Long Island teen rock band releases first music video, lands gig in Manhattan

NEW YORK - Together Ben, Jack and James may be younger than many musicians but they're more talented than most. The teenage rock trio, although only 13, 15 and 16 respectively, started a group about a year ago. 

They've taken over the living room in Ben's parents' home and dubbed themselves Ben Goldsmith and the Original Band. 

“This is where we do our demos, we jam here, we write songs,” said band leader Ben Goldsmith. “Basically a lot of what we do on stage is made here.”

Ben who is the leader of the band is endorsed by guitar manufacturer, Gibson. He met Jack and James at a local music school. Their style is described as soulful rock infused with country and blues.

All of their music is original and even when they're not together, they're in constant communication. 

“It's pretty much every waking moment to the moment we go to bed,” said James Bandini. “When we're in school we're thinking about playing together.”

“We rehearse two to three times a week for three to four hours,” said Jack McDonough. “We do a lot all the time, gigs on the weekends.”

The teens toured the South over the summer stopping in Texas and Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. Some of their role models - Slash and John Mayer. As for their biggest fans - their parents who couldn't be more proud. 

“There are tons of late nights where we have to tell them to quiet down,” said Ben’s dad, Aaron Goldsmith. “But when you do think about the fact that they're not on the computer they're not locked into playing video games, they're doing something creative and valuable.”

The biggest opportunity of all is coming up next month at The Cutting Room in Manhattan. It's the band's first chance to play their original music in the city they grew up in.