began when Sufjan Stevens asked him to join his Illoisemakers group for a concert in New York City in the mid-2000s because he needed another horn player. Stevens was impressed with what Lanz brought to the table in that one show which resulted in an invitation to join Stevens’ touring band for the tour behind his 2006 album The Avalanche. While on that tour, Lanz met Bryce Dessner of The National and then was later asked to become a touring member of that band. With a life consumed by music and creativity, Lanz recently released a record titled The Ochre World under the moniker Million Lands with drummer Kid Millions of Man Forever and Oneida.

Ben Lanz & Kyle Resnick

Commenting on his chat with Lanz and Resnick, Lundberg stated, “There are few, if any, contemporary horn players and multi-instrumentalists, that have left a larger footprint on what we now recognize as the modern indie sound, than the duo of Ben Lanz and Kyle Resnick.

Yes, that Ben Lanz and Kyle Resnick, currently of The National, Beirut, and in the past have toured with artists such as Sufjan Stevens, paired with collaborations with basically every major indie band in the early 2000s. The two musical savants knew early on that music was their destiny, it was just in their blood, although both discovered themselves in the midst of the indie scene through completely different paths. During these years capturing contemporary music with the lens, I’ve been fortunate enough to befriend the two musically attuned masters and all-round good souls.

In conversation 009, we chat about music, sports, creativity and more. Spanning across continents, (Ben being in France at the moment), and albeit with some minor interruptions, I was grateful to finally have a chance to sit down with the two humble giants of indie.”

Lundberg has many more interviews lined up with acclaimed artists who have agreed to be participants in Uncontaminated Sound – The Interviews in the coming weeks and months. Lundberg has already been bringing you his ongoing series Uncontaminated Sound which takes a look behind the scenes to get a look at performers before they take the stage. The series has featured Macklemore’s Gemini Tour featuring Eric Nally (formerly of Foxy Shazam) and Xperience, Louie Anderson, Sinbad, Ron English, We Are Scientists, Rufus Wainwright and more. Lundberg’s photography has been highlighted in publications such as Huffington Post, Paste Magazine and more.