Ben Jorgensen is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best-known as the lead singer and the guitarist of the rock band Armor for Sleep.

Early life and education

Jorgensen grew up in

Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) fr ...

, and is of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Danish, and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

descent.Knopper, Steve
"COOL@NIGHT; CONCEPT CD: Awaking the spirit in life or death; Armor for Sleep ponders afterlife with no apologies"
''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and ...

'', March 16, 2006. "It's hard to imagine a more morbid form of writer's block than this: ''I was kind of stuck in that place where the only thing I could write about was through the perspective of me being dead'', says Ben Jorgensen, singer, guitarist and lyricist for the Teaneck, N.J.,...", Jorgensen attended the

Jewish day school A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide children of Jewish parents with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full-time basis. The term "day school" is used to differentiate s ...

, Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, and the Solomon Schechter of Essex and Union, where he graduated in 2001.New jersey Jewish Standard: "More powerful than a locomotive... Steel Train remembers Jersey roots on path to fame" by William A. Jacobson
November 26, 2010

Musical career

Early in his musical career Jorgensen was the drummer for punk band Random Task. Jorgensen then formed Armor for Sleep in 2001. He began writing the first songs during the summer after his first year in college. Jorgensen recorded these songs as a demo CD for $100 at a local recording studio, with Jorgensen playing all the instruments himself. These songs were later re-recorded for Armor For Sleep's debut album, ''

Dream to Make Believe ''Dream to Make Believe'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Armor for Sleep. Following on from his previous band Random Task, Ben Jorgensen taught himself guitar and later recruited additional members to form Armor for Sleep. With ...

'', released in 2003 on

Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand. The label originally existed sole ...

. Armor for Sleep disbanded in 2009 (though they would later reunite in 2020), and Jorgensen started an

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

project with Sierra Shardae, named God Loves a Challenge, which only released an unnamed EP of various tracks. Jorgensen recorded his debut solo EP, titled ''There Is Nowhere Left to Go'', at Treehouse Studios in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark, New Jersey, Newark.

, and was released on October 5, 2010 via digital download. Jorgensen made a cameo appearance in

Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. ...

's " Dance, Dance" video in 2005, and also in

Cobra Starship Cobra Starship was an American dance-pop band founded in 2005 by Gabe Saporta (ex- Midtown), and headquartered in New York City. He recorded the first album as a solo project, '' While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets''. Saporta later enlis ...

's video for " The City Is at War," in 2007, playing alongside

Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician best known as the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy since 2001. Before Fall Out Boy, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the le ...

as a policeman.

Personal life

In 2013, Jorgensen married actress

Katrina Bowden Katrina Bowden (born September 19, 1988) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cerie on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013) and as Flo Fulton on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (2019–prese ...

. They divorced in 2020. He is now dating Kailey Cost.

Discography

Armor for Sleep *''

'' (2003) *''

What to Do When You Are Dead ''What to Do When You Are Dead'' is the second studio album by American rock band Armor for Sleep. Following the completion of two songs written from the perspective of being dead, vocalist/guitarist Ben Jorgensen created a whole story from this ...

'' (2005) *''

Smile For Them ''Smile for Them'' is the third studio album by American rock band Armor for Sleep, released on October 30, 2007 through Sire Records. Shortly after the release of their second studio album ''What to Do When You Are Dead'' (2005), the band were w ...

'' (2007) *''

The Way Out Is Broken ''The Way Out Is Broken'' is the fourth release and first EP from New Jersey band Armor for Sleep. Background and release While on tour in fall 2005, Armor for Sleep performed a new song, titled "The Way Out Is Broken". On January 12, 2006, t ...

'' EP (2008) *''The Rain Museum'' (2022) God Loves A Challenge *Various tracks (2009) self-released Solo material *''There Is Nowhere Left To Go'' EP (October 5, 2010) self-released

Singles

Armor for Sleep

References

External links

*
Armor For Sleep's official websiteArmor For Sleep
on the

site {{DEFAULTSORT:Jorgensen, Ben Living people American male singers American rock singers American rock guitarists American male guitarists Golda Och Academy alumni Singers from New Jersey People from Teaneck, New Jersey American people of Danish descent American people of German descent American musicians of Japanese descent Guitarists from New Jersey Year of birth missing (living people)